Best Nitrate reduction

[njreefer]

Got a new tank 40g, 2 months old, with nitrates steady at around 40ppm and phospates of .05. Their is a lot of hair algae outbreaks in the tank. I've cut the lights to 7 hours a day, done 25% water changes, and added about 30-40 hermits and 25 nass snails. The nitrates and hair algae are staying pretty constant. The phospates/nitrates could be from the pukani rock I have that I didn't clean. My next step is setting up mangroves in my sump. Currently only have chaeto.

Any other things I can do? I want the water to be pristine before I add anything else.

 

[Lenny718]

How often are you doing water changes on the tank and are you using ro water?

 

[Lenny718]

You could try vodka dosing it worked wonders for me

 

[Coralreefer1]

Frequent water changes are the number one thing you can do to reduce nitrates. Expanding on this is a deep sand bed. Deep sand beds employ not only aerobic bacteria responsible for breaking down toxic ammonia into nitrites and the further reducing nitrites into nitrates, but incorporates anaerobic bacteria, crucial to breaking down nitrates into nitrogen gas that is released into the air. Without anaerobic bacteria, nitrate reduction could not happen, atleast with the greatest impact, naturally! That is why bioballs, biowheels and such are effective only to a point! They fall shrot at minimizing nitrates because their are no anaerobic bacteria present to break down the dissolved organics, and particulate matter.

Macro algae, tridacna clams and other filter feeders, a solution such as vodka and other similar sources can also prove favorably. Then there are the nitrate sponges and media that are affective as well. However, the best forms of nitrate removal are through water changes and deep sand beds, IMO!

Moreover, you must look at what the source of the elevated nitrates and where it is coming from ie. excess food, bioload and husbandry requirements.

 

[DrDave]

Suggest Biopellets

Best thing I tried is the biopellets. Not only cheaper than phosban but last longer. Will lower not only ur nitrate but also the phosphate to nothing. However you do need a good skimmer.

 

[fishman77]

Vodka helped get no my nitrates to 0 from 40 in my tank.

 

[KathyC]

Frequent water changes are the number one thing you can do to reduce nitrates.

Moreover, you must look at what the source of the elevated nitrates and where it is coming from ie. excess food, bioload and husbandry requirements.

+1
Remedy the cause, don't just treat the symptoms

...hey, isn't that my signature line?

 

[njreefer]

I use RO/DI water with tds around 5. The DSB is interesting, I'll think about that if the mangroves dont work out. I am worried about a ammonia spike if the sand gets stirred though. Currently I am doing 1'' of sand.

 

[bizzarro]

If you have no corals and only fish, don't turn the lights on the DT.

 

[njreefer]

I have 3 damsels in there after the ammonia and nitrite went to 0. Thought the nitrate would go from 40 to 0 but it didn't. The vodka dosing seems interesting, an excuse to go to the liquor store at least.

 

[bizzarro]

If you have only fish then there's no need to have the lights on.

Best to find the solution, if you think your rocks are the issue take them out now while you can to clean it or you won't get a chance later.

I'd go with natural like using macros, with nitrates that high your chaeto should be growing. How long do you have the light on. If you switch to a clamp lamp, you can get more PAR.

 

[njreefer]

Yea, i will take a look at cleaning my rocks this week and maybe try to leave the lights off for a few days.

 

[njreefer]

Took out the rocks and rinsed them in fresh water to wash off the algae. Cleaned the sand bed a little. I added a coraline encrusted rock from my other tank in the hopes it will spread to the other rocks quicker. The mangroves are coming in a few days also.

 

[nanoreefer22]

If you washed the rock in actual freshwater, you can expect to see some sort of cycle again depending on how much you killed off when "washing". I think it would be wise to get the fish out of the tank for the time being while you get things figured out.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

I have started using Red Sea NO3O4-x with great results, It is easy to dose than Vodka or Vinegar and is the only thing that worked on my tank

 

[ultracorals]

ido not see any info on your system. are you running any skimmers or any other kind of filtration other than your rock?

How much rock is in your system?
what is your fish load?
how much do you feed?
how much flow is in your tank?
your sand bed being only one inch is not a good biological filter. it needs to be deeper or cleaned regularly. if you have a lot of rock work on the sand you may be building detritus under and around it. your tank only being 2 months old i wouldn't be dosing anything..

what type of salt you use?