nitrates

[wmboots]

I made mention a couple weeks ago about the battle I had with nitrates and finally had them down to 5. Well now I'm about frustrated noticed red algae growing in the sand again last evening so checked nitrates and they are back up to 20.
I have been battling this problem for several months now ever since I had an ultra violet filter short out and make my system live with electircal current. I did my last water change 2 weeks ago when I did a back to back 70% and 30% changes which finally got things straightend out or so I thought.
<span style="color: red;">Anyone have any ideas as to what is going on, I have checked for anything dead in my system and find nothing. </span>
A little background of my reef system I have a 90 gal tank, 20 gal sump/refugium, 100lbs live rock, 20lbs sand in tank and sump has mud,10lbs sand,15-20lbs live rock frags. Have run this system for several years with 0 nitrates and everything was beautiful until the ultra violet filter episode.

 

[theplatypus]

What are the inhabitants?

 

[tim8111]

What kind of water are you using Tap, RO/DI? Have you check the nitrates of the water you are adding to the tank?

Also, do you run carbon or Purigen or another filter media? If so, are you changing it regularly.

Finally, do you have bioballs or other biological media other than Live Rock?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[wmboots]

using RO/DI water checks at 0, using instant ocean, have bio balls in final stage before gets to pump. Do not use carbon have a bag of Kent nitrogen sponge placed so water will pass thru before it gets to mud,sand,rock section of sump. As for inhabitants poweder blue tang, sailfin tang, yellow wrasse, 2 true percula, half dozen recordia some about 1 1/2 size of silver dollars, small green zon frag.
Nothing that I find to be a problem, all fish have been in system for at least 3 years sailfin, clowns and powder have been with me for over 5 years.

 

[tim8111]

Bioballs are one of the factors causing nitrates. They are nitrate factories. I suggest only using live rock for biological filtration.

If you don't change the nitrate sponge regularly, it will also leach back into the tank. I would suggest changing to Seachem Phosguard.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[wmboots]

Tim,
Thanks for the headsup on bio balls, have used them from the very first tank I setup over 5 years ago and this is the first I heard of this. The nitrate sponge is only scheduled to be in for a couple of months as I only put it in when 50% water changes weren't doing a thing in bringing my levels below 120. Guess I will do another 70% / 30% back to back again this weekend unless someone else has an idea that would be less work

 

[derek_s]

Tim's not pulling your leg on the bioballs. I have heard many people report this. Just dot remove them all at once!

 

[ralph atl]

Derek_S;275722 wrote: Tim's not pulling your leg on the bioballs. I have heard many people report this. Just dot remove them all at once!

<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Bio balls are exceptionally good at converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate, but their effectiveness stops there. If they are your main source of filtration, nitrates will probably accumulate in your tank, causing algae growth and other problems, like reduced stony coral growth, and eventually (if they get high enough) stress in marine fish. If you have bio balls in your system now, your best option is to slowly remove them over a period of a few weeks in order to give the rest of your system a chance to develop natural mechanisms of nutrient export. Do NOT remove them all at once!</span></span>

 

[basscyn]

Derek_S;275722 wrote: Tim's not pulling your leg on the bioballs. I have heard many people report this. Just dot remove them all at once!

Yes! I used bio-balls is a wet/dry sump for a while and had the same problem. Replaced my balls with live rock. Nitrates went to "0".

 

[wmboots]

Thanks, I removed about 50% of them right after reading Tim's response. I do have a good bed of small tube worms living in the main section of the sump tank so I believe they should be able to keep up with nitrates.The more I think about it it does make sense because as it was said bio balls were orginially installed for ammonia and nitrite removal.

 

[wmboots]

Hey bassin try scuba diving but the good thing about that in the Atlanta area you can't just go out and find a dive spot close to home in the Atlanta area like you can a good link.

 

[wmboots]

I will say I only had about 50 or so bio balls in the sump as it was and I have them in the small chamber where water flows from my main filtration section where I have all my rock before it gets to the pump section. I mainly rely on rock, sand and mud for my filtration. As I stated in my first post all this started when my ultra violet filter shorted out and energized my whole system. At one point I thought it may have killed my rock but after all the months that have gone by since then my system should have recycled. I did lose all my coral except for the green recordia and only lost 2 fish. Never lost coraline growth on rock either.

 

[washowi]

hey Boots, why didn't ya tell me your were running balls..throw 'em away!

Rock is your filter.

 

[wmboots]

I'm running marbles in my head so it was just a natural transition.
I just carried the balls over when I changed from a 55 gal with closed filtration and filtration media. Don't know why I never thought about the balls being ammonia and nitrite filters and corolating them to high nitrates. Ran them for 3 years without a hitch in my sump guess thats why.

 

[wmboots]

ares,
haven't made any changes to my system and have checked the water my RO filter is producing and everything is fine with it. No the fuge can't be taken out but I will up until the past couple of weeks the worms in my sump weren't multiplying or growing and now I see them getting more active so I do wonder about the bacteria element and if my system is still trying to recycle.

 

[tim8111]

I failed to mention that you should remove the bioballs over time.

Even if the bioballs aren't the cause, they still should come out. I also think that after they are removed wait a while and test your nitrates. If they are still high, then you should try something else.

One thing at a time, this way you will find the root cause and stop it.

 

[lilrobb]

I might not be understanding correctly - you suggest removing the bioballs and replacing with live rock?
Where is the advantage?
I'm a chemistry minor - but this throws me off.

You think I should get rid of the balls in my wet/dry and add a couple of live rocks in there to help with Nitrates? Or is the "live rock filer" an entirely different layout of filter?

Robb