refugium doesnt seem to be helping

hi all,my refugium has been setup for about a month or so all my water parametres seem fine apart from my nitrates.my nitrates were dropping untill i put in some bio ballsnow i cant seem to get my nitrates down.i took out the bio balls but the levels of nitrates are not moving,i have a skimmer running all the time along with fluval nitrates removel media in my filter.i have 6 very small fish,and feed them very little twice aday.i do a 20 percent water change every week (using ro water),do you think the use of the bio balls has mucked something up?and maybe it needs abit more time to sort itself out?my refugium is a 450,my tank is 50g i vac the substrate when i do my water changes.thanks

 

hmmm, well first off i have never used bio balls or nitrate removal media, i used macro algae when i had a refu for export so i cant help you with that issue. also a 450? you mean 4.5 gallons? 45 gallons? there is no miracle solution to eliminate no3 buildup only water changes will really do the trick. this said a refu does help it keep it in check (at least from what iv experienced) perhaps your tests are old and not accurate anymore? and finally when you say you vac the substrate you mean in your refu or DT? iv never touched my sand bed to avoid stirring/killing or p...annoying the good critters small and large in there that help with detritus. hope others can give you more precise tips.

 

Bio balls won't reduce nitrate,nitrates must be exported.You may not notice them dropping until your cheato(or whatever macro you're using)starts growing therefore taking up nutrients from the water.Sounds like you're on the right track,keep up with your water changes and give your refugium time to start working.

 

Please, what 6 very small fish do you have? Also how long has your tank been set up?

 

sorry i was in abit of a rush when i wrote before,my refugium is a 450 model Measures just 450 mm length x 250 mm deep x 90 mm wide approx.i have two types of macro algae one is cheato,the other is called prolifica seaweed i think...my tank has been running for about 2 years,the fish i have are 2 common clowns,two yellowtail damelfish,one Blue Damselfish,and one Blue Green Reef Chromis they all get along just fine.my tank is 50g,all my test kits seem ok,i vac the substrate in my DT (only a small bit everytime i do a water change,never touch my fuge...took the bio balls out of my fuge)thought about putting some LR in there.i do have LR in my DT about 5 or 6kg(so room for much more)i'm just thinking that the fuge just needs time to mature abit more

 

Well, those fish don't really need to be fed twice a day in that size tank, IMO.
Also, how deep is the sandbed that you're vacuuming?
You need more rock than 11 lbs in a 50 gallon tank for the nitrifying bacteria.

 

And....by vacuuming your substrate you may be stirring things up just a bit much. Causing the nitrate spikes.

 

What is your Nitrate level?

 

1-Stop feeding twice a day.Feed once every other day.
2-If you are using RO water that may be the source of your problem. If possible upgrade your existing unit to include DI.Or consider purchasing an RODI.
3-Stop vacuuming your substate. Doing so disturbs the anaerobic bacteria which help with denitrification.
4-If you continue to have elevated levels of Nitrate it may be necesary to increase the volume or frequency of your WC's.

 

just like to start by thanking everyone for there replies,my nitrates are at an all time high almost off the scale,i get my RO water from a local fish store(i've tested for nitrate ect all comes back clean).i will do as you say with the feeding and vacuuming of the substrate,my substrate is about 2 inches deep crushed coral and gravel(does it not need to be that deep?).like i said my nitrate level was coming down nice untill something happened (since i put in the bio balls,now it wont drop...thats why i took the bio balls out).do you think my macro algae prolifica could of gone sexual(as i have had afew white leaves,but snipped them off before i've seen any dark spots...hows best to look after it?).i will get more LR in there how much more do i need,do you think?thanks again.