Controlling Nitrates

brick-brothers · Oct 18, 2021

Do anybody use these to control their Nitrates? If not, what are you using? Water changes and my fuge is not doing enough

BroccoliFarmer · Oct 18, 2021

Do you run macro algae in your fuge? I have Cheato in my fuge running photo period about 7 hours a night and I actually have to dose nitrates to keep them from zero'ing out.

piranhaman00 · Oct 18, 2021

Skimmer?

Glenner’sreef · Oct 18, 2021

How much unsyphoned dirt is sitting under your sandbed?

Darren in Tacoma · Oct 18, 2021

I dose vinegar. 25ml per day. cheap

brick-brothers · Oct 18, 2021

I don't have sand. The problem is I have stuff sitting at the bottom of my fuge with the cheato. Should I put a power head inside to move the water around?

BroccoliFarmer · Oct 18, 2021

brick-brothers said:
I don't have sand. The problem is I have stuff sitting at the bottom of my fuge with the cheato. Should I put a power head inside to move the water around?

I view it as chicken soup for a cold...probably wont help but definitely wont hurt. Osmosis will eventually even out nitrates though out the water column. Does sound like you have some good old fashioned decaying detritus which is a very likely culprit but you never can be sure. Cleaning that out is definitely a good start on sources of nitrates. The problem with putting a power head in your sump is that it is probably post your filter sock. so yes you can can put on a power head to move it around..will have to cycle through your display and back into your sock.

what is your photo period for your cheato? I leave my blurble lights on for about 6 hours a night. More than enough to chew through excessive nitrate in a day or so.

BroccoliFarmer · Oct 18, 2021

im actually on the other end of the spectrum. I feed pretty heavily but I cant keep my nitrates and phosphates from bottoming out. Ive had two times in the last month where my numbers dropped to zero (even with ATO dosing) and a wonder dino outbreak. Darned if you do darned if you dont!!

attiland · Oct 18, 2021

brick-brothers said:
Do anybody use these to control their Nitrates? If not, what are you using? Water changes and my fuge is not doing enough

Microbacer was a disappointment to me as per nitrate control. I have switched to chaeto instead and that’s working for me. I have a dislike in bio pallets but that is just personal preference rather than experience.

brick-brothers · Oct 19, 2021

NJTaxMan said:
I view it as chicken soup for a cold...probably wont help but definitely wont hurt. Osmosis will eventually even out nitrates though out the water column. Does sound like you have some good old fashioned decaying detritus which is a very likely culprit but you never can be sure. Cleaning that out is definitely a good start on sources of nitrates. The problem with putting a power head in your sump is that it is probably post your filter sock. so yes you can can put on a power head to move it around..will have to cycle through your display and back into your sock.

what is your photo period for your cheato? I leave my blurble lights on for about 6 hours a night. More than enough to chew through excessive nitrate in a day or so.

My lights is on 10hrs a day.