Denitrifying bacteria, how to grow it?

[jinar]

Hi all... So I have been in the hobby on and off for about 2 years now, have had different tanks, because I have had to move several times in the past two years.
Anyhow, that doesn't mean I know everything about it. Till couple of weeks back I had no idea a wet/dry filter was not good enough to keep a coral tank. Something about the bioballs no offering enough surface for denitrifying bacteria to build up.

I currently have a 57 gallon tank, to which I transferred everything from a 45 gallon to, except the sand... I replace the old sand for new live sand. I am not sure if the tank is redoing the nitrogen cycle. It has been running for 4 weeks and ammonia and nitrites are 0, but nitrates are above 80 for a second week now. So after doing some research online I realized that maybe I'm not offering enough surface for the denitrifying bacteria to build up. What does everybody does in their sump? I have not yet gotten a skimmer, kind of waiting for a good deal on used one. Right now there are bio balls in my sump, where the water trickles through, and some rocks under water.

How can I improve my filtration and hopefully lower the nitrates in my tank?

 

[grouper therapy]

How much live rock do you have? How many water changes are you doing?

 

[jinar]

I'm doing about 20% water change every 5 days for the last 2 weeks. I have about 40 pounds of live rock.

 

[grouper therapy]

The bacteria does not remove the nitrates. The bio balls may be holding detritus and adding to the problem. Some say they do I am not totally convinced of it. Do you have a heavy bioload? You may have to up your water changes to get them down.

 

[jinar]

I have a tomato clown, a regal tang, and a lawnmower blenny, a bbt anemone and some zoas....
How much of a water change is safe? I'm doing another water change tmrw

I just washed the bioballs before setting the tank up 4 weeks ago... And it has one of those pads for mechanical filtration before the water reaches the bioballs. Also was just reading about dozing carbon to promote bacteria growth... How does that works?

 

[dakota9]

Vacuum your sand and rinse your balls in clean salt water, while you're doing a 20 to 25% waterchange. That's what I'd do....

 

[grouper therapy]

Jinar;691748 wrote: I have a tomato clown, a regal tang, and a lawnmower blenny, a bbt anemone and some zoas....
How much of a water change is safe? I'm doing another water change tmrw

I just washed the bioballs before setting the tank up 4 weeks ago... And it has one of those pads for mechanical filtration before the water reaches the bioballs. Also was just reading about dozing carbon to promote bacteria growth... How does that works?

You will need a skimmer before dosing a carbon source. Your bacteria is doing it's job that is not the issue. I would do a 50% water change and then 30% every week until the nitrates lower. I would invest in a good skimmer.

 

[jinar]

I've been vacuuming my sand in previous water change, but was thinking today that maybe this process is removing the bacteria that might be building up on the sand bed... Does this make sense? Or is it a better practice to vacuum the sand? I love to do it only because it allows me to remove some remaining of diatom algae that was building up...

 

[dakota9]

Wow, reading above, looks like you might be doing to much!

When you do a waterchange, are you vacumming the sand at all?

Edit:

Dakota9;691756 wrote: Wow, reading above, looks like you might be doing to much!

When you do a waterchange, are you vacumming the sand at all?

Nevermind, I see above

 

[jinar]

I'm also dosing with primer everyday per recommendation of lfs... Is this a good practice or not?

Edit: I meant Prime

 

[dakota9]

Prime will help with Ammonia, I don't think it's going to do anything for nitrates, someone can correct me if I'm wrong

Edit: Personally, and I mean this with all the respect we should extend each other, but I think you could benefit from a bit more patience as it's only been 4 weeks since it's been completely re-done.

