[Xena47r]

Just wondering what my best option is for reducing the amount of nitrate in my tank. Everything else has normalized but the nitrate is still around the 20ppm mark. I have had the tank cycling now for almost four weeks and am getting antsy to get something more interesting than the hermits to watch! Will a simple partial water change do the trick or will I need to look into something more obtrusive like chemicals?
Thanks in advance!

[patsfan1130]

Originally Posted by Xena47r

Just wondering what my best option is for reducing the amount of nitrate in my tank. Everything else has normalized but the nitrate is still around the 20ppm mark. I have had the tank cycling now for almost four weeks and am getting antsy to get something more interesting than the hermits to watch! Will a simple partial water change do the trick or will I need to look into something more obtrusive like chemicals?
Thanks in advance!

When you say everything else has normalized..what do you mean? for a tank to be completely cycled..NH3 and NO2 should be undetectable. are you using LR? if so..how much? 20ppm is not too high and your tank very well could be cycled. If ammonia & trite are zero...do a 20% water change and retest. I would then wait another week before I added any livestock. you must display discipline young padiwan

[Xena47r]

Originally Posted by patsfan1130

When you say everything else has normalized..what do you mean? for a tank to be completely cycled..NH3 and NO2 should be undetectable. are you using LR? if so..how much? 20ppm is not too high and your tank very well could be cycled. If ammonia & trite are zero...do a 20% water change and retest. I would then wait another week before I added any livestock. you must display discipline young padiwan

lol.....When I say normalized, I do mean everything is at zero. I only have 6lbs of live rock but plan to get more next week.(When some money becomes available!) When I add more will that mean a whole new cycle will take place?

I will do as suggested and try the change! Don't worry about me rushing things 'cause the good Lord knows I can't afford to rush it! Note the milky way thing! lol
Thanks again for the help!

[patsfan1130]

Originally Posted by Xena47r

lol.....When I say normalized, I do mean everything is at zero. I only have 6lbs of live rock but plan to get more next week.(When some money becomes available!) When I add more will that mean a whole new cycle will take place?

I will do as suggested and try the change! Don't worry about me rushing things 'cause the good Lord knows I can't afford to rush it! Note the milky way thing! lol
Thanks again for the help!

How big is your tank? 6lbs would act as an adequate biological filter for say a 10g depending on the rock's density. I like to use Fiji LR and generally shoot for 1/2lb of rock per gallon at a minimum. adding more LR very well could create a mini ctcle depending on tank size. either way..make sure the rock your adding is fully cured. I would try to get the majority of your rock (or at least 1/2lb per gallon) in the tank before considering adding livestock. By doing this..the tank will be able to handle the additional bioload (adding more LR,fish etc) and you wont have to combat nasty ammonia spikes

[Xena47r]

Originally Posted by patsfan1130

How big is your tank? 6lbs would act as an adequate biological filter for say a 10g depending on the rock's density. I like to use Fiji LR and generally shoot for 1/2lb of rock per gallon at a minimum. adding more LR very well could create a mini ctcle depending on tank size. either way..make sure the rock your adding is fully cured. I would try to get the majority of your rock (or at least 1/2lb per gallon) in the tank before considering adding livestock. By doing this..the tank will be able to handle the additional bioload (adding more LR,fish etc) and you wont have to combat nasty ammonia spikes

Actually, you just confirmed what I thought about getting most of the live rock in before I add livestock. I have a a 35-40 gallon tank and realize I will have to get at least that many lbs of live rock to make marine environment suitable enough. I also realize that this waiting period allows me the opportunity to learn as much as I can about this hobby before I go whole-heartedly into it. So I guess I will have to watch the little hermits a while longer and learn more from seasoned aquariasts (sp) like yourself. Oh well, patience is a virtue...Something I inherited from my father.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Xena47r

Actually, you just confirmed what I thought about getting most of the live rock in before I add livestock. I have a a 35-40 gallon tank and realize I will have to get at least that many lbs of live rock to make marine environment suitable enough. I also realize that this waiting period allows me the opportunity to learn as much as I can about this hobby before I go whole-heartedly into it. So I guess I will have to watch the little hermits a while longer and learn more from seasoned aquariasts (sp) like yourself. Oh well, patience is a virtue...Something I inherited from my father.

And you'll be happier for it in the end, Xena47r
It warms my heart when I read posts like this. Good luck to you!

[Xena47r]

Originally Posted by zhenya

And you'll be happier for it in the end, Xena47r
It warms my heart when I read posts like this. Good luck to you!

Thanks so much Gene. Truth be told, I have a BSc in Natural Resource Management (among other things!) so it really is second nature for me to learn as much as I can about this sort of thing before I attempt anything. I am so grateful to have found this forum as it is such a vast database of information. It is also very wonderful to have experienced aquarists offer their help so freely. I only wish I was in a place where I had more of a choice for supplies. Having said that however, the people at the LFS here are extremely nice people and are doing their best to accomodate my needs. It is a little frustrating though to have to teach them some of the things I have learned! It would seem now that I have to warn them about the aiptasias they have in their LR curing tank! Oh well, I do have a tendency to make the best of what I have! Luckily for me, they are very eager to help me in any way possible!
Thanks again for your kind words. I am looking forward to the day when I can share my hopeful successes in my gallery!