Nitrates please help

[Joemama16341]

My nitrate have been getting up to the 80's for the last week. So I have been doing 20% water changes everyday for 7 days now. good news is that they are finally down to 20. How long should this last? Also how do Nitrates disappear from the tank? I know ammonia turns to nitrites and the nitrites turn to nitrates but how do nitrates leave the tank? Also is there any kind of devise that I can build or buy to keep my nitrates to a minimum?

 

[JamesR]

20 is MUCH better, but you would really like to have them around 10 at the most (IMO). I would suggest doing water changes more often so they don't get out of control again and perhaps setting up a refugium with some macro algae. The macro utilize the nitrates and produce oxygen.

Jim

 

[RMPD109]

Nitrates are best lowered by routine water changes. You can remove nitrates from the tank by using a DSB(4-6 inches) adding some macro algae and protien skimmer. These three options can be used individually or together but none will stop nitrates completely, only help to lower them and other nutrients. You can also buy or build a nitrate reducer like I attached below. HTH

http://www.aloha.net/~hqf/indexdondenitrator.htm