High Nitrates

For reef tanks, seeing <20ppm nitrates is normal, and for FO tanks, <40ppm is acceptable. We all hope for 0ppm but it's like chasing a fairy tale dream. Another way to naturally reduce nitrates it to put a clam in your tank, assuming your system is large enough for one. Just curious, what's the bag in your fuge? I'm too lazy to go and read the entire thread haha.

 

There is 2 bags, one is nitrate-loc, and the other is phosphate-loc, i wouldnt mind a clam, but i want to wait for my system to stabilize first a little, here is my tank shot!

 

It's actually easier to keep a clam alive than an anemone. Keep an eye on your's, they don't react well to much of anything that we consider "bad."
Your tank looks nice though. Make sure you have enough daylight spectrum (10,000K) lighting for your nem.

 

Oh yea, ive had one for about 4 months now and its doing great, the rose was a recent addition, and as soon as my clown gives the the chance im trading in my other one for store credit, ive always wanted the rose, but so far they are good together, took my time in acclimation, i know they need a very slow one, and i placed him in my tank, he moved over night and hasnt since, ill have check into a clam, now i dont dose iodine would i need to start with that? or Iodide which ever

 

I wouldn't suggest dosing iodine unless you test it. It's a trace element, so any elevated levels can be deadly. Usually the water changes will put back the iodine and strontium that the clams need. They are more KH and Ca hungry, so you will have to dose (and test) those and make sure your Mg levels keep in balance with those 2. Clams are a great natural nitrate sponge, which is extremely needed when you have an anemone in your system.

 

i know this is an older thread but just wondering if the changes made lowered the nitrates.

 

....also, there was a lot of talk in this thread concerning bio-balls. i can't tell if the comments made concerned bio-balls above the water line, below the water line or both. Does everyone consider bio-balls below the water line to be nitrate factories as well?

 

The only time I've personally used/use bio-balls is in my canister filter. There are pre-filters on the inlet to the canister, and here is the layout of my canister layers:

polishing filter
ceramic rings
carbon
bio-balls
two pre-filter pads

the filter pads catch the large debris and keep the bio balls from getting over-clogged and my nitrates were never high with them. I've never tried them outside the canister but I can see how they would be nitrate factories because if not filtered they would catch of ton of debris. Just my opinion