Problem with Nitrate NO3

[lvcap]

HI experts...

I have a problem with NO3 in my 2 feet tank..

It is abt 2 mths old and is stocked with live rock,mushroom and leather..

and some small fishes and shrimps..

lazy to list all I have inside..

My ammonia is 0 and nitrate is ard 0.3mg

but my nitrate is very high...this is even after i change abt 20% water recently..

any ideas to control the high nitrate level?

my fishes and shrimps are eating well till date..

and the corals are opening up everytime i on my humble Pl lights..

[Tanzy]

How high is high? Figures?

Too lazy to list them all? Perhaps your tank is overstocked. 2' is not a big tank.

[lvcap]

nitrate is ard 50-100mg..

4 small common clown

2 small damsel

1 boxing shrimp

1 juvenile emperor angel

1 polyp

4 small anemones...real small..

and live rock loh..

[jazzben81]

u have 5 fish in a 2 feet?

gd luck..

[hongqixian]

High nitrates will cause the coral flesh to expand less in the day and look brighter as all the photosynthetic pigment is concentrated in that decreased flesh area. It would be good to transfer out your fishes to a tank or something, as fishes and feeding really pump up the nitrate levels.

I would advise getting a different tank for your fish, and finding a good future home for the size your angelfish is going to grow to, if you are not prepared to get a larger tank just for it.

[proms]

u have 5 fish in a 2 feet?

gd luck..

Thats 7 fishes in a 2 ft tank...good luck to your fishes.

[Tanzy]

4 small anemones...real small..

That's high nitrates. For a tank of your size you can easily do a 50% waterchange every week. All you need is a big tub to mix the water in and a pump to bring the water up into the tank. Anyway, that's too many fishes. High nitrate is to be expected.

But it's the anemone that got my attention. 4? They don't happen to be green and have stubby tentacles?

[FuEl]

That's high nitrates. For a tank of your size you can easily do a 50% waterchange every week. All you need is a big tub to mix the water in and a pump to bring the water up into the tank. Anyway, that's too many fishes. High nitrate is to be expected.

But it's the anemone that got my attention. 4? They don't happen to be green and have stubby tentacles?

50% water change a week won't help much... Tried and tested by me..for it to take effect you might have to go 50% water change 3-4 times a week for dunno how many weeks.....Not really economically sensible..

If I were you...I would rather add a floating container in your tank with some macroalgae to absorb the nutrients...make sure the algae is directly under the light..if not they might just die and release more nutrients into your water..

[lvcap]

Hi guys..

thanks for all the advice..

will try out the macroalgae method..

[Tanzy]

I think you have pest anemones called Anemonia majano.

[Trunks]

Can someone share how the floating container in your tank with some macroalgae to absorb the nutrients? Might thinks of setting one. Where can I get the macroalgae?

[Clownfish]

NO3 problem is common for a relatively new tank esp. when u overstock....

though u din specify wat's ur filtration system, i wld recommend adding a small powerhead to blow near the sandbed n also 1 which can blow upwards to the surface to create some waves... this will make the 'rubbish' be suspended in water n removed more efficiently... however, be careful if u realli hav 4 big anemones....

concurrently, u can upgrade ur protein skimmer.... esp shld u not hav 1 now.... a budget n gd 1 would be weipro 2011....

do frequent water changes, say once a week, 10~20%....

and yar... no overfeeding pls.... n no more additions of fishes...

[lvcap]

Hi guys..

I am using a eheim 2213..with a powerhead to create waves..

yah no more new fishes definitely..

i have just added in some algae...

but the way..anyone recommend using medicine to control nitrate?

or just wait for it to go down?

[jc85]

I was also having excessive NO3 in the 3rd week of my cycling (>100mg/l) and did 2 water change in a week. 1st change is ard 20% and the 2nd ard <50%. The NO3 had since came down to 20mg/l.

Just to share my experience.

Cheers

[mAriNe_enthusiast]

With regards to the macro algae method, i once have green gapes algae in my tank. It was doing very well intially. I added it and realised it helped in controlling my phosphate level. i guess it also takes in nitrate. But after 2 weeks or so... it started detoriating and die off... Is it because there isn't enuff nutrient(nitrate and phosphate etc) for the algae tat causes it die to die off?

Quite puzzled over this ...

If it really effective against nitrate, i wouldn't mind trying the method suggested here...

[Clownfish]

With regards to the macro algae method, i once have green gapes algae in my tank. It was doing very well intially. I added it and realised it helped in controlling my phosphate level. i guess it also takes in nitrate. But after 2 weeks or so... it started detoriating and die off... Is it because there isn't enuff nutrient(nitrate and phosphate etc) for the algae tat causes it die to die off?

Quite puzzled over this ...

If it really effective against nitrate, i wouldn't mind trying the method suggested here...

i guess the grapes turn asexual ( white in colour ) n died off...

macroalgae method will be effective if u hav a refuguim....

having macroalgae inside ur onli main tank can pose problems:

firstly, due to space constraint (taking into account of fish, corals, etc), if a veri small piece is used, it doesnt realli help then...

secondly, fishes n other inhabitants will disturb them n u will find that they disappear veri fast n worse still die-off n contribute to more organic waste....

thirdly, having a large piece of macroalgae n having veri fast growth rate may make ur whole tank look untidy....

fourthly, macroalgae in the refuguim usually is given alternate lightings from the main... this is to balance gaseous concentration which indirectly to a certain extent helps in maintaining stable pH.... by having a large piece which almost covers a whole tank will compete with other LS for oxygen after lights-off...

[Aspire]

I had similar problem. Still cycling my tank now. Recently went over to LFS. One of them recommended me NitrateMinus. Supposingly to add in during set up under the sand bed. Anyone has idea how effective is it?

[killfire]

I had similar problem. Still cycling my tank now. Recently went over to LFS. One of them recommended me NitrateMinus. Supposingly to add in during set up under the sand bed. Anyone has idea how effective is it?

Tried tetra nitrateminus... added recommended dosage into sand bed 3 weeks back.. still no signs of improvement in nitrate levels, and still have to do water changes to control NO3 levels.

would want a second opinion on the product ...