Lowering Nitrate Levels

Question
Hey Jen,

I have a 70 gallon tank with about 65 lbs of live rock and a sand bed that is about 2" deep.  My nitrate level won't go down and I have read that removing the bio balls from the sump is something I should do.  What should I put in the sump where the bio balls are supposed to go?  Do you have any suggestions about controlling nitrates that don't involve costly water changes?

Thanks

Answer
Hi Doug. Some will say that removing the bio balls will lower your nitrate but I have yet anyone to explain how this is. The bio balls are media for your friendly bacteria to grow. These bacteria convert the ammonia and nitrite to nitrate hence if you remove the biological filter media it would then make sense that the nitrates would be lowered but what are you then left with? Higher ammonia! Ammonia is way more toxic then nitrates so by removing the bio balls you may be inadvertently raising your ammonia. If you feel that you have enough biological filtration that the bio balls are not needed then it is okay to remove them however you will only want to remove them a few at a time over a period of a month or two. In order to remove nitrates there are really only a few ways to go. One would be to keep up on your partial water changes. Having to do a 10-20% partial on your tank every two weeks is normal and recommended. Make sure you are not overfeeding and that your tank is not overstocked. The more heavily stocked your tank is the more partials you will have to perform. Another way to control nitrates is by incorporating macro algae in your system. The use of a refugium is the best way and if your sump is big enough you may want to convert that over. Using macro algae anywhere in the system will help to rid your tank of some of the nitrates. However if you do not have the room for a refugium simply putting some caulerpa in your tank will not cut back enough on the nitrates to make much of a difference. Another way that I have found will reduce your nitrates to almost zero is by utilizing a denitrating filter. There are several different denitrators on the market. I have found one that works so well on my tank that it is something I would highly recommend to any one having trouble with their nitrates. It is called an Aquaripure Denitrtaor. Its concept is to utilize natural anaerobic bacteria in a controlled low oxygen area. These are the third and often forgotten about set of bacteria that occur naturally in areas of very oxygen poor water. They break down nitrates and form nitrogen gas which is then released through the water and into the air. It is a very natural and stable environment with no ill effects on your aquarium when installed and maintained properly. The bacteria that grow inside this filter not only feed off the nitrate but will also need regular dosing with ethanol(vodka). This gets done every four to seven days and is really simple. There is a water control valve that lets you control the water flow into your tank and as long as the water(which will be devoid of oxygen and very acidic)is put back into your tank in a high current area, the oxygen mixes back with the water and the pH instantly goes up. I have been using mine now for over six months and my nitrate is always at zero and my fish and corals are thriving. I have also noticed a huge reduction in the amount of algae that is growing in my tank. They will save you money in partial water changes and mine paid for itself in the six months that I have had it. It uses no chemicals and is a completely natural way to reduce nitrates. By the way, I am not affiliated with them I just am a consumer who found a great product and likes to share the info!