Nitrates Question

[BeejReef]

Thank you, I'll check that out. So let me get it straight, I can get macro algae that will straighten out the nitrates and if I get a foxface or rabbit fish they can eat the other algae in my tank? Wow that's cool! I never knew that....

That's me thinking out loud with you.. lol. I'm what you would call "noobly." I would def do real research on rabbitfish or foxface with your particular fish. They're good for a 120g though (some species) and do better than most herbivores with predators bc of their venemous fins.

A chaeto fuge can totally control nitrate and phosphate issues if designed even close to well. a lot of people have a hard time having any N or P with a good fuge. Since you're FOWLR, it just sounded like an interesting idea to add some color and variety to the tank.

 

[FishFinatic ;)]

Mmmmm… interesting. Thank you so much, I'm kinda new as well, so I completely get what you're talking about. I'm going to do more research on rabbitfish and foxface and I'll figure it out. I also just went out and bought some Dr. Tim's (it's not exactly Dr. Tim's although the LFS said it's similar and trustworthy) so, I went with that. I'm going to see how that works along with water changes, and see what happens. Thanks guys!

 

[dennism]

I currently have a tank that was started about a year ago, and I only have one fish in the tank, a porcupine puffer fish. He is a messy eater, which might explain this, although the nitrates in his tank are like, 40-80 ppm. They're really high, and I'm really worried about my little guy and his nitrates in his tank. I do weekly water changes although the nitrates don't seem to go down. Any suggestions?

Perhaps get a bigger cleaning crew

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi, just jumping in real quick. Lots of good advice on lowering nitrate.

But to your question

I currently have a tank that was started about a year ago, and I only have one fish in the tank, a porcupine puffer fish. He is a messy eater, which might explain this, although the nitrates in his tank are like, 40-80 ppm. They're really high, and I'm really worried about my little guy and his nitrates in his tank. I do weekly water changes although the nitrates don't seem to go down. Any suggestions?

High nitrates will not become toxic until some like 400 and over. So no emergency. You also have a cyano issues that may or may not be from the nutrients. If you are keeping that tank fowlr your concern with high No3 will be algae and it may affect some of the more sensitive inverts.

But again, at you numbers nothing is going to kick the bucket. I hope

 

[FishFinatic ;)]

Hi, just jumping in real quick. Lots of good advice on lowering nitrate.

But to your question



High nitrates will not become toxic until some like 400 and over. So no emergency. You also have a cyano issues that may or may not be from the nutrients. If you are keeping that tank fowlr your concern with high No3 will be algae and it may affect some of the more sensitive inverts.

But again, at you numbers nothing is going to kick the bucket. I hope

I hope so too! But will the cyano issue affect the fish? How do I fix that? I don't have any inverts in there yet, so that wouldn't be an issue at the moment, although I don't want my little guy that's currently in there to, ya know.... I do have coralline algae in the tank currently, a pretty good amount if I may say, and I'm not sure if that counts but I've also been told that coralline algae is a good thing and is a sign of a mature system. So, any thoughts?

 

[Saintnovakai]

Cyano on your sand bed might mean you have dirty sand with stuff locked up in that the cyano is feeding off. Here's hoping that large tank gets here fast. Bad stuff happens more quickly in small tanks.

 

[FishFinatic ;)]

Cyano on your sand bed might mean you have dirty sand with stuff locked up in that the cyano is feeding off. Here's hoping that large tank gets here fast. Bad stuff happens more quickly in small tanks.

Hmmm.. yea that makes sense. Should I replace the sand in the meantime? I still have to wait a little bit for the tank to finish cycling and become stable.... what do you suggest I do while I'm waiting for the 120 gallon tank?

 

[Saintnovakai]

Hmmm.. yea that makes sense. Should I replace the sand in the meantime? I still have to wait a little bit for the tank to finish cycling and become stable.... what do you suggest I do while I'm waiting for the 120 gallon tank?

Well, we know cleaning the sand should help somewhat and I'm usually an advocate of the sand rinse method BUT I'd wait on others to chime in. One person's opinion in reefing isn't good. It's a consensus that is useful.

 

[FishFinatic ;)]

Good idea... I'll wait for some other opinions. Another question though, I've been reading on the porcupine puffer (which, keep in mind, I already have) but people are saying that they'll eat the CUC... how do I have a CUC without having the puffer eat them? Aren't the CUC members necessary?

 

[Saintnovakai]

Good idea... I'll wait for some other opinions. Another question though, I've been reading on the porcupine puffer (which, keep in mind, I already have) but people are saying that they'll eat the CUC... how do I have a CUC without having the puffer eat them? Aren't the CUC members necessary?

Put me in front of a KFC, all you can eat, free [emoji215] and then ask that question again. IE your puffer- your clean up crew.

We would also love all those little Nemos to be cute and adorable....but Clowns are diqs. Can't beat nature.

 

[FishFinatic ;)]

Put me in front of a KFC, all you can eat, free [emoji215] and then ask that question again. IE your puffer- your clean up crew.

We would also love all those little Nemos to be cute and adorable....but Clowns are diqs. Can't beat nature.

Hahaha!! That made me laugh lol but yea.... my puffer LOVES to eat... I think if I fed him a million times a day he'd be the happiest lol... so no clean up crew I'm guessing??

 

[Saintnovakai]

Hahaha!! That made me laugh lol but yea.... my puffer LOVES to eat... I think if I fed him a million times a day he'd be the happiest lol... so no clean up crew I'm guessing??

Well the first thing I'd clean up is your feeding. Don't let your puffer put on those puppy dog eyes and beg for food to sucker you in. He doesn't need to eat that much. Once or twice a day is enough. Put it this way, any excess food youve put into the tank caused your issue now.

 

[FishFinatic ;)]

Well the first thing I'd clean up is your feeding. Don't let your puffer put on those puppy dog eyes and beg for food to sucker you in. He doesn't need to eat that much. Once or twice a day is enough. Put it this way, any excess food youve put into the tank caused your issue now.

Yea, I agree... I do feed him twice a day, although I could definitely see where his messy eating could contribute.

And I'm not guilty of being a sucker for his puppy dog eyes, what?!? Nooooo, me? Never.... hahahaha lol

 

[jasonrusso]

Ok, first things first. Congrats on the porky. My favorite fish but they are filthy!! And yes, they eat snails, crabs, and would eat macro algae. Mine are some Xenia I trimmed from my reef tank!!

I have a 210 Fowler with a porky, lion, eel, foxface, tomini tang, angel. For years and years I had nitrates in the 100+ range. The tests would turn purple instantly.

I never worried about it because I got bad advice that that won't hurt the fish. For years, my lions kept mysteriously dying after about 2 years. I got a new one and after a month he started getting very red. Some research showed that lions are sensitive to nitrates over 40. I started dosing Prime (to detoxify the nitrates) and within a week EVERYONE was more active and happier.

Nitrates won't kill fast, but it is a cumulative effect. It causes the fish's blood to turn brown and not carry enough oxygen. Look up nitrate poisoning.

So I knew I had to get them down. In the past I tried biopellets, NOPOX, algae reactor (algae died), water changes, etc. Nothing made a dent.

Finally I built a sulfur denitrator and put a bag of matrix in the sump.

It took 4 months, but now my nitrates are at 5. The fish are breathing better and seem more active.