Nano's and nitrate

[Rich-n-poor]

My one attempt at a nano was aborted due to an inability to maintain negligible nitrate levels. Which was rather shocking to me since I maintain a 37 gallon mini reef in which nitrates are 0 in spite of the fact that I have never done a water change only topoff.

I attribute this to a healthy deep sand bed (despite having kept a tiger stripped sand sifting star for over a year) a nano doesnt necessarily lend itself to a deep sand bed.

I noticed reefguide used a partition in his new 2.5 gallon nano. I was wondering if anyone has used such a partition to establish a area in which to contain a deep sand bed. and if so has this kept nitrates at a negligible level ?

I basically keep softies and a few LPS in my 37 gallon and would like to do the same in a nano. So tell me how you control/ eliminate nitrates in your system ?
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[brandon4291]

Hello RichnPoor,

I believe you can control nitrates as an end product by controlling the input of metabolic waste as the primary product (fish bioload). Meaning, I think one would be hard pressed to find a reef aquarium high in nitrates that doesnt have any fish. Many nanos are CO (coral only), and in essence don't require even skimmers. A main source of your nitrogen bioload will be the food you add to support copepod numbers... light stocking of fish or no stocking of fish is IMO the best way to control many problems commonly found in nano aquariums.

b429

 

[Rich-n-poor]

bramdon ,

I agree with a light bioload in a nano my previous one had one damsel, but I am wanting to use a gobie in my next attempt. The bioload in my 37 is high by most standards :

Mated pair percula's
Coral beauty
pair of green chromis
clown gobie
Psuedochromis
for a total of about 7 fish

i figure using the divider to establish say 6 inches of sand will lead to denitrification the aerobic and anaerobic means and also provive a place for a refugium to grow macro algea to further reduce nitrate. I never gave much thought to actually having to feed the copepods.

rich
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[brandon4291]

Using the separate refugium for nitrate reduction just might work... I don't know of anyone who has tried it before. If it is indeed sealed around all the edges (no oxygen input into the sides of the refugium) and 6 inches deep (with only the upper portions as the oxygenated level) then I dont see why you couldnt achieve the oxygen gradients that allow for NO3 reduction... and with a refugium that is thin, 1-2 inches wide, it would be harder for oxygen to penetrate deep into the bed. (just reviewing the idea in my head)
Maybe a specialized dsb can function in a nano! I tell you someone who would most likely have a good guess at this design is Dr. Ron Shimek. Maybe you can find an email address off his webpage and drop him a line.

I would be very interested to hear his take on the idea.

b429

 

[Rich-n-poor]

How about you other NANOITES any input ?

rich
:roll:
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[Joey French]

Well, I can say that I have 0 nitrates in my 20 tall, but as previously mentioned, I use a MM hang on, harvest caluerpa regularly, have only 1 fish, a neon gobie for now, and built my tank on a dsb of approximately 4" oolitic sand and very live sand from an already established tank. This leads me to believe that 0 nitrates can be done in a nano, and I employ a number of methods. (dsb, macros, light stocking, whatever...) This tank has run with very little nitrates even from the beginning, and is now 7 months old. Also, I almost never feed my gobie, (maybe a few flakes here and there) as he picks up a lot of critters from the tank, and my fuge is highly productive. So the only waste I really have to deal with is the leftovers from my giant bta and his regular bi-weekly feedings of shrimp cubes. (about 1/2" cubes) I also perform water changes at the rate of 5 gallons every two weeks without fail, and everything is going well.
Anybody else? Joey

 

[PFB]

I agree with Frenchy, it can and is being done.
I have a 3 gal. with no filtration, just LR and LS.
I perform approx. 4 cups of water change every 3 to 5 days.
I have read about others, who after 6 to 9 months of estabishment, have to do no water changes at all, just top-off with RO/DI.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

how about a a little more information on that set PBF ?
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[PFB]

It’s an Eclipse system 3 with approx. 6 lbs LS and 5 lbs LR.
I used very established quality LR and 1 lb of LS to start it out.
It’s been set up for about 4 months now.
I removed the eclipse hood and have light sitting on top of a sheet of glass – 1, 65K 13 watt. 1, JBJ 18 watt combo with 10K and blue. So that’s a total of 10 watt per gal.
It has several species of Macro growing, candy cane, 3 colonies of buttons, waving and pulsing xenia and some shrooms.
Clean up crew is 3 blue leg hermits, one turbo snail, and tons of worms and brittle stars and pods in the sand.
I use IO Reef Crystals and dose very lightly with Seachem Iodide and Calcium one drop every 2 or 3 days.
No fish - I think thats' key!!!

 

[Rich-n-poor]

Ok how about some more input please:

How many of you perform water changes on the nano's and how much i.e. percentage of tank volumn ?

How many of you have your nano's plumbed into lareger sumps / refugiums ? and if so what size ?
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[sjfishguy]

I have an interesting experiment to let you all know about. I converted my 10g fish only tank to a nano and just kept the undergravel filter running. Nitrates were at about 10-15, acceptable I guess but not undetectable. And I had no fish in the tank! I then just poured in Southdown sand to make a DSB of about four inches. I then got a clam and pulsing xenia. Nitrates went to zero within a week! I don't know which did it, but I think my nitrates were actually too low. My green star polyps didn't open for a month. I have read green star polyps need some nitrate to flourish. I then added a royal gramma to add some nitrate to the tank, and my green star polyps are now out and recovering. Nitrates are still undetectable whcih would suggest there is just the right amount of production and usage now. Try the DSB, xenia, or a clam.