Slow down, research more and do less, in mho

 

[irahmatulla]

Ok, I would like to chime in. You are talking about de-nitrifying bacteria. Do you run a deep sand bed? Do you run mixed CC and LS? If you are vacuuming a deep sand bed, or a mixed sand bed you may be, not necessarily removing the beneficial bacteria, but stirring up detrius and semi dissolved matter, causing a spike in semi broke down material. I have a 60g cube, and do not run a sump/skimmer/anything. I have two HOB filter, and one of them runs active carbon. I have a 4(or so) inch sand bed, and roughly 30lbs of LR. (just upgraded and that amount will rise) and my tests have all been acceptable thus far. As some above said, possibly you are doing TOO much. If you have not yet had any fatalities, I would not panic. I would get into a long story about my local beach, but I would allow time to let the bacteria flourish. Ask your LFS if they can sell you some well seeded sand out of a mature tank. (or a member if your close) and that should help seed your new barely live sand. This should help your "cycle". IMHO

 

[grouper therapy]

You can do less if you like but my guess is your cycle is complete if you had one. Your bacteria is doing it's job, the precense of of the nitrates testifies to that. You need to export the nitrates by some means from your system. The best way to do that is water changes. There are other means to do so, Two of which require a skimmer. Another is a sulphur based Denitrifiing reactor. I'm not sure why some think you should do less!

 

[grouper therapy]

You can do less if you like but my guess is your cycle is complete if you had one. Your bacteria is doing it's job, the presence of of the nitrates testifies to that. You need to export the nitrates by some means from your system. The best way to do that is water changes. There are other means to do so, one is the use of carbon which seems to stimulate the growth of bacteria that nitrates and phosphates bind to and then are exported from the system by means of a skimmer.The other is the use of a reactor ((sulphur based) that cultures anaerobic bacteria that will reduce your nitrates. DSB can do this as well but without a plenum they are IMO extremely inefficient at it.

 

[jinar]

Ok... I'm going to stick to doing less. I guess I'm just afraid of loosing any livestock. The regal tang woke up with some white spots today and anemone does not appear to be doing so good... But I will wait. By when do u think the levels might go down?

Edit: Ok... I'm going to stick to doing less. I guess I'm just afraid of loosing any livestock. The regal tang woke up with some white spots today and anemone does not appear to be doing so good... But I will wait. By when do u think the levels might go down?

 

[grouper therapy]

Jinar;691932 wrote: Ok... I'm going to stick to doing less. I guess I'm just afraid of loosing any livestock. The regal tang woke up with some white spots today and anemone does not appear to be doing so good... But I will wait. By when do u think the levels might go down?

Edit: Ok... I'm going to stick to doing less. I guess I'm just afraid of loosing any livestock. The regal tang woke up with some white spots today and anemone does not appear to be doing so good... But I will wait. By when do u think the levels might go down?

The levels are not going to go down. You need to clean your water with a water change. The nitrates will remain until you remove them by one of the methods I mentioned. I would do a water change now. I think some misunderstood your question earlier and thought that your tank is still cycling. It is not If your quoted levels are accurate. It has cycled .

 

[dakota9]

The OP states that he's doing waterchanges every 5 days with a 4 week old tank with new live sand and aged rock.

He should be golden.

Has the water been tested with more than one test kit?

I think it just needs more time, and sparse feedings ATM

 

[grouper therapy]

Dakota9;691974 wrote: The OP states that he's doing waterchanges every 5 days with a 4 week old tank with new live sand and aged rock.

He should be golden.

Has the water been tested with more than one test kit?

I think it just needs more time, and sparse feedings ATM

How will more time reduce the nitrates? Assuming that the nitrate reading of 80 is accurate it would appear that enough time has passed to establish nitrifing bacteria has been established hence the nitrates. I fail to see how time will reduce the nitrates. Am I missing something?

 

[dakota9]

grouper therapy;691982 wrote: How will more time reduce the nitrates?

Actually, I was wondering if it could be a faulty test kit, as if everything is as described by the OP, he should not be experiencing nitrates this high.

To me, it just reads that the OP is a bit impatient; research what the problem could be, and then take one action, rather than taking a stab at the issue, only to try something else when the first fails.

 

[grouper therapy]

Dakota9;691983 wrote: Actually, I was wondering if it could be a faulty test kit, as if everything is as described by the OP, he should not be experiencing nitrates this high.

To me, it just reads that the OP is a bit impatient; research what the problem could be, and then take one action, rather than taking a stab at the issue, only to try something else when the first fails.

He did state that everything came from a previous system except the sand and he does not run a skimmer either so I can easily see them being that high, No?