Elevated Nitrates

priebjm · 12-28-2008, 05:50 PM

I have a 55g FOWLR tank. My nitrate level has been 5-10ppm for the 10 months I have been running. My last test at 10 was 12/22. Ammonia and Nitrite are 0. Yesterday and today the nitrates are roughly 30.

Yesterday this is what I did differently:
Added 2 Peppermint Shrimp and 6 snails which I would assume would not effect nitrates. What may is that I found out that the life I was seeing on my LR was Aiptasia. I killed them with Elimi-Aiptas. Would the die off cause a nitrate spike so quickly ?

I am also using a Penguin 330 HOB filter and it was suggested to me that I remove the bio-wheels if I was going to continue using the filter for mechanical filteration. The suggestion was to only remove one wheel at a time to give the tank time to adjust. Could removing one wheel spike the nitrates ?

At what point should I look to lower the nitrates or will they lower on their own ?

Thanks for any advice

Reddog170 · 12-28-2008, 06:41 PM

Well I found that water changes are the best way to lower the nitrates, BigAls method is 50% water change = 50% nitrate reduction. Not saying that you need a water change that big. But I would look first at the livestock you just added. Anything you add to your system will increase the load on your system and therefore needs to be done slowly. It may just be a temporary spike due to the introduction of the live stock but being as I am still learning myself and do not use the biowheels I cannot answer as to the effect of there removal. Why did they say to remove the biowheels? I would think that reducing the filter media and running a skimmer would be better, but I run a sump and a skimmer and have never messed with the biowheels so I cannot say for sure. Shaun

BigAl07 · 12-28-2008, 07:01 PM

I don't know that I would worry about a Nitrate level of anything that low if you're not running a Reef Tank.

I don't normally say do 50% water changes but that # is easy to explain how water changes affect Nitrate reduction. A 50% W/C would net a reduction of approximately 50% of nitrates. Hope that makes sense.

joephys · 12-28-2008, 07:04 PM

Are those new snails and shrimp still alive? Anything else die off?

I suppose its possible that killing of aptasia could cause a nitrate spike, but I have never heard of anyone having a problem with it before. 30ppm isn't a cause for concern in a fowlr, but the sudden jump could be if it continues to rise like that. I would watch it another day and see how it goes.

BigAl07 · 12-28-2008, 07:11 PM

If you're really worried about Nitrates look in my signature for details and "Do a WATER CHANGE".

12-28-2008, 05:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
priebjm Tunicate Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	Elevated Nitrates I have a 55g FOWLR tank. My nitrate level has been 5-10ppm for the 10 months I have been running. My last test at 10 was 12/22. Ammonia and Nitrite are 0. Yesterday and today the nitrates are roughly 30. Yesterday this is what I did differently: Added 2 Peppermint Shrimp and 6 snails which I would assume would not effect nitrates. What may is that I found out that the life I was seeing on my LR was Aiptasia. I killed them with Elimi-Aiptas. Would the die off cause a nitrate spike so quickly ? I am also using a Penguin 330 HOB filter and it was suggested to me that I remove the bio-wheels if I was going to continue using the filter for mechanical filteration. The suggestion was to only remove one wheel at a time to give the tank time to adjust. Could removing one wheel spike the nitrates ? At what point should I look to lower the nitrates or will they lower on their own ? Thanks for any advice

12-28-2008, 06:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
Reddog170 Achilles Tang Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Winfield, IA Posts: 877 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Elevated Nitrates Well I found that water changes are the best way to lower the nitrates, BigAls method is 50% water change = 50% nitrate reduction. Not saying that you need a water change that big. But I would look first at the livestock you just added. Anything you add to your system will increase the load on your system and therefore needs to be done slowly. It may just be a temporary spike due to the introduction of the live stock but being as I am still learning myself and do not use the biowheels I cannot answer as to the effect of there removal. Why did they say to remove the biowheels? I would think that reducing the filter media and running a skimmer would be better, but I run a sump and a skimmer and have never messed with the biowheels so I cannot say for sure. Shaun __________________ We are defined by the choices in whitch we make. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...t-sw-tank.html Moved to 100 http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ing-100-a.html VISIT MY CLUB SITE: www.iowareefs.com Ask me about Iowa reef events!

12-28-2008, 07:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Elevated Nitrates I don't know that I would worry about a Nitrate level of anything that low if you're not running a Reef Tank. I don't normally say do 50% water changes but that # is easy to explain how water changes affect Nitrate reduction. A 50% W/C would net a reduction of approximately 50% of nitrates. Hope that makes sense. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

12-28-2008, 07:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
joephys Fire Coral Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 67 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Elevated Nitrates Are those new snails and shrimp still alive? Anything else die off? I suppose its possible that killing of aptasia could cause a nitrate spike, but I have never heard of anyone having a problem with it before. 30ppm isn't a cause for concern in a fowlr, but the sudden jump could be if it continues to rise like that. I would watch it another day and see how it goes.

12-28-2008, 07:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Elevated Nitrates If you're really worried about Nitrates look in my signature for details and "Do a WATER CHANGE". __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)