Nitrate remover

[Jayreef23]

Hey everybody so I finally got my Salifert Nitrate test kit on Monday and I tested the water and it was over 100. Did two water changes of 20 gallons yesterday and today (I have a Red Sea Reefer 250). My nitrates lowered to 50. What would be next step? Thought about getting some Dr.G nitrate remover or something similar. I also have some new corals being delivered soon, so any advice would help. Thanks

 

[65newbie]

Water changes are probably the best way to go. For me personally, when I had nitrates over 80 and phosphates at .8 I used NoPoX from redsea. It lowers Nitrates and Phosphates.

 

[Pistondog]

If you run a skimmer, you might carbon dose.

 

[Sean Clark]

I would stick to water changes before I used a fix-it in a container. What are your goals? Changing things too fast is never good.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hey everybody so I finally got my Salifert Nitrate test kit on Monday and I tested the water and it was over 100. Did two water changes of 20 gallons yesterday and today (I have a Red Sea Reefer 250). My nitrates lowered to 50. What would be next step? Thought about getting some Dr.G nitrate remover or something similar. I also have some new corals being delivered soon, so any advice would help. Thanks

Another 50% water change will bring it down to 25 which is fine for LPS and Soft Corals.

Going forward you'll need to manage nutrient export using skimming more and perhaps carbon dosing

 

[Pistondog]

Carbon dose for long term control. Vodka or vinegar or diy nopox which is a mix of both.

 

[Jayreef23]

I would stick to water changes before I used a fix-it in a container. What are your goals? Changing things too fast is never good.

Well I want to go below 10 Nitrate . I was doing 20 gallon water changes but my LFS said it wasn’t good to fluctuate the parameters with too many water changes

 

[Sean Clark]

How did you get to 100? Assuming just LRS?

 

[Jayreef23]

How did you get to 100? Assuming just LRS?

Not sure what LRS means but it probably got that high from over feeding

 

[Sean Clark]

Not sure what LRS means but it probably got that high from over feeding

Lazy reefer syndrome. I ment no offense by it either. We all catch it.
I would increase your testing frequency to stay on top of your levels.
Did you notice something going south in your tank that prompted you to test?
Some people can run "high" nitrate without issue, while others can not.

 

[Jayreef23]

Oh ok gotcha. No offense taken it happens to all of us sometimes. My SPS were bleaching and I decided to get a nitrate test kit

Lazy reefer syndrome. I ment no offense by it either. We all catch it.
I would increase your testing frequency to stay on top of your levels.
Did you notice something going south in your tank that prompted you to test?
Some people can run "high" nitrate without issue, while others can noto

 

[crustyreef]

Can you give some background on the situation? How long has this been going on for? Any previous test results you can give? Other parameters?

 

[Spare time]

Do you have room to add a refugium? Is your phosphate elevated?

 

[Jayreef23]

Can you give some background on the situation? How long has this been going on for? Any previous test results you can give? Other parameters?

I have a Red Sea Reefer 250, Icecap k1-130 protein skimmer, filter floss with filter sock, refugium and about 8-10 fish. I was testing usingAPI and I was getting 160 (bright red) so I decided to change testing kit and got a Salifert highest it goes is 100 and I was getting that reading. After two 20 gallon water change it went down to 50 and my phosphate is at 0.5

 

[Spare time]

You need a different phosphate test. What light do you have on the refugium? how long is it on for? How often do you change the socks?

 

[crustyreef]

I have a Red Sea Reefer 250, Icecap k1-130 protein skimmer, filter floss with filter sock, refugium and about 8-10 fish. I was testing usingAPI and I was getting 160 (bright red) so I decided to change testing kit and got a Salifert highest it goes is 100 and I was getting that reading. After two 20 gallon water change it went down to 50 and my phosphate is at 0.5

Thanks for the details. How long has this been going on for? How have the fish been doing? Do you have any ammonia or nitrite readings?

 

[Miami Reef]

Skimmers do not remove nitrates nor phosphates directly, but they can remove bacteria which has phosphates bound to it, or bacteria that consumed nitrates.

But it’s not an effective method. Skimmers are best used as a preventative for new organic molecules from breaking down into future nitrates and phosphates.

So use your filtration now. Water changes are effective in removing nitrates, but phosphates are commonly bonded to the rocks and is in equilibrium with the water.

Removing the phosphates from the water column will result in the rock leaching some phosphates to get in equilibrium, which make it seem like the water change didn’t work, but overtime phosphates will eventually lower in concentration.

Using a phosphates absorbing media (GFO, Lanthanum chloride etc) may be more cost effective depending on your tank size.

Nitrates do not bond to the calcium carbonate found in rocks, so that means that water changes are a very effective export method.

99% of phosphates come from the food we feed.

 

[Jayreef23]

Thanks for the details. How long has this been going on for? How have the fish been doing? Do you have any ammonia or nitrite readings?

This has been going on for the last month I been going back and forth between test kits and getting my water tested at the LFS which they told me was 0. But I was skeptical so I got a Salifert Nitrate test kit and got very high reading(over 100). Fish are looking happier now that I did the water change but there doing alright . I don’t have ammonia or nitrite readings

 

[Jayreef23]

I

You need a different phosphate test. What light do you have on the refugium? how long is it on for? How often do you change the socks?

I change my socks weekly and have a aqueon planted tank led light which I keep on 24/7

 

[vetteguy53081]

Try a pouch of chemipure Elite. Really works and keeps both nitrate and phosphate in check while lowering to safe range