Nitrate question

Just a little 55er.

 

better than my 20 galloner

 

a 55, but what kind of filtration do you have? It helps to get all the details. Another option if you have the DIY inclination or time is an algae turf scrubber, and yes opinions vary on ATS'. If your not familiar with them there is a couple good sticky threads in I think the DIY or skimmer section.

 

My filtration is a bit interesting, and I know some will scoff, but it's worked pretty well so far. I have a Skilter that was a combo filter/skimmer that is now a bioball holder serving as my primary biological filtration (it actually holds all the bioballs that came with my "everything is there but I found out as I learned more everything was not there" used set-up, I even have the sump and overflow (which I'd love to get going some day), but the overflow is missing its internal basket), a Penguin Emperor 280 (running a biowheel also) and a Prizm hang-on skimmer with the return portion filled with bio-stars. I have a 250gph powerhead running laterally across the tank to mix all those return flows. I'd take pics, but my Nikon's battery is dead, and I'll be darned if I can find the charger. And I apologize for the run on, my posts refuse to format as I've written them, so all the text just runs together. If this one works...GREAT!

 

No scoffing here. I had a Skilter on a 18 gallon tall with a carpet anemone, clowns and some feather dusters, it did the job wonderfully. Everyone said do not use a skilter and I listened. Gave it away, still to this day regret that.

As most have posted nitrates of 30 are not bad. Water changes, reduction of introduction nutrients to the tank via feeding will go along way. Perhaps try some chaeto if you have a place for it.


Good Luck

 

It went in a week ago.

 

Ok, my editing tool and pic attachment tools are broken for some reason, but I managed to u/l a pic to the members gallery. It's actinic as I didn't want to mess with the day/night cycle, and it's from my phone, but it's decent.

 

BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS,BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS, BIOPELLETS and of course biopellets.

 

Were you trying to say something about biopellets? LOL

 

I have a few questions, what types of corals are you wanting to keep or are keeping, how many fish are in the tank,how big is the tank?

IME, soft corals such as zoas,leathers,green star polyps, xenia, all those easier coral(AKA WEEDS) benefit from higher nitrates, when i had a soft coral tank, my nitates were about 25-30ppm..Everything was fine..

If you are trying to keep SPS and LPS, you should be down to 0-5ppm, if just lps and softie, you can keep them from 0-25ppm, LPS also benefit from them IME...My duncans were sprouting heads in 25ppm of nitrates twice a month..now that i have them in my SPS tank, they sprout one every 1.5 months.