NO3

[chillipadi]

Help....!

We just did a test last night, realised that the NO3 is very high, dark red on the indicator, NO2 is 0 and the rest are within control! Anyone knows whether is it ok? Our corals seem to be under some kind of stress!

[Gouldian]

Are you using Canister Filters or Bio-Balls?

[chillipadi]

Are you using Canister Filters or Bio-Balls?

We are using bio-balls, temperature maintained at about 27degree celcius.

This is what we have in our tank,

[Gouldian]

Very nice....

Your NO3 problem is likely due the Bio-Balls. Most reef gurus such as J. Sprung, E. Borneman & A. Calfo have advises againts the use of bio balls.

Most reefers are advise to remove all bio balls from their sump and just have DSB (Deep Sand Bed).

[Eric]

We are using bio-balls, temperature maintained at about 27degree celcius.

This is what we have in our tank,

If you want to use bioballs, try to have good layers of sponges filters & change them every 3 days to clear off the detritus.

Eric

[lightningstrike]

need to know the root first. what test kit u r using to test NO3?

[chillipadi]

Thanks everyone.... my husband had found out that our protein skimmer was faulty, that could be the cause of the high NO3. Nevertheless he had changed to a new skimmer and we had also changed the water with some sea water he collected.

[Vinoth]

Collected seawater? From where?

[surfedelic]

If you are using Sea water - make sure you clean the water thoroughly by pasing thru some kind of UV lights to kill off any unecessary microbes ....esp those from the mantis shrimp .. my tank used to be plagued by mantis shrimp larva in the past ....

Reasons why you shouldn't use Sea water.

1) Too many uninvited guest eg. mantis shrimp, hydroid etc.

2) Sea water is low in Calcium - need to add more Cal

3) It Contains Silicate and Phosphate which will fuel your aglae boom.

4) Salinity can be quite low - eg. 1.018 around some part of singapore eg worldtrade Centre.

5) Seawater around singapore polluted by the many drainage system nearby

As for your nitrates problem, just remove your bioballs and clean them like thoroughly - it should be a biweekly maintenance if you are sticking to bioballs. It is useful to have a refugium to contain enough good bacteria to act as buffers . The nitrate are usu accumulated in the tank ... detritus settled on the rocks and the sandbed - you can try siphonin the top layer of sand on the following week and then follow by a 30% water change.

My 2 cents worth .

[chipson1]

Hi,

Nitrate is a simple yet complex problem to any new or experienced aqurist, it is part and patial of reef keeping. If your tank is new, just be patient, try to balance the bio-load, that is the input and out-put, what ever food goes in or waste produced in the tank, the filtration system should be able to remove them. If your tank is more than six months, than you will have to check the filtration system whether your syetem is adequately designed.

In layman term, the reef tank should have two main areas of cultivating difference baterials for different function, aerobic and anaerobic, aearobic area is rich in Oxgyen, such as bio-balls, cotton wool, over-aged activated carbon, coral chips filtration etc. this is known as nitrat factory, cos theses areas break down amonia to nitrite and to nitrate.

While the anaerobic area is very low in Oxygen, these areas produce baterial that consume NO3, areas such as LR; lower part of DSB, denitrifier etc., we need to create enough anaerobic area to eliminate NO3 in order to keep the NO3 level low.

A lot of aquarists create more aerobic area but insufficient anaerobic area in their reef tanks, that casue the rise of NO3.

Dr Jaubert's plenum system creates massive anaerobic area in the plenum area which has proven to be a great success in reef keeping.

Using good skimmer to remove potein and nutrient in the tank will also help to keep the NO3 level low.

Hope can help u to solve the promble.

Cheers!

Chipson1

[aStRoBo|]

anaerobic? very chim.. wad is tat.. means need to create water current to prevent stale water rite..

[d00d]

Anaerobic = No oxygen. For example like what chipson1 said about anaerobic area. It is an area void of oxygen so as to allow anaerobic bacteria to grow and get rid of your nitrates. Hehe. Hope it helps.

[minsmarine]

How about SUGAR ?

Read somewhere dosing sugar could help, but don't know how much and How

[chillipadi]

If you are using Sea water - make sure you clean the water thoroughly by pasing thru some kind of UV lights to kill off any unecessary microbes ....esp those from the mantis shrimp  .. my tank used to be plagued by mantis shrimp larva in the past ....

Reasons why you shouldn't use Sea water.

1) Too many uninvited guest eg. mantis shrimp, hydroid  etc.

2) Sea water is low in Calcium - need to add more Cal

3) It Contains Silicate and Phosphate which will fuel your aglae boom.

4) Salinity can be quite low - eg. 1.018  around some part of singapore eg worldtrade Centre.

5) Seawater around singapore polluted by the many drainage system nearby 

As for your nitrates problem, just remove your bioballs and clean them like thoroughly - it should be a biweekly maintenance if you are sticking to bioballs. It is useful to have a refugium to contain enough good bacteria to act as buffers . The nitrate are usu accumulated in the tank ... detritus settled on the rocks and the sandbed - you can try siphonin the top layer of sand on the following week and then follow  by a 30% water change.

My 2 cents worth .

Thanks for your advise.

My husband is aware of the deficiency of using sea water, some missing minerals etc. The sea water is usually collected when he is on a fishing trip on boat. The usual topping of water, we will using RO water.

I have also made a mistake, for the marine tank, he is using neither bioballs nor canister filter. Right now, he had more or less reduced the level of NO3.