Crystal clear water with high nitrates

[southeastfishaddict]

I have a 155 gallon reef tank everything is looking good, many fish.. about 25-30 of them and I feed a few times a day. I have lots of lps coral and they are doing well. Nitrates are in the 40s-50s, but the water is super clear. Should I still be doing water changes?

Thank you very much for any feedback that you can provide ..

 

[t5Nitro]

I haven’t read through your entire thread from Monday, but you’ve got a few pages of feedback it looks like on the same question in your other thread. Plenty of members in here have gone without water changes for many years. Others (probably still the majority) do them regularly as old school habits still work. Overall, I wouldn’t consider your nitrates high to the degree you want to do water changes with the primary goal of nitrate reduction. I’d let it ride.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/water-changes.1075690/

 

[Reefing_addiction]

If your tank is happy I wouldn’t donate changes

You could reduce feedings to reduce nitrates

@fishguy242 can tell you all about koolaid nitrate levels and how they aren’t an issue

 

[backbayreef]

My 150g SPS dominant’s nitrate is over 75 (highest my Hanna can detect) that means that it may be higher. Water is crystal clear - no UV either. Also, what’s a WC? It hasn’t seen a WC since wet almost 4yrs ago.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

My 150g SPS dominant’s nitrate is over 75 (highest my Hanna can detect) that means that it may be higher. Water is crystal clear - no UV either. Also, what’s a WC? It hasn’t seen a WC since wet almost 4yrs ago.

I’m with you on those water changes!!

Now if I can keep my nitrates up I’d be grateful. Silly refugium keeps it pretty low

 

[backbayreef]

I’m with you on those water changes!!

Now if I can keep my nitrates up I’d be grateful. Silly refugium keeps it pretty low

I got rid of the chaeto from my last tank, it stripped too much out and acros didn’t like it. I’ve been on a journey of not even testing N&P unless I see problems. They both can be solved — for me, it’s vodka dosing for nitrate and PhosphateRx for phosphate.

 

[Dan_P]

I have a 155 gallon reef tank everything is looking good, many fish.. about 25-30 of them and I feed a few times a day. I have lots of lps coral and they are doing well. Nitrates are in the 40s-50s, but the water is super clear. Should I still be doing water changes?

Thank you very much for any feedback that you can provide ..

“Should” is a tough question to answer but if everything is doing well, continue with your method, resist experimentation, don’t fart around with additives. Be disciplined in your practices.

 

[fishguy242]

To keep get them trates up @Reefing_addiction toss a earthworm in a few pieces in the sump... ;)
yes kool aid club here trates norm 70-80 when i test ,phos ? 1.5 -2.0 "maintained" by a lil phosguard, and a lil denitrate,water changes ? what's that ...:rolling-on-the-floor-laughing: i do test regularly at least 3 -4 times a year...:D
use high quality API tests...;) hanna for salinity weekly ?
ain't broke don't fix it...:)

any questions ?...:)

 

[Waters]

Having crystal clear water is on the bottom of reasons why water changes can be beneficial. They are done to reduce nutrents and replenish trace elements.....to "reset" water chemistry.

 

[fishguy242]

Having crystal clear water is on the bottom of reasons why water changes can be beneficial. They are done to reduce nutrents and replenish trace elements.....to "reset" water chemistry.

0 water changes here replenish with additives ,no measuring ,just method
essential elements
coral vite
iodide
strontium
magnesium
baking soda
liquid cal
not at once , baking soda every 2 days with random one or other
calcium 2x week w dif additive,all random no measuring ,just a squirt ,or a glug of this or that,
baking soda is kinda controlled by the tablespoon,
watch your corals ,growth rings will tell you what needs to be done...JME... :)

 

[Waters]

0 water changes here replenish with additives ,no measuring ,just method
essential elements
coral vite
iodide
strontium
magnesium
baking soda
liquid cal
not at once , baking soda every 2 days with random one or other
calcium 2x week w dif additive,all random no measuring ,just a squirt ,or a glug of this or that,
baking soda is kinda controlled by the tablespoon,
watch your corals ,growth rings will tell you what needs to be done...JME... :)

Yes, all that definately works.....or you can do a water change lol.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Yes, all that definately works.....or you can do a water change lol.

Meh water changes seem extra.

I dose aqua forest lab component

Takes care of all that stuff

I think I’ll pull half the chateo

@fishguy242 tank grows the heck out of corals - if the method works leave it alone ;)

 

[southeastfishaddict]

I haven’t read through your entire thread from Monday, but you’ve got a few pages of feedback it looks like on the same question in your other thread. Plenty of members in here have gone without water changes for many years. Others (probably still the majority) do them regularly as old school habits still work. Overall, I wouldn’t consider your nitrates high to the degree you want to do water changes with the primary goal of nitrate reduction. I’d let it ride.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/water-changes.1075690/

Yes, it’s a similar question, but a bit different. This question is not asking how to reduce nitrates, it’s just a general question… if the tank seems to look crystal clear with nitrates in the 40-50 range should I be doing the extra water changes or just continue with the regular routine to make sure that they don’t go out of control. When should I worry about reducing nitrates regardless of the tank looking good? Is there a nitrate level that I should not let it exceed? I’m still dosing Red Sea nopox and have chemipure in the sump. I’m looking into a refugium set up with lighting and chaeto. Also adding an algae scrapper, but it will be early next year.

Meh water changes seem extra.

I dose aqua forest lab component

Takes care of all that stuff

I think I’ll pull half the chateo

@fishguy242 tank grows the heck out of corals - if the method works leave it alone ;)

My LFS owner mentioned that he doesn’t recommend adding a refugium with chateo, because most of the chateo tends to be full of pests and it does more harm then good.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Yes, it’s a similar question, but a bit different. This question is not about asking how to reduce nitrates, it’s just a general question… if the tank seems to look crystal clear with higher

my LFS owner mentioned that he doesn’t recommend adding a refugian with chateo, because most of the chateo tends to be full of pests and it does more harm then good.

Yeah I’d stop listening to him

You can buy clean chateo. Mine came that way ….but I have bristle worms sooo now my chateo has bristle worms


And yes you can have clear water with high nitrates ….nitrates are dissolved nutrients

A friend of mine was only listen to his LFS who did his water changes. He won some apex equipment and he added their trident tester. Come to find out his dKh was dropping as low as 5.5 :o between water changes. He wasn’t even dosing!!

Just because someone owns a store doesn’t make them an expert