How many ways have you tried to control nitrates?

[reefstarter]

So as with most I think nitrates are the hardest param to keep in check I struggle with it constantly .i feel I have a good culture of de-nitrifying bacteria in the system but can't seem to keep it low it gets there but doesn't stay there. And I have been considering either bio pellets or a ulphur reactor what have you used? How consistent is it and cost effective?

 

[this is me]

In my previous system, I've tried dosing Brightwell stuff(Microbacter), Ran bio-pellets when it was the talk of the town, tried to substitute bio-pellets with rice(Yes, rice! the most stupiest thing I've done in this hobby). None of this stuff yield the result I want. In fact, I had lots of issues. I finally when back to the basic and stick with a good skimmer, refugium with cheato, and a weekly 10% water change. I haven't seen nitrate above 1ppm.

 

[JohnK]

My old 120G system had no issues managing nitrate via DSB and a refugim with robust cheato growth and harvesting (like a football to basketball sized clump removed every 1-2 months) and of course a protein skimmer.

During the transition I tried bio-pellets and wasn't very happy with them. It seemed like the carbon dose was not well controlled and I ended up with tons of cyano.

My Current system has no nitrate issues, running modest vinegar dosing and a good skimmer.

I've always fed lightly.

 

[freakit]

"Here try this Goya rice just make sure you rinse it well" That must be one hell of a pitchman.

I use a good skimmer, water changes, chaeto, and an algae scrubber Got 0 nitrate on an Api test I did a while ago.

 

[this is me]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1874551
http://glassbox-design.com/2010/rice-biopellet-nitrate-bacteria-aquarium/

It was pretty hot back then. Carbon source.

 

[freakit]

That was before my time but who knows what's next.

 

[nemodan]

I tried NOPOX and I failed. Now a have a LOT !!!! of Seacherm Matrix in every place with flow where I was able to placed it in bags. I also seeded the tank for a couple months with live bacteria. Will provide the name at mi return home.

For Phosp. I added a 20g fudge to a 56 G real volume tank. Five full of Macro.

Nitrates went to 0 ppm in less than 2 months. Just biology.

 

[reefstarter]

I am vinegar dosing now run an algae scrubber , and a fuge full of macros and I still have to try and manage it . I don't mind doing water changes takes me an hour by the time I pump the waste up to the sink . I open and close a few valves to do the actual water exchange . Guess I'll have to keep at it and hope for the best .

 

[JohnK]

I am vinegar dosing now run an algae scrubber , and a fuge full of macros and I still have to try and manage it . I don't mind doing water changes takes me an hour by the time I pump the waste up to the sink . I open and close a few valves to do the actual water exchange . Guess I'll have to keep at it and hope for the best .

I wonder if or how much the scrubber, macro and carbon dosing are competing with each other? I know when I started carbon dosing my old system my super robust cheato basically crashed with the cheato turning pale and growth stopping almost completely.

 

[reefstarter]

I was wondering about that too if maybe I am limiting out since my phosphates are .01 and nitrates are probably around 20-30 not terrible but not great either I am using a test strip so don't have an exact number

 

[JohnK]

I don't think it's necessarily a limiting factor if both levels are detectable (at least the way I think of that), but more like if all three methods are competing for the same nutrients then possibly none of them can get up and working 100%. For example, is your cheato growing like crazy? If not then it might not be doing much at all.

Also, pretty much everything needs some phosphate to grow, but I don't know if the thinking attached to the redfield ratio would apply to the cheato or the scrubber? ie will either or both the cheato and scrubber stop growing if Phosphate becomes limited the way that in theory bacterial growth should be limited based on the redfield ratio? I don't know, just thinking out loud...

 

[reefstarter]

Using grape colupra dragons breath macro . cheato was melting away when I had it in there but I also was messing with high params then ( not a very good Idea BTW ) lol Might try some cheato again and see what happens