Nitrate vs Water Change

[BFG]

DSB or deep sea bed is not the answer to the problem. DSB will act as similar to your coral chip in that after it absorb all it can, sometimes it burp out back. What you need to do is to have something to consume the nitrate while you remove the coral chip.

[enseng]

+1....this is right

May I advice you, IMHE for keeping my 4 footers last time my problem of untrollable nitrate level(never go below 50ppm) is nothing else but coral chips. They are good for start up to colonise and culturing bacteria for salt water aquarium. After 6 mnths it will saturated and will not consume any more nitrate for feeding and yet it produce and release them. When time gone by you will see they keep on producing this nitrate. It will be counter productive even you have bio pellet and frequent water change WC.

So you must remove them BUT SLOWLY to prevent shock in your tank system. Advice 1-2 handfull per week untill the coral chips clear. This is to make your other colonising bacteria either in the rock, sand and surfaces of you tanks to adapt with the change (infact by now 6 mnth they are enough to help in your system). Bio pellet is a new set of bacteria system and also a food to feed them and other bacteria surrounding.

Coral chips are porous and oxygen can pass through (aerobic either nitrify) but DSB (deep sand bed) 4inches at least do have aerobic and anerobic (denitrify) will help your system.

Good luck and happy reefing!

Ok, thanks!...will start removing partial of coral chips from my tank during water change this wkend...hopefully can dilute the Nitrate level..I suspect there is a problem with the DI resin that i bought, just open a new one...the TDS meter reading show 50+ PPM or maybe my TDS meter got problem..will get a new one and check again ...

Meanwhile i will purchase distilled water for my water change...any good brand to recommend? Intend the change around 20% to 30% so will need a lot of water..