Nitrates at 20!

So I recently picked up a red carnation and knew they need a lot of food, so I started using phytofeast, a teaspoon daily in a 55 gallon with a cube of either Rotifers or cyclops daily for the last few days. I had a feeling it may be a bit much so I just did some testing and my nitrates were at 20! Well, that's my best "color" guess. Whats the best means of removal? I have a 5 gallon bucket of RO/DI being made for a water change.... Anything else? Should I lay off the feeding for a while? Just replaced the carbon/GFO as well....

Thanks!

 

That's a tough coral to keep, I hope someone with experience chimes in, but IMO, thats a TON of food. I'd really try target feeding it instead of dropping stuff in all the time.

good luck

 

Yeah I'm going to pull back on feeding so much, just need to find the best way to get these nitrates down ASAP.

 

WC's

 

Been debating turning one of my phosban reactors into a bio pellet reactor as well, this should help the nitrate control in a big way too. Or t least that's my understanding.... What do you think about them?

 

yeah, there was a thread on here about running all 3. seemed like a hit. look under steve wrights posts in the last 2-3 weeks, he had it written out real well.

 

I will look for it

 

FYI... Just watched a pretty good series of videos from LA Fish guys with Jeff from Reef Dynamics on bio pellets. Had a lot of focus on his reactor, in which controls the out flow of the rate of water back into the system. This helping not to total deplete the levels of phosphates and nitrates due to corals needing a small amount and not causing a tank to crash. Not wanting to spend $250 when I have an available phosban rector I am wondering if anyone can come up with a way to achieve this same goal with this simple reactor?

 

Take out the sponges. Go to a sewing store or a store that sell the plastic sheet that is used for needle point. Cut the diameter using the sponge as a template and cut a hole in the center for the pipe. Of course make two of them and add your pellets. Adjust the flow so they can tumble but not to much to where you shorten the life out of them.

 

I've seen a few you ytube vids on this. Actually, I think someone on 3reef didn a nice step-by-step build of one with that same technique also...