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Getting rid of nitrates

Joined
May 31, 2006
Messages
54
What is a good way to get rid of nitrates in a closed, circulating system? I have been doing daily 10 gal water changes on my system which has 2 40-50 gal tanks and a sump that consists of a large black bucket of unknown capacity. It has been sufficient for a while, but of late my octos have shown a decline in appetite. How might I reduce the nitrate level in the system?
 
Yeah, macro algea does do wonders! A skimmer actually does help to take out the really nasty stuff to keep the trates lower for longer.
 
I do live near the ocean. How would I identify such algae? And how much does it cost if I were to buy it? And are there any special things I need to have to keep the algae alive? How much should I get?
 
well i have a species of calerpa in mine and it looks like a bunch of bubbles on a single shaft. it grows pretty quick. i don't have anything special. just a powerhead to keep off detritus and such.
 
I'd stay away from caulerpa, it can pollute your tank. Macros will grow fine under normal-output fluorescents, but they do grow faster with more light.

Dan
 
When caulerpa decides to reproduce sexually, it releases thousands of spores into the water and most of it dies. If you wake up to a cloudy tank, this is probably the culprit.

There are also environmental concerns. I think C. racemosa is OK, but C. taxifolia is invasive and is currently conquering the Mediterranean. I believe California and Florida already have laws against owning it.

Dan
 

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