# Nitrate Levels



## villanueva (Feb 2, 2008)

Hey

I seem to be unable to lower my nitrate levels in my 55g, and I think it's finally taking a toll on my coral. They are looking fainter in colour. My nitrate was at 40ppm, and after one 20% water changes, it came down to 20ppm. Then after two more water changes it still stayed at 20ppm. Are there any reasons you think that the water may be staying at this level? I did the changes on Monday.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Nitrate is one of the uphill battles in this hobby and can be very trying on one's spirit trying to manage it. Not to worry though, nitrate is one of the easy ones to address. At least you don't have bryopsis growing out of control and at least nitrate has come down and is at a stable level significantly lower than before . 

If your coral is losing color, there could other reasons other than nitrate. What brand of salt are you using and additives, if any? Temperature, lighting and coral placement play a role in a coral losing color. What is the coral? 

If you can give details of your set-up and a front and side pics, we can better suggest options for you. For the time being, just keep up w/the water changes and test. 

Hang in there


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Agree with wtac.......
Try daily water changes and check levels and light add supplements.
you are doing the right thing!
You have a holding tank? get that ready "just in case"
Good luck


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## EcoAquatic (Mar 18, 2008)

Unfortunately there are many factors that can contribute to elevated nitrate, but the answer is usually always the same; sytem is unable to complete the cycle (Waste -> Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate -> Nitrogen).

Is this a recent problem or has it been slowly increasing over time. How long has the system been running? What sort of filtration are you using? Liverock? Sand Bed?

The are a few chemical filters that you can use, but the feedback seems to be mixed...and doesn't address the root cause of the problem.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

quote:A lot of lfs try to sell us crushed coral to use as a substrate in our marine tanks. It's not good it acts as giant nitrate factory and really causes some long term issues with your tanks health. You would be far better served if you would use sand or even a bare bottom. 
There are several reasons that it causes problems like, it catches all the detritus in your tank, food, feces, dead plants etc. It's more or less like having a kitchen sponge in the bottom of your tank that you never change! 
Your infaunal critters be they fish,inverts etc. have a very difficult time in moving through it and they can't get to the waste material to eat it.

It also won't compact enough to form an anaerobic area to allow denitrification and the ultimate removal of waste as atmospheric nitrogen. In short it's not a good idea to add to marine tanks in quantity.

IME it probably causes more people to leave the hobby than any other reason! end quote " written by max


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

High nitrate in closed systems is, IMHO, an imbalance of nitrification, nutrient export and denitrification. The trick is to remove as much compounds before microbial degradation, ie protein skimming and "active" nutrient uptake by macroalgae/mangroves and chemical filtration to "balance the scale" of the denitrification process vs the nitrification process.

Peronally I'm not enamoured with the term "cycling" in closed systems, as nitrification and dentrification occurs under different conditions and the rates and spatal requirements are drastically different. Aerobic; relatively small surface area and high water flow for nitrification. Anaerobic; very slow water movement and large surface area for denitrification. To create the cyclic process, there has to be planning and forsight to create *and* sustains the two different environments.

Aerobic function of ammonia to nitrite and finally to nitrate. More than nought, never a problem as water movement, aeration and surface area of bacterial colonization (LR, bio balls, etc).

Anaerobic function. Testing for nitrate is a general indication for adequate anaerobic zones for denitrification. The main "wrench tossed into the gears" is the amount of nutrient input of the system, ie food for the fish and corals.

Think of an aquarium as a toilet that rarely flushes, really it is all things considered. Adding food and other additives may seem at first a non problematic factor but animal consumption and bacterial degradation will reduce the massive particles, from a molecular point of view, into smaller, simpler compounds.

Agreed that CC is too coarse to create an acceptable degree of anaerobic zones for denitrification with minimal detrital accumulation. CaribSea SeaFloor and Oolitic has the proper sized grains but one has to also keep in mind in acquiring sand sifting animals for gentle tunover of the sandbed like nassarius snails, burrowing conchs and sand sifting gobies otherwise it too will cause problems.

I'll write more later when I get the chance...darn "In" pile needs chipping away at...LMAO!

Otherwise ask some Q's to I don't start writing on tangents...LOL!


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