Nitrate Removal Tips for Saltwater Aquariums

Removal Tips for High Levels of Nitrates in a Saltwater Aquarium
Let me start off by saying that there are a number of reasons why a saltwater aquarium could be having a problem with high nitrate levels. The waste from your tank creatures is converted to nitrates, any food that is left over will eventually convert to nitrates, any creatures that die in your tank will eventually convert to nitrates, and your source water could contain nitrates and you could be introducing nitrates directly into your aquarium from this source.

So as you can see, a high level of nitrates in a saltwater or reef aquarium may be coming from a lot of different places. But what are some nitrate removal tips that you can do to lower these levels?

Waste Removal or Reduction
Well, let's start with the first one that I mentioned, waste from your tank creatures. Like humans, fish and other saltwater creatures when they take in food they put out waste. It's part of the life cycle. You eat, you poop. And the waste is then consumed by other creatures, such as bacteria, and they put off waste, or rather they poop, and there waste is no3 or nitrate. So if you have a tank with fish, or other creatures, and they all poop, in time you will begin to have higher levels of nitrates. This is true whether you have a small amount of creatures in your tank or a large amount of creatures. Here is the nitrate removal tip for waste: keep your tank clean, your water clean, and your filters clean. Use natural items to keep nitrate levels normal, such as using enough live rock. Live rock contains creatures that feed on the nitrates and their waste is a less toxic byproduct, thus keeping your aquarium more level. But you still must do regular water changes and constantly monitor your pumps and filters to make sure you are not having a build up waste or poop.

Excess Food
Your aquarium creatures all need to eat, just like we do, but if you feed too much it will accumulate in your aquarium and you will end up with the exact same problem as having too much waste. If your aquarium has good water movement, food, especially flake food, can end up moving around your tank too much and can end up in your filtering system or in your pumps, where it will be converted to nitrates. Or if you over feed, the food will settle at the bottom of your aquarium breaking down eventually into nitrates. Other foods have juices that can saturate an aquarium as well. These juices are usually not consumed by your fish but rather by the microscopic bacteria in your tank and will quickly be turned into nitrates. Here is the nitrate removal tip for feeding: Feed small amounts at a time and monitor your pumps and filters to see if you have a build up of food, or detritus on them. If you do then clean them. Do frequent water changes to keep your water clean and free of food waste.

Excess Nitrates from Dead Creatures
Anytime that a creature dies in your aquarium, the natural cycle begins to break down the deceased and the waste gets converted into nitrates. A dead creature can quickly saturate a tank with nitrates because it is a huge source of food for bacteria and other creatures that poop. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Waste is a huge cause of high nitrate levels. If you notice a dead creature remove it as soon as possible. However, some creatures that live in tiny places, such as live rock, are too small to see and you may never know that they have died. And sad to say, the death cycle happens a lot in an aquarium and so the best nitrate removal tip to help control this is to do frequent water changes.

Nitrates from Water Changes!?
Oh yes, nitrates can come directly into your aquarium from water additions. If you are using tap water, for example, it can contain high levels of nitrates from the start. Never use tap water for water changes or even evaporation top offs. Use RO/DI water if at all possible since the nitrates have been removed or reduced from the water. Always check the nitrate levels of any water that you add to your aquarium, because even RO/DI water could have high levels if the filters have not been cleaned in a while. A lot of local fish stores offer RO/DI water but you still should check the nitrate level, simply because their filters may not be changed as often as they should. Remember, dirty filters result in waste byproducts which introduce nitrates.

Nitrate Removal Conclusion
I'm sure that there are other means that can cause nitrate levels to rise in a reef aquarium, but if you keep a close eye on the things that I have mentioned in this post, you should be able to keep your nitrate levels normal. A reef aquarium, or a saltwater aquarium is a big responsibility and it cannot be left to function on its own. The oceans, lakes, and rivers have a natural system that keeps it functioning normal without human interaction. But our aquariums are not part of that natural system and so we must do our part to keep it safe. So enjoy your saltwater environment but watch your nitrate levels and remove any that begins to accumulate.