Nitrates Over The Chart

[Pnmark]

How often do you clean or replace those cartridges?

1 time every month

[CaveManNOhio]

Hi Pnmark,

Can you fill out your tank information in your profile? This way we can look and see what type of filtration you are using, size of tank and what else applies.

That's the first place I usually look to get this information without bothering the poster about it.



I really believe that perhaps what is going on is that there is some sort of imbalance between the nutrient input/ export.

Most likely the export mechanism needs to be looked at/changed. If there is a way to take offline your filters and replace them with a sump?

I once, when I first started about 7 years ago had a real battle with NO3 that were never below 80ppm...until I got rid of my wet/dry and all of the sponges and just relied on my live rock and sand to deal with Nitrogen.

NO3 dropped like a rock in about 2-3 weeks to almost zero.

I currently use a 30 gl. Refuge on my 125 RR tank, have been fighting nitrates. Mine is mainly self inflicted due to fish load. I am planning on switching to a Fuge Sump system in the Basement. I will be using 2 150 gallon Rubber Maid Containers. When I add those I will then add a Kalk reactor and a Phosban Reactor. Right now I have no space for any thing else. So I know I will need to make the change soon.

[ldrhawke]

1 time every month

Those commerial hanging filters with sponge filters should be outlawed for use on reef tanks. They can be nitrate and phosphate additive machines.

Outside filters...sponge or floss, can be an effective way to remove solid waste particles, but..........you need to replace the filter material virtually daily. If you don't it becomes an inefficient biological filter which allows nitrates and phosphates to flow back into the tank.

If you use and outside filter use floss in it and replace it daily. Don't even bother trying to rinse it and clean it. Othewise the waste starts partially breaking down and flows back into the tank.

[yankeebobo]

What honestly amazes me (and I remember hearing the same thing some time ago) is how many LFS sell stuff that you don't need, or shouldn't have. YET, they do NOT tell you what you REALLY should have because it's too much inventory for them to stock. So they really end up selling what they stock.....stuff you don't need.

[ldrhawke]

Only frequent and buy from a LFS that have a couple of nice SPS tanks set up in the store for more than a year. If they know how to maintain a nice colorful SPS tank, they understand what equipment works to keep nutrients low. Fish only keeping is a lot more forgiving of poor quality water conditions. You can always keep fish in an SPS tank, but you can't always keep SPS in a fish tank. Talk to the guy that is responsible for maintaining the SPS system about equipment and maintenance......not a part time salesman.