Reducing Nitrate?

[Built347]

Ohh.. I just saw trigger.. I'm no trigger expert but all the ones I've seen eat the snails and hermits..

Can we have some tank pics??.. that's the only payment required for forum membership... jk. We still wanna see though..

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[PicassoTrigger]

I will get some pictures once the light comes on. Gotta head to the store and get some more water. Did a 10% yesterday, now I'm gonna do a 20% today. Larger water changes shouldn't cause any problems as far as cycling should it? I'm not messing with the live rock or the sand bed.

 

[PicassoTrigger]

Here is a couple pictures till the light comes on. All corals were moved over from old tank. Everything is doing well, my anemone has doubled in size since I got it. All the moniporas are really growing.

 

[Built347]

That looks awesome man...

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[clownfishrule]

your tank is beautiful omg how do you get rock to look like that.

 

[PicassoTrigger]

Nitrate is still at 5 ppm. I've done everything I can think of to reduce it down to zero with no luck. I'm doing 5% water changes weekly and growing macro algae. Using a reef octopus skimmer. The tank has 3 small tangs, hippo tang and two clownfish now. The tank has really good flow. My main concern with doing larger water changes is I've heard that large amounts of trace minerals can cause algae blooms. My tank is 5 months old and I seem to have very little algae growth, as I'm using a phosphate reactor.

 

[sasquatch]

Nitrate is still at 5 ppm. I've done everything I can think of to reduce it down to zero with no luck. I'm doing 5% water changes weekly and growing macro algae. Using a reef octopus skimmer. The tank has 3 small tangs, hippo tang and two clownfish now. The tank has really good flow. My main concern with doing larger water changes is I've heard that large amounts of trace minerals can cause algae blooms. My tank is 5 months old and I seem to have very little algae growth, as I'm using a phosphate reactor.

3 things, you have fish, they produce. Nitrate test kits generally suck. Where are these trace minerals coming from?

 

[PicassoTrigger]

I was told salt has trace metals and doing large water changs can cause diatom algae by introducing large amounts at one time. I have no clue if thats true or not. Woud I be better off doing a 10% weekly water change?

 

[steved13]

I was told salt has trace metals and doing large water changs can cause diatom algae by introducing large amounts at one time. I have no clue if thats true or not. Woud I be better off doing a 10% weekly water change?

I would say it's not true. Trace element by definition are the opposite of "large amounts". Although "large amounts" is a subjective term, it would be hard to apply it in this scenario.

If you added a trace element, by itself, or topped off from evaporation, with saltwater you could cause the level to climb beyond what is considered safe. When you remove some water and add in new mix water, the most you could hope for would be to bring the level back to what you started at when the tank was new (you couldn't do that unless it was a 100% water change).

 

[sasquatch]

I would say it's not true. Trace element by definition are the opposite of "large amounts". Although "large amounts" is a subjective term, it would be hard to apply it in this scenario.

If you added a trace element, by itself, or topped off from evaporation, with saltwater you could cause the level to climb beyond what is considered safe. When you remove some water and add in new mix water, the most you could hope for would be to bring the level back to what you started at when the tank was new (you couldn't do that unless it was a 100% water change).

exactly, if trace elements were an issue in salt mix we would all be algae farmers

 

[PicassoTrigger]

10% here I come.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

10% here I come.

enjoyed the read in this thread...