Hey all! My reef tank has been suffering from high nitrates lately and I am looking for some input as how to help this problem. Here is my tank specs to start:
45 Gal Reef tank:
-40 Pounds live rock
-2 500GPH Powerheads
-3 Inch sand bed
Tank is a 2 year old skimmerless set up. Currently running a aquaclear 110 (with skimmer attachment) with just the basic inserts of carbon, ammonia remover and filter floss right now. I have experimented with different things but this basic version still works the best.
Stock (ill keep it brief)
- 4 snails (2 for rocks, 2 for sand)
- Sand sifting goby
- 3 chromis
- 2 Clown fish
- 1 Dragonette
- 3 Shrimp (Blood, Peppermint and Pistol)
Along with several soft corals
Water specs:
Nitrate: 50
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: .25
Calcium: 425
Alkalinity: 8
Salinity: 1.023
pH: 8.2
Phosphate: 0
So my tank has been close to perfect for 2 years now. Now I seem to be suffering with nitrate problems. I just did a 30% water change last night, these were my water parameters as of this morning. My nitrates have been high for 2 straight months now. I have been doing at least 30% water changes every week since then. The nitrates drop slightly but not much.
1 year ago I ditched my skimmer and haven't looked back, tank has done MUCH better without it. No need to buy expensive additives that a skimmer takes out of your tank to keep everything happy. So you wont convince me to get a skimmer, I am a converted skimmerless reefer :thumbup:
I think I may know the culprit but I haven't been able to find any useable info online. Around 2 months ago my high fin goby disappeared. He lived inside the tiny holes in the biggest live rock piece I have. I think he died in there and maybe that is causing all these nitrates. It would be impossible to find him or get him out so what do I do?
Also I was thinking about starting a refugium to lower the nitrates and also start producing more live food for my dragonette. Any advice there? Maybe covert a old aquaclear 110 into one?
I appreciate all the advice, thanks all!
45 Gal Reef tank:
-40 Pounds live rock
-2 500GPH Powerheads
-3 Inch sand bed
Tank is a 2 year old skimmerless set up. Currently running a aquaclear 110 (with skimmer attachment) with just the basic inserts of carbon, ammonia remover and filter floss right now. I have experimented with different things but this basic version still works the best.
Stock (ill keep it brief)
- 4 snails (2 for rocks, 2 for sand)
- Sand sifting goby
- 3 chromis
- 2 Clown fish
- 1 Dragonette
- 3 Shrimp (Blood, Peppermint and Pistol)
Along with several soft corals
Water specs:
Nitrate: 50
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: .25
Calcium: 425
Alkalinity: 8
Salinity: 1.023
pH: 8.2
Phosphate: 0
So my tank has been close to perfect for 2 years now. Now I seem to be suffering with nitrate problems. I just did a 30% water change last night, these were my water parameters as of this morning. My nitrates have been high for 2 straight months now. I have been doing at least 30% water changes every week since then. The nitrates drop slightly but not much.
1 year ago I ditched my skimmer and haven't looked back, tank has done MUCH better without it. No need to buy expensive additives that a skimmer takes out of your tank to keep everything happy. So you wont convince me to get a skimmer, I am a converted skimmerless reefer :thumbup:
I think I may know the culprit but I haven't been able to find any useable info online. Around 2 months ago my high fin goby disappeared. He lived inside the tiny holes in the biggest live rock piece I have. I think he died in there and maybe that is causing all these nitrates. It would be impossible to find him or get him out so what do I do?
Also I was thinking about starting a refugium to lower the nitrates and also start producing more live food for my dragonette. Any advice there? Maybe covert a old aquaclear 110 into one?
I appreciate all the advice, thanks all!
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