Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Hello Bob,
Your website is great, also enjoy your books. Let me say your tanks are absolutely breathtaking, but I'm sure you already know that. For some background info I have a 200G reef with 300 lbs of live rock, wet/dry sump with 10G of bio balls, rainbow life guard chem. and mech filters, Reef Concepts Ca reactor, and a Prism Pro skimmer. I'm circulating 2000gal/hour with a full time posterior desilter employed. Lighting is handled by 3 175W MH, and 4 six foot vho bulbs with a 1/3 hp JBJ chiller. The tank was set up six months ago, I have a moderate bio load with several soft coral, a couple hundred snails and crabs, seven fish, a few shrimp, and three large star fish with a three inch agronite base. I have had fresh water set-ups for about 20 years, but the marine ecosystem is new to me.
My biggest problem it nitrates, and am running NO-3 20-25 ppm, and I cant seen to find a test kit that measures NO-N. Despite several resins and water changes my nitrates remain the same. This prompted me to buy a natural reef nitrate reactor which uses a methanol based solution, that contains organic carbon, and bacterial growth enhancers to break down nitrate to nitrite forming nitrogen gas. This also comes with a strontium based solution that binds with inorganic phosphate, They are called nitragon, and phosphagon. I`m wondering what you think about this method, or are you familiar with these reactors. Its seems like an unnatural way to deal with this problem, but they state I will never have to do another water change. Plus my NO and PHOS levels will be zero like they are in nature. I'm wondering if I can use this reactor as a bridge until the tank equilibrates.
I wanted to try some other ways to reduce nitrates as well. New school concepts seen to discourage the use of bio balls, and I have a lot of them. I am not sure if the bio balls act as back up chemical filtration or work synergistally with the live rock and sand. What do you think the bet way is to remove them? I was thinking a slow wean maybe 1% per weak, or do I need not be so conservative.
One more question, My chiller seems to be running constantly. I bought a model that is rated for 340 gal. Does this seem right to you?
I hope you find the time to respond to this email, you expert advise would mean a lot to me.
Thanks.
Brian Tapasto
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the nice comments about my website, tanks, and books.
Unfortunately you do not say what brand nitrate test kit you are using! And if that one is only testing for the molecule weight of nitrate, then your nitrate level is really only about 10 ppm, which is perfectly acceptable.
I would recommend getting the Aquarium Systems Nitrate fastest kit. I use and have used that brand kit for many years and find that it is not only inexpensive, but also quite accurate.
As for the equipment mentioned, I'm not in favor of it, not because it won't do as advertised, but because if its not properly maintained it could have a detrimental effect on your reef environment. I would first be sure of your present nitrate level before moving into something that may not be needed. And if a correction is needed, then it would be time for us to discuss 'all' options and see which would make more sense for your system.
Hope this helps,
Bob
