Nitrate in your tank

[nightlife31]

Some nice poll, wonder what the outcome will be.
Please specify your choice with an answer.
How often do you change water, how much, etc.

 

[NickA5582]

I chose water changes, 15% weekly/whenever there is a problem in my tank. Parents also got me this Prime nitrite/nitrate/ammonia reducer thing, I doubt if things like this actually work though. :?

 

[Castor]

I change about 10 gallons per week. Unless I am feelin' overly lazy.

 

[mikeconstable]

Nitrate reduction

The trouble with humans is that we want to SEE SOMETHING in our aquaria - & that results in high stock levels compared with the ocean. We also filter and kill those complimentary organisms in the system that could help us if we could see through them in the water and on the glass.
Nitrate is the least toxic form of chemically combined waste nitrogen in aquaria, and results from two stages of oxidation of ammonia by aerobic bacteria. In order to get rid of it you have to reduce it by using anaerobic bacteria to take it to nitrogen gas.
The trouble is that there is always the danger that they will reduce it all the way back to ammonia, the most toxic form of nitrogen.

(You can use the two most toxic forms to form nitrogen in the lab., ammonium nitrite --> heat --> nitrogen + steam
With the danger of an explosion? but it is not that simple in aquaria!!!)

 

[joel_ang]

I do 10-20% water changes fortnightly, I also add something alled nitritivec which contains the anaerobic bacteria.

 

[Colin]

100% for water changes so far

 

[rc]

i have a large amount of caulerpa in the tank (kind of an in tank refugium) and a good size red tree sponge, i was an experiment at first but this seems to work i have virtually no nitrate at all, the tank has been running for about 7 months and has had an octo inhabitant for about 5
i dont hardly get anything in my protein skimmer, this seems to work very well, and the octo likes to explore and play in it

 

[Armstrong]

I would say regular water changes...

 

[Colin]

i have a large amount of caulerpa in the tank (kind of an in tank refugium) and a good size red tree sponge, i was an experiment at first but this seems to work i have virtually no nitrate at all, the tank has been running for about 7 months and has had an octo inhabitant for about 5
i dont hardly get anything in my protein skimmer, this seems to work very well, and the octo likes to explore and play in it

do you do water changes or harvest the caulerpa at regular intervals?

 

[rc]

no, i have never done a water change, and i dont touch the caulerpa, i simply leave it alone, i have some halomeda as well, used to have some shaving brushes but the octo decided to tear them apart

originally i put all that stuff in to experiment with an in tank refugium, but also to breed as many copepods and amphipods as possible, i was anticipating getting a baby bimac

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

Have you ever checked the nitrates?

 

[rc]

yes, i check amonia nitrite nitrate and ph on a regural basis and less frequently the phosphates and alkalinity, being that this was kind of an experiment i figured it would be important to keep a close eye on things in case it didnt work or things got out of control i would be able to do a water change hopefully before it stressed my octo.

one thing i did find out is that although this seems to work well it is a fragile balance, the octo eats everything i give him (even polishes the clam shells when hes done) but if i over feed things such as the fish, where it leaves food behind it begins to ruin the balance quickly.
the in tank refugium seems to be able to handle constant levels of things such as nitrates and take care of them, but it does not do well in controlling spikes when i make mistakes such as over feeding, i will try to add more stars to handle the excess food

 

[Colin]

yeah, thats when a skimmer is good for bailing us out

 

[Jean]

We have a flow through system! Don't need to worry unless we put it onto recirc!

J

 

[Scouse]

rc wrote:

i have a large amount of caulerpa in the tank (kind of an in tank refugium) and a good size red tree sponge

hello mate,
have you got any pics?? would be most intrested int the red tree sponge. nice one.


BTW Happy New Year all