How to Lower No3

what kinds of ways can i lower my No3. i do weekly 20% water changes and im guessing my No3 is still to high because i have tinny little bubbles that stick to every thing in the tank and are coming from my sand as well. im getting a no3 test kit tomrrow so i will let you know what my params are.

 

Refugium

 

Sound like normal micro bubbles coming from either your returns or other source.
The bubbles in the sand is usually nitrogen gas being released from the break down of nitrates.

 

Reducing nutrient levels in your aquarium are key to reducing nitrates. Sediment makes a great sink for nitrates in the sediment layers and anaerobic and aerobic nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria oxidize ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Being reduced to nitrogen gas and nitric oxide to either be used by other living organisms or dispersed into the atmosphere as well as oxygen as a result of photosynthesis are what those microbubbles are.
Water changes will help but will not completely reduce nutrient levels. Read up on using Vodka and other carbon sources to help reduce nutrients as well as reduced feeding and ideal water parameters!

 

NO3 are the end of the line and a refugium or DSB and lowering feeding will help but at some point there will come a time when they are just there as a results of the de-nitrification process .

This is why so many of the expert DSB users are now advocating sugar Carbon additives to their systems to raise the bacterial number that break down the nitrates . I simply use a refugium and a DSB in there and a Coil de nitrater .. Its been yrs and yrs since I have ever seen any signs of NO 3's Heck I don't even own a test kit anylonger .. After about 8 yrs and never having finding any traces of NO3's I stopped buying them. and that was in 85 or so when I stopped buying the kits

 

what is a DSB

 

Deep sand bed

 

Deep Sand Bed 4+inches of sand depth!

 

ok thanks. by the way packleader you have a great looking tank.

 

where can i get plans for making a coil de nitrater, or buying on if there cheap.