Project Zero nitrate.

I've come to learn that everybody's system is different. I can only tell you what works for me and that may not work for you. If you choose to make changes do so at your own risk and do it slowly.

My nitrates were at 0.2 ppm on Sunday (the last time I tested). The level will rarely go over 1.0 the way I normally run. From what I've read 0.0 nitrates may actually be too low. I'm usually shooting for around 1.0.

So here is what I do.
1. No filter media at all. No socks, no sponges. Nothing. My Eheim pump came with a small sponge inside the input. I pulled it out.
2. No carbon. Many say carbon is essential to prevent chemical warfare between softies and SPS. I have both and don't have issues. When I have run carbon in the past I found my nitrates would go up to 10 because it essentially acted as a media to grow denitrifying bacteria. I've tried a bag of carbon in the sump and a reactor. Always made my Nitrate go up.
3. Refugium with lots of chaeto. The chaeto serves two purposes. One is for nutrient export. The second purpose is a living filter bed. The chaeto is full of pods and bristle worms. About 20% of my tank water flows through my fuge before it hits my skimmer. The chaeto traps organic matter and the pods, and bristle worms gobble it up. I've only actually pulled any chaeto out (export) of my fuge once over the last year and a half.
4. Feed sparingly. I feed Rod's food every other day. A piece the size of a fingernail. On day between Rod's Food days I feed frozen cyclopeeze. I just stick the frozen stick in the tank and let some of it melt right in. I never feed dry food and once in a while I feed nori.
5. Skim a little on the wet side. My AquaC Remora skimmer always seems to skim wet so I have no choice really.
6. I have a deep sand bed in my fuge. Don't know if it really does anything though.
7. I'd say my fish load is moderate. 1 Yellow Tang, 1 Hepatus tang, 1 Radiant Wrasse, 1 tomato clown, 1 ocellaris clown in my 72g.
8. Weekly 10g water changes.
9. I never blow off my live rock.
10. Two Koralia 4 powerheads and 2 Koralia 1s for flow.
11. Not dosing AA or vodka. Just dosing Ca, Alk and Mg.
12. Only use RODI water.

That's all I can think of. Hope this helps.

 

Yes Ro/di testing zero nitrates at tap and the ppm. tds gets to 3 I change the filters.

 

Thank you for your imput. Its helpful. Nitrates area constant battle for everyone and I hope with my bio load to just get to a resonable level for my corals. They have never browned and they are. I dont want to lose them.

 

you could start by running a polyfilter:

that will help, then maybe start solid carbon dosing pellets like ecobak. I never had zero nitrates until I started running them...

 

I have run them forever change them monthly. I will put an update I have been doing water changes and tank read 25ppm tonight. I will continue wc getting bio pellets this week at local store, and just hoping for the best. This to will pass. getting there.

 

check my thread out..

 

what one?