Controlling Nitrates.

[z28pwr]

I've been reading alot on how to control nitrates and there seems to be a few possible solutions.

The easiest and most important is DON'T OVERFEED.

But then we have the use of Mangroves, Sulfur, Coils and other means to control nitrates.

What are you guys using to control them and what are your parameters?

Thanks.

[matt]

I use a deep sand bed, as well as caulerpa in a refugium. I also skim 24/7 with a big skimmer to remove excess organics before they go through the nitrogen cycle.

[jcravey]

8) Greetings all, my first post, new member. We use a deep sandbed and skimmers also.

[adaminaustin]

I'm with the others, Deep sand bed.
I want to know has anyone ever tried a refugium covered over with a Xenia bed? I read somewhere that xenia removes NO3.

[TexasState]

You can also buy a denitrator. A $200 or more piece of equipment.

[Jimnorris]

If you have the right system get yourself a big clam for your tank! :D And watch your nirates disappear!
Jim

[z28pwr]

If you have the right system get yourself a big clam for your tank! :D And watch your nirates disappear!
Jim

Jim, are you pulling my leg.


As some of you know I've had bad luck with green hair algae.

http://www.z28pwr.com/images/150_tank1.jpg

And even though my parameters always seemed normal I'm thinking my FastTest kit isn't very accurate therefore I'm switching to a SaliFert.

In this 92 gallon tank I do not have a DSB I actually put a PVC grid with a MAG 7 pumping water underneath 100lbs of Live Rock and put 25 lbs of crushed coral in the front of the tank to make it look somewhat decent. In the bottom I have a sump with a refugium that does have a 3" sandbed and are trying to avoid having the algae from coming back.

I did scrub down every single piece of live rock to remove the algae and put in a large Algae blenny but I'm still worried that it may come back to haunt me.

[Bigreefer]

What kind of clean up crew do you have? I just to have this problem until I broke down an ordered a full blown clean up crew. Now I only have to scrape my glass once a week.

my clean up crew consisted of...
25 turbo (I pulled these out due to bull dozing frags then added 25 more margaritas)
25 margarita snails.
25 red leg hermit crabs
3 serpent stars


Jason

[Jimnorris]

No I am not! On some of the clam farms in the Pacific they supplement the clams with ammonia nitrates to enhance their growth. Actually a great refug. is a sump with several large clams (like dersas, squamosa and gigas). One of my own concerns was when I removed my large gigas clam from my tank what should I do?
Jim

[Nano_Steve]

jim; speaking of which.....what DID u end up doing with that monster of a clam???

z28pwr; that picture actually looks pretty nice....i know the algae is out of control but that really is a good lookin pic.....nice tank too!

and im definitely with jason when he says that a good clean up crew would help out quite a bit....some members of this club have even had some luck with sea slugs but i forget the exact species. i know tim used to have one in his tank but im not quite for sure whether it was an algae eater or not.

hope it helps, steve

[ratboy]

I use a DSB, refugium w/ chaetomorph and mangroves for my 90 reef - no skimmer on any of my tanks.

I dont know what your lighting is but if you cut the light cycle to only a few hours or only run your actinics that should help alot. I always start my tanks with only actincs for the first few weeks to give the coraline alagae a head start and not encourage the hair algae. My work tank (55 gal) hasnt had lights on it for over a month and the caulerpa and coraline is still growing using only window light from accross the room(slowly but still growing).

questions...
Do you dose Kalkwasser? Kalk binds phosphates and helps control alkalinity and pH encouraging coraline and discouraging hair algae.

What is your makeup water? RO, RO/DI, Doc Wellfish, tap

How old are your bulbs? replace em if they are old

[Jimnorris]

That big clam now is sitting in his own tank at Seaworld San Antonio! :D
Jim

[alexwolf]

Lettuce nidubranch took ALL my hair algae away.....all of a sudden it disappeared though :o

[Richard]

z28pwr- Wow! That's a very green tank. Have you checked your phosphate level? The phosphate test kit from seachem is an excellent kit. It measures all the way down to zero, many other kits have a lowest reading of .2 which is still too high. I had a lot of problems with green hair algae in my own tank until I got the seachem test kit and used phosguard to bring my phosphate to below .02. Natural seawater levels are .01 - .03 mg/l.

[captexas]

I would be curious to see how much junk gets down in that gridwork and crushed coral bed. That is where food and fish wastes will collect and turn in into nitrates and such. Unless you are able to vacuum it out on a regular basis, it could be a problem.

[matt]

I agee with Chris

[z28pwr]

z28pwr- Wow! That's a very green tank. Have you checked your phosphate level? The phosphate test kit from seachem is an excellent kit. It measures all the way down to zero, many other kits have a lowest reading of .2 which is still too high. I had a lot of problems with green hair algae in my own tank until I got the seachem test kit and used phosguard to bring my phosphate to below .02. Natural seawater levels are .01 - .03 mg/l.

Richard, I used the Salifert Phosphate test kit which gave me a reading of .03 If I recall correctly. But I still dumped some PhosGuard in the filter.


I'm going to put some phosguard in this system aswell just to be on the safe side.