Nitrates

I did a lot of work on the tank recently, but I cant seem to manage to get my nitrates under 20ppg. My nitrites are 0, my phosphates are 0 and my high range PH is 8.4. Is 20ppg something to really be concerned about? I have no corals yet, but I am looking into Zoas and some gorgonians

 

For coral that is on the edge of concern. Can you tell us some more about your tank. Size, how much rock, fuge/sump, skimmers, filters, livestock...

 

46 Galllon bow front, I just changed the filter and skimmer last weeks so I know have a Fluval 305 and a AquaC remora. I have about 50lbs of LR and right now my livestock list is a little short. 1 urchin, 1 starfish, 1 neon dotty back and 2 clowns. I have a few snails but no sand sifters.

 

Yeah, I think you are fine but if you want to get corals you need to get to the root of the problem first.

 

Well I am going to do a 10% water change on sunday so I guess I will do that and continue to monitor the situation in conjunction with picking up a sand sifting goby like an orange spotted or diamond goby.

 

How often do you clean the sponge filters in your canister filter. If food and waste gets caught in there it will start to cause nitrates. I clean mine on my fresh water out once a week.

 

Well I just got the filter last week so I haven't cleaned the sponge out yet. I planned on cleaning this every other week. My last filter was am HOB Marineland Emperor 400 so maintenance was a little different

 

Hello Chris, there has been many a debate about doing excessive water changes to lower nitrates. I refer to this practice as "band aiding" the situation. I say situation instead of problem because nitrates are always present in a fully functioning tank. To get "the tank" to utilize these nitrates is the goal either by anaerobic activity or through macro algae or some other biological event such as Marine-Clean which utilizes natural enzymes to break down detritus and sludge thus minimizing the "bad" nutrients.
A ten percent water change on a 46 gal. tank will not dilute (which is what water changes do) the volume enough to accomplish any meaningful reduction of the nitrate, which in your case, isn't all that high. The fluval does need to be cleaned out regularly (at least every 2 weeks) and from using one when I first started out the two hoses need to be removed and flushed and brushed.
The best macro I have found so far is Halimeda, although it does use calcium so you have to stay on top of the calcium level. Many use other macro but still post in this and other forums I am a member of that they still have "high" nitrates. Halimeda absolutely sucks up nitrate once established and is in my opinion the best macro choice.

 

ive had 10ppm of nitrates since my cycle finished nearly 3 months ago. Ive got a pretty well established fuge with cheato and a couple other small macros in it, along with a fluval with carbon and phosphate sponge in the baskets, and a CSS 125 protein skimmer and I cant seem to get them down no matter what I do. But the tank is also still pretty new. Have you thought of adding a fuge??

 

I think you could still keep zoas with 20ppg. My tank had 20ppg for a while and I had zoas and they actually grew like crazy, they a very hardy imo.