Reducing Nitrates

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by Money pit

Once you have your No3 under control, give a thought to adding a refugium with algae or an Algae scrubber. The idea of a fuge with algae, is to use a type of algae that is more efficient at using No3 and Po4 then green hair. I think most people agree Chaeto is the type to use.
An algae scrubber is a similar concept, but rather than using an efficient algae, your giving the algae a better place to grow other than your display tank. With a scrubber you use fast flow and lots of light to grow turf or green hair on a plastic canvas surface.
I've use both and they work equally well, both have pluses and minuses when compared to each other. With a fuge you can set it up as its own display, with all the creatures that eventually start showing up, it can be interesting, a negative is that it works best in its own small tank or container, unless you have an empty compartment in your sump.
A scrubber can be set up above the sump, but its not very attractive, so its best used where it isn't on display, on the plus side if you put a fan on the scrubber it works like the rad in your car, and will lower the temp of the tank. I have a scrubber on my tank, I'm on the 3rd floor of an apt bldg and the temp stays below 80 in the summer.

I am not familiar with a scrubber. Seems interesting to use it also for cooling.

Could you post a pic?

[Gripenfelter]

What kind of skimmer do you have?

My old skimmer produced 1/2 cup of crap per week.

New one pulls 1 L of dark green matter every day. I found my nitrate count was higher if I turned it down to only pull out black crap.

Also I would do weekly 5% water changes instead of one big 20% one at the end of the month.

What food are you feeding the fish?

If your tank is fairly well stocked you might want to consider a refugium.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

What kind of skimmer do you have?

My old skimmer produced 1/2 cup of crap per week.

New one pulls 1 L of dark green matter every day. I found my nitrate count was higher if I turned it down to only pull out black crap.

Also I would do weekly 5% water changes instead of one big 20% one at the end of the month.

What food are you feeding the fish?

If your tank is fairly well stocked you might want to consider a refugium.

I don't know what kind of skimmer it is,... an old one, so it may not be the best. And not sure if I have it dialed right.

As for feeding, while I am careful that the fish eat all that I give them, I do feed them about 4 times a day, which I know is a lot. I added some new fish a number of months ago, incl delicate butterfly fish (which took a while to train), and want to make sure they are well fed and healthy. They have fattened up pretty good already and will be cutting back to one feeding a day in the future.

As I have mentioned, I want to try the bio pellet route, and maybe vodka dosing, just to see how it works. It is an old tank, and will be resetting in the future, and maybe sooner if this doesn't do it.

I do have a refugium, with lots of Chaeto, but it doesn't grow very quickly for some reason. My phosphates are not too high (last time I checked), but my nitrate is always very high.

[fishytime]

How old and what brand are your test kits?

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by fishytime

How old and what brand are your test kits?

About 6 months at most old. I have other tanks, too, and they test differently, plus have tried it on new SW, and nitrates come out zero, so I think they are quite accurate. I use the API test kit.

One thing I learned a long time ago, is that you need to follow directions on the test kit very carefully. Specifically, you need to shake the bottles and vial for at least 30 seconds after bottle #1 and then at least 1 minute after bottle #2 and let it sit for a few minutes after. If you don't do that, you will get a false low reading. Which is what may be happening to some people who think they have low nitrates.

Walter

[Gripenfelter]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

I don't know what kind of skimmer it is,... an old one, so it may not be the best. And not sure if I have it dialed right.

As for feeding, while I am careful that the fish eat all that I give them, I do feed them about 4 times a day, which I know is a lot. I added some new fish a number of months ago, incl delicate butterfly fish (which took a while to train), and want to make sure they are well fed and healthy. They have fattened up pretty good already and will be cutting back to one feeding a day in the future.

As I have mentioned, I want to try the bio pellet route, and maybe vodka dosing, just to see how it works. It is an old tank, and will be resetting in the future, and maybe sooner if this doesn't do it.

I do have a refugium, with lots of Chaeto, but it doesn't grow very quickly for some reason. My phosphates are not too high (last time I checked), but my nitrate is always very high.

I have 21 fish. I feed them once a day. 2 pinches of spectrum pellets and a sheet of seaweed.

[Money pit]

Originally Posted by paddyob

I am not familiar with a scrubber. Seems interesting to use it also for cooling.

Could you post a pic?

Can'.t remember how to post pics, but if you go here
http://www.algaescrubber.net/forums/...39612e2735108f

You can learn all you need to know. There is alot of hype on the above forum, seems some have had fantastic results. My results have been good, but its not the be all and end all that some would have you believe, so take it all with a grain of salt.