Nitrate
- Thread starter Jaime
- Start date
EddieM
Well-Known Member
What are your readings? Is your phosphate also high? Helpful to understand your readings, setup, and livestock. I'm assuming your tank has been set up for a while and is fully cycled.
A couple of options, but I'd start by identifying the source....feeding too much, too much bioload, etc? From there you can at least get them in check. To lower them, water changes will do the trick. If you can't identify and fix the source, then you may have to resort to chemical and/or mechanical methods such as biopellets. If your tank is new, let the cycle complete and it will come down on its own as your dentrifying bacteria grows.
A couple of options, but I'd start by identifying the source....feeding too much, too much bioload, etc? From there you can at least get them in check. To lower them, water changes will do the trick. If you can't identify and fix the source, then you may have to resort to chemical and/or mechanical methods such as biopellets. If your tank is new, let the cycle complete and it will come down on its own as your dentrifying bacteria grows.
It's a 220 gallon with 50 gallon sump fowlr set up that's been running for about 18 months with a sro5000 skimmer and a 36 watt UV sterilizer. Stock I have an adult emperor angel , adult blue ring angel , sub adult blue face angle , sub adult queen angel and a large purple tang. As for feeding I do feed heavy but everything gets eating up before the bumps turn back on in about 10 minutes. Water changes every other week 40 percent
afboundguy
Acan's are inedible candy
What are the nitrate readings? For a FOWLR you have way more of a tolerance compared to a reef tank...
Chris A.
Formally toomanyfish
There was someone on here from Peabody I believe selling a carbon reactor.
This is amazing. Nobody knows what the Nitrate levels are, but yet are giving advice on what to do. I would NOT DO ANYTHING until I knew the actual number. I like Salifert kits for Nitrate. Either way, you are going to get something approximate because the colors are hard to read on any test kit. But there might not be a problem at all.
Many of the best hobbyists keeping SPS with amazing colors are now running their tanks at 20ppm nitrate by design. For non-SPS you could go even higher. Of course this will also affect your phosphate levels as well, which are also important. Finally, since you are running a FOWLR, it's highly probable that your nitrates could be much higher than 20ppm without any harm. There are many other variables to consider as well, but again, until you know the actual number, I would NOT DO ANYTHING.
It's pretty irresponsible to be doling out "advice" when we don't even know if there is a problem.
Many of the best hobbyists keeping SPS with amazing colors are now running their tanks at 20ppm nitrate by design. For non-SPS you could go even higher. Of course this will also affect your phosphate levels as well, which are also important. Finally, since you are running a FOWLR, it's highly probable that your nitrates could be much higher than 20ppm without any harm. There are many other variables to consider as well, but again, until you know the actual number, I would NOT DO ANYTHING.
It's pretty irresponsible to be doling out "advice" when we don't even know if there is a problem.
TheRiver
Formally: The River Reef
Just curious totally not poking at your point...
What could be bad about checking and maintaining a healthy amount of bacteria to process waste in our tanks?
Chris A.
Formally toomanyfish
This isn’t a reef tank so having low levels isn’t a must but there’s no way it’s bad to give the OP the answer to their question. The size of the fish and eating habits will put this tank closer to 100 ppm then anywhere else. I’m not curious , I’m poking you.
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What I wrote was clearly not directed at you. You asked questions, you didn't give advice. This was the right thing to do. You didn't try to solve an "issue" that might not even be an issue.
Yeah, let me poke you back.
I did read quite carefully.
Eddie asked and nobody else. You certainly didn't ask. It was not "asked a few times."
Unfortunately right after Eddie asked, some people didn't bother waiting for an answer and started solving a "problem" that nobody knows exists. The next step should have been to wait for an answer. Or offer ways to reduce nitrates with the qualification that the OP shouldn't do anything until they know there is a problem.
How can you give advice to fix a problem you don't even know exists? But you seem to have a magical internet gut test that knows the nitrate level of another person's tank...ok. Of course, your wild-a** guess could end up being right...some guy from Methuen just won the lottery twice, after all.
I didn't attack anybody. I stated facts - something nobody else bothered to wait for, except for AF and The River - and said it was irresponsible to give advice when you don't know what the problem is. Perhaps you felt attacked because after you read what I wrote, you understood it was irresponsible.
The OP stated he was going to dose vinegar and look for a reactor in response to this irresponsible advice. They are now taking action that may do more harm than good based on that advice. In fact, vinegar dosing will achieve nothing without enough phosphate, another variable none of you know.
If this isn't the definition of irresponsible in this context, I don't know what is.
I doubt you'd like to walk into a doctor's office with a stomach ache and have them start hacking at your appendix with no tests.
phg1960
Well-Known Member
Dude, You're being a d**k. The guy asked how to reduce high nitrates. Several of us offered ways to do it. He did not ask for anyone's opinoin as to if his level was too high or not. It's up to him to decide if he wants to take action or not. Get off you high horse.
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Lol you guys are great and answer me a lot faster than my own family. Thanks to all that participated in the conversation. Of course I would take all experiences , suggestions and information and see what I would feel suits my particular set up best. Once again thanks guys
