Nitrate question

[goma]

When a tank finishes cycling, the usual end result is low to zero Nitrites along with a spike in Nitrates. We then do a large water change to remove the Nitrates or at least drop them to an acceptable level.

If a water change is not done, will the Nitrates eventually drop/convert to an acceptable level?
If so, how long does this take?
What do they convert to?

Thanks

 

[Bearjohnson]

They will drop to undetectable given the time and no other ammonia source is added to fuel the cycle. They are filtered through the natural bacteria process.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Mark how long would that normally take? In say a new tank that cycled over several weeks, where the ammonia soared then went to zero, then the nitrites soared and then went to zero and then the nitrates soared. Is there a guess on when these nitrates would convert & be zero on their own?

I know most people do water changes to reduce them.

They convert to nitrogen gas, right? But I am not sure how long this takes...

 

[mikecc]

Converts to nitrogen gas and released into the atmosphere where it combines with the rain drops and falls to the ground fertilizing the crops for the foods on your table. And we all know what happens to that? You eat it and convert it to energy so you can get up and go to work to earn money to spend on your fish tank. It's called the nitrogen cycle. Somebody has a pic, I do believe.

 

[mikecc]

Sometimes you see the bubbles as they collect on things. After something hammers your bio load, i.e. a large die off of some kind after levels go thru their predictable cycles then later you see the bubbles. it aint oxygen from the algae, its nitrogen collecting on it. Some times if you really feed really heavy you get this process going in high gear and the microbubbles become bothersome and constant.

 

[Bearjohnson]

I did this with my 20g clownfish tank. I cycled it with a bunch of dead live rock LOL Oxymoron... From start to finish it took about 2 1/2 months and I never did a water change on the tank until much later and all the levels were undetectable by that time. Now that tank also has a 20g sump that is loaded with as much rock as I could fit in it due to the fact that I didn't want to have to totally rely on WC to keep the nutrients down. I only have the two small clowns in the tank and I can't detect any nasties and it's been several months now. Can you tell I'm not a big WC fan? LOL

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

This question came up... with a new member - cycling their new tank, it when through the nitrogen cycle, then they had very high nitrates, which a couple days latter, they reported the nitrates were zero - without any water changes.

Trying to help them... seems like the nitrates would not convert to nitrogen gas & be zero so quick.... or none of us would need to do wc to reduce them.

Anyone have some thoughts on the above...

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

thanks for the feedback everyone & anyone who adds to this discussion - always learning here

 

[goma]

Here is the thread if anyone can jump in and help, that would be appreciated:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/reef-chronicles/90079-ducksters-90-gallon-reef.html

 

[Bearjohnson]

Well you can look at this a couple of ways to get a handle on the question of how long....

If you had a 100g tank and you added 5 deli shrimp and only had say 20lbs of live rock in the tank, the process would be considerably longer than if you took the same setup and added 150lbs of LR. In the beginning you wouldn't notice too much of a difference between the two. However, once the bacteria begins to multiply exponentially the bacteria begins to win the fight much faster. Make sense? LOL

 

[Mike Johnson]

A couple things not mentioned here. Nitrates will also be consumed by the algae that is growing. And, if no new sources of ammonia are continually added the nitrifying bacteria will starve and die; then you will not have a sufficient nitrogen cycle.

 

[goma]

A couple things not mentioned here. Nitrates will also be consumed by the algae that is growing. And, if no new sources of ammonia are continually added the nitrifying bacteria will starve and die; then you will not have a sufficient nitrogen cycle.

So if they were to starve and die, and then you added a new ammonia source, the tank would re-cycle?

 

[Bearjohnson]

So if they were to starve and die, and then you added a new ammonia source, the tank would re-cycle?

You Betcha! LOL

Even if you just decided to flood it with ammonia without it dieing off you'd create another cycle. That's why you always here don't add too many fish at once.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Anyway, nothing to "like" here. I see Bear already addressed that in Duckster's tank thread.

 

[Bearjohnson]

Your input is always needed Mike. Don't rely on me...LOL

 

[BigAl07]

Converts to nitrogen gas and released into the atmosphere where it combines with the rain drops and falls to the ground fertilizing the crops for the foods on your table. And we all know what happens to that? You eat it and convert it to energy so you can get up and go to work to earn money to spend on your fish tank. It's called the nitrogen cycle. Somebody has a pic, I do believe.

 

[blackbeltmom]

Sometimes you see the bubbles as they collect on things. After something hammers your bio load, i.e. a large die off of some kind after levels go thru their predictable cycles then later you see the bubbles. it aint oxygen from the algae, its nitrogen collecting on it. Some times if you really feed really heavy you get this process going in high gear and the microbubbles become bothersome and constant.

I have a place in my tank where bubbles collect. I thought it was from lack of flow, because it is in a space that I can't get flow to. I have had some red algae there before, but now bubbles. The bubbles are a little larger than than the head of a pin. They seem to have gotten worse since my fish population has decreased. Is this related to your statement?

 

[BigAl07]

I knew there was very little chance that new tank had anywhere near (0) NO3 but stranger things have happened LOL. I've actually made this same exact mistake myself (maybe more than once even).

Regarding the nitrate reading of 0 i was absolutely mistaken. After creating a mystery as to where my nitrates went so fast I decided to retest. I discovered that inmy haste I forgot to add the nitrate solution 2 to the test tube. My nitrate levels are actually around 20-40 pmm. Sorry for the rookie mistake yall

:LOL:

 

[ziggy]

I agree the size of the bacteria colony and amount of algea present will effect how fast nitrates are consumed.
If measurable ammonia peaked very high (due to lots of decomposing organic matter), the colony will be huge, eventually nitrate comsumption will be quick by the large colony and the colony can starve if CUC or other bio load is not introduce.

I like the ghost feed approach

 

[Reefers Unite]

Mine took a few days from the last showing of nitrates until 0... and its remained at 0 ever since, a couple more weeks now. I just did my first water change, 5 gallons on a 34 gallon tank.