Dry Rock
Dry Rock
Nitrates in Saltwater Aquarium?
I have been running a 55 gal saltwater with nothing but 100 lbs of live rock for 3 weeks now.
the ammonia went up 1.0 but never spiked and is now 0.
the nitrite spiked and is now 0.
the nitrate spiked and is now 30 and has been for a week.
shouldn’t the large amount of live rock make the nitrates go away? or do i have to do a water change?
I thought the combination of lots of rock and a wet/dry filter would reduce the need for water changes.
also, due to evaporation, i add about 50 ounces of tap water everyday.
The live rock will help reduce nitrate levels, but it is dependent, in part, on good flow through the rock. You may have to perform a large water change to remove any excess waste/die-off from the rock. That should help get your nitrates down. Since the tank is so young, your biological filter is still establishing itself too.
Live rock and wet/dry filters are effective means of filtration, but regular water changes are still important to remove large amounts of organics out of the water column, and to replenish the trace elements that get used up. Here is another question I recently answered concerning nitrate control in marine aquariums. I hope this information helps you out. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amdq6lvzJORb3PoKwHDoGL_ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080418180227AAjt1AB&show=7#profile-info-oWNiybXpaa