Nitrate

[thebigeq]

I have heard that live rock helps control nitrates is this true and to what extent. I have a 29 gallon tank with 35 pounds of live rock. I have recently had a pretty dramatic run up in my nitrates, up until this point I have had not measurable readings. Recently the nitrate readings ran up to 40ppm. I have done 2 partial water changes 20%. I have gotten the readings down to 10ppm. I guess my question is will the live rock take care of the remaining or is this something that I need to do via water changes? Are to frequent of water changes bad for the livestock?

Thank you

 

[Brian5000]

Did you add any livestock recently? How long as the system been going?

Live rock works as a medium for nitrogen eating bacteria to cling to as they eat ammonia and nitrite in your aquarium. I guess the theory is that nitrate get eaten both by anerobic bacteria deep the live rock or at the bottom of a deep sand bed and also by plants (macro and microalgeas).

The bacteria/algea/whatever eventually establish an equillibrium with their environment. When sudden changes are made, they cannot increase their numbers quick enough and excess nitrate will begin to fill the tank.

If this is a new tank, or you've recently added a bunch ov livestock, you're live rock will probably catch up to the demand eventually. Until then, you'll have to do water changes to keep the nitrate levels from getting to toxic levels. Having adequate flow around you live rock will help this process too.

Excessive water changes won't hurt anything, though the more you do, the more important it is that all parameters (salinity, pH, temp, etc.) in the new water are exactly the same as the tank.
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