Danno
Fish Herder
Nitrates are one of the things in the marine section that I find to be a funny subect.
Nitrate, also know as NO[sub]3[/sub], is a molecule. This ion has a negative charge on the oxygen and a positive charge on the nitrogen. Thus dubbing it as "polyatomic". A polyatomic ion is just a fancy name that means that this specific molecule has a charge.
Here is a representation on the molecule:
Where do they come from?
Nitrate is a product of nitrite which is a product of ammonia. As we feed our fish, we can expect them to leave unpleasants in our water. This is in the form of ammonia. Nitrosomonas eats the ammonia product and produces Nitrite. Then our friend Nitrobacter comes in to eat the Nitrite and produces Nitrate. When waste is trapped for long period of time nitrates have a chance to build.
How can we test for them?
Nitrate test kits are extremely easy to come by. Just remember that budget test kits will be less accurate then professional kits. Test kits primarily come in three forms:
How do they impact my aquarium?
The main concern nitrates pose are in Reef aquariums seeing that the majority of reef-type organisms require a low level. Nitrates can cause algae. Unless you like algae I would suggest keeping it low. In Fish-Only tanks, nitrates should still be observed. Nitrates can still be lethal to fish. Nitrates should not exceed 45ppm in fish only tanks. Once above that point you can be risking illness. Nitrate can still be lethal! In reef aquariums, nitrate levels should be kept as close to 0ppm as possible.
Why are we worried about them?
As already mentioned, nitrates can still be lethal. Reef aquariums contain corals and invertebrates that do not tolerate high levels of nitrate. Snails, Clams, Feather Dusters, Coral (soft or stony), and Shrimp are all very sensitive to nitrate. Some won't even tolerate small amounts. Nitrate can also impact live rock. Hitch hikers and other goodies can die from nitrate poisoning and that takes half of the fun out of live rock.
How do we get rid of them?
Regular water changes are your best bet. Also when using filter floss, mesh bags, or anything else that can trap waste, make sure that you don't keep it in for excessive amount of time without cleaning. Yes, you may use all the filter floss or whatever in your reef aquarium that you want. Just make sure you don't leave it in for two weeks without cleaning it. I would suggest a cleaning it in waste aquarium water once a week (twice if you are paranoid like me). Refugiums are also a great way of ridding your system of nitrates. Nitrates only form in your media if left in for too long without cleaning.
The "nitrate factory" debate...
There has been a concept around that the only thing that nitrate doesn't produce in is live rock. Nitrates will still accumulate in a live rock tanks if you don't change the water. Floss, mesh, and others don't produce it either if you keep you eyes on your tank like you should. I recently experimented with bio-wheels. They doesn’t trap waste and it helps give the aquarium a biological boost (without extra maintenance). Nothing is a nitrate factory unless you become lax with your fish keeping.
- What is a nitrate?
- Where do they come from?
- How can we test for them?
- How do they impact my aquarium?
- Why are we worried about them?
- How do we get rid of them?
- The "nitrate factory" debate...
Nitrate, also know as NO[sub]3[/sub], is a molecule. This ion has a negative charge on the oxygen and a positive charge on the nitrogen. Thus dubbing it as "polyatomic". A polyatomic ion is just a fancy name that means that this specific molecule has a charge.
Here is a representation on the molecule:
Where do they come from?
Nitrate is a product of nitrite which is a product of ammonia. As we feed our fish, we can expect them to leave unpleasants in our water. This is in the form of ammonia. Nitrosomonas eats the ammonia product and produces Nitrite. Then our friend Nitrobacter comes in to eat the Nitrite and produces Nitrate. When waste is trapped for long period of time nitrates have a chance to build.
How can we test for them?
Nitrate test kits are extremely easy to come by. Just remember that budget test kits will be less accurate then professional kits. Test kits primarily come in three forms:
- Test Strips [sub](Jungle)[/sub]
- Liquids [sub](API, Red Sea, Salifert, Seachem, Tetra)[/sub]
- Probes [sub](Pinpoint)[/sub]
How do they impact my aquarium?
The main concern nitrates pose are in Reef aquariums seeing that the majority of reef-type organisms require a low level. Nitrates can cause algae. Unless you like algae I would suggest keeping it low. In Fish-Only tanks, nitrates should still be observed. Nitrates can still be lethal to fish. Nitrates should not exceed 45ppm in fish only tanks. Once above that point you can be risking illness. Nitrate can still be lethal! In reef aquariums, nitrate levels should be kept as close to 0ppm as possible.
Why are we worried about them?
As already mentioned, nitrates can still be lethal. Reef aquariums contain corals and invertebrates that do not tolerate high levels of nitrate. Snails, Clams, Feather Dusters, Coral (soft or stony), and Shrimp are all very sensitive to nitrate. Some won't even tolerate small amounts. Nitrate can also impact live rock. Hitch hikers and other goodies can die from nitrate poisoning and that takes half of the fun out of live rock.
How do we get rid of them?
Regular water changes are your best bet. Also when using filter floss, mesh bags, or anything else that can trap waste, make sure that you don't keep it in for excessive amount of time without cleaning. Yes, you may use all the filter floss or whatever in your reef aquarium that you want. Just make sure you don't leave it in for two weeks without cleaning it. I would suggest a cleaning it in waste aquarium water once a week (twice if you are paranoid like me). Refugiums are also a great way of ridding your system of nitrates. Nitrates only form in your media if left in for too long without cleaning.
The "nitrate factory" debate...
There has been a concept around that the only thing that nitrate doesn't produce in is live rock. Nitrates will still accumulate in a live rock tanks if you don't change the water. Floss, mesh, and others don't produce it either if you keep you eyes on your tank like you should. I recently experimented with bio-wheels. They doesn’t trap waste and it helps give the aquarium a biological boost (without extra maintenance). Nothing is a nitrate factory unless you become lax with your fish keeping.
