reducing nitrates, does a denitrator work?

[hotrod.02]

I have a 280 Litre marine tank (Aqua One brand). I have recently started trying to keep corals so am trying to get nitrates to near zero. I cannot fit a protein skimmer to the tank so am looking at a denitrator (Aquaripure). Do they work? What problems, if any, may arise?

 

[Mitchell0605]

Hey hotrod. Nice to see a local. Welcome to AA.
When you say near zero what are they now? Cause in my 90L my nitrates are in the 10-20 area and I have plenty of healthy corals.

 

[hotrod.02]

Hi Mitch
Nitrates are in the 10 - 20 range but I have been doing a 120L water change per week to keep them there. I want to keep the nitrates in this range without doing the big weekly water change, especially with winter approaching.

 

[austinsdad]

Moved this to SW- Getting Started. Might get more input/help there. Welcome to AA Hotrod! Feel free to introduce yourself and tell us something about yourself and your tank in the Member Introduction forum.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I have a 280 Litre marine tank (Aqua One brand). I have recently started trying to keep corals so am trying to get nitrates to near zero. I cannot fit a protein skimmer to the tank ...

Just curious why you can't use a protein skimmer?

280 liters is about 75 gallons and there are plenty of hang-on-back skimmers that should work well on that size tank.

 

[yetee]

what is your livestock like? and feeding habits?

 

[hotrod.02]

The filtration system on my Aqua One tank is a module that sits on top of the tank. Together with the lighting module they take up the entire top of the tank so there is no room for anything else.
I have 8 fish - Conspicuous angel, flake angel, pearlscale angel, cleaner wrasse, maroon clown, 2 perculas and longnose butterfly. Morph coral, elegance coral, maze coral, 2 anemones and a purple starfish. Feed is mostly frozen brine shrimp, blood worms, prawns, pippies, vegetable matter.
I live beside the ocean so I use ocean water which has zero nitrates.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Ahhh... I see. It's a tank like the Eclipse tanks, here in the US. OK, I guess a skimmer is kind of out of the question. I have no experience with denitrators, so I can't help much there.

With regards to your lighting... before going down the road with corals, have you checked your lighting to make sure you have enough? I'm not familiar with the Aqua One setups, but I know the stock lighting that come with the equivalent tanks here in the US is not enough to support any corals - except maybe mushrooms.

Also just noticed in your "My Tanks" section that you're using an undergravel filter on this thing. That's not going to help with your nitrates, that's for sure. Have you thought about going with a live rock setup and getting rid of the undergravel filter?

 

[thincat]

8 fish in a 74 gallon tank? How long is this tank. Corals and angels don't mix most of the time. With 3 clowns you are on the road to loosing one in the future.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Why's that TC? Doesn't one become the dominant female and the other two just stay males? Or is it because of the right to mate the males will fight to the death to mate with the female?

 

[SHARPiE]

I managed to modify my AquaOne AR850 Tank to accomodate a skimmer:

 

[Mitchell0605]

Nice Sharpie.

 

[thincat]

Why's that TC? Doesn't one become the dominant female and the other two just stay males? Or is it because of the right to mate the males will fight to the death to mate with the female?

The mated pair will defend their territory and since most of us have small to average size tanks the whole tank becomes their territory. So the odd man (fish) is truely out(dead).

 

[Mitchell0605]

Ahh it all makes sense now! lol I figured as much. Thanks.