[messinger.r]

I have a heavily stocked 80 Gallon Peacock tank with a 30-gallon sump loaded with biomedia

• 6 liters Matrix
• 6 liters NanoTech Maxspect Bio-Spheres
• 1 liter Fluval Bio Max
• 2 liters crushed coral
• 40 pot Scrubbers

Ammonia and Nitrites are always at -0-, Ph is 7.4 and I do a 40-gallon water change once a week. I've reduced my feeding to 5x per week, though I prefer daily.

Prior to a water change, Nitrates are at 29.5 and following the water change it drops to around 14.9.

Do I reduce feeding and go every other day as some of my friends are doing, or do 2 water changes weekly? Thanks!

 

[Auballagh]

I dunno, maybe it's just me.... But, I like the way you are managing and running that aquarium.
Personally (unless your current process bothers you?), I wouldn't change or adjust much to what you are doing now. And yes, as your fish grow in size, you will almost certainly have to make some changes to your aquarium management process to accommodate the changing conditions in the tank (Bio-Load).
-
But, if you're a guy that likes to tinker around with things and try technical stuff? Something that a lot of people have recently 'discovered', is how effective plants can be in managing Nitrate reduction (and other dissolved organics) from the water of the aquarium. Stability. So, placing a little Pothos near the tank so it's roots can dangle a bit into the water, or installing a full-up/full blown Aquatic Plant Refugium System to support the aquarium, are things some folks have been happy to tinker with lately in controlling Nitrate buildup in their aquariums.
Otherwise, outside of modifying your feeding levels and making adjustments to your water change frequency and percentages (like you have been doing already), I think you've got this thing covered very well.

 

[Deeda]

Do you know what your tap water starting nitrate tests?

 

[messinger.r]

Do you know what your tap water starting nitrate tests?

I've tested it a few times. Yesterday it was at zero. When doing water changes, I drop a 1500 gph pump into the trash can which makes a fountain to get rid of chlorine etc. I'm in city water, and it varies. I've seen it as high as 15. Yesterday it was zero. I tested before adding to the tank

 

[Aussieman57]

My opinion is your nitrates are fine as is. Your ranging between 15-30 which is OK. How often do you change/clean your filter socks? Pulling that crud more often will help keep numbers down.

 

[noddy]

I would probably up the water changes to around 50% of the total volume of water. Tank 80g plus sump 30g.
50 - 60 gallons weekly.

 

[messinger.r]

I dunno, maybe it's just me.... But, I like the way you are managing and running that aquarium.
Personally (unless your current process bothers you?), I wouldn't change or adjust much to what you are doing now. And yes, as your fish grow in size, you will almost certainly have to make some changes to your aquarium management process to accommodate the changing conditions in the tank (Bio-Load).
-
But, if you're a guy that likes to tinker around with things and try technical stuff? Something that a lot of people have recently 'discovered', is how effective plants can be in managing Nitrate reduction (and other dissolved organics) from the water of the aquarium. Stability. So, placing a little Pothos near the tank so it's roots can dangle a bit into the water, or installing a full-up/full blown Aquatic Plant Refugium System to support the aquarium, are things some folks have been happy to tinker with lately in controlling Nitrate buildup in their aquariums.
Otherwise, outside of modifying your feeding levels and making adjustments to your water change frequency and percentages (like you have been doing already), I think you've got this thing covered very well.

Thanks for your detailed follow-up. Appreciate it. I have no room in my sump to create a Refugium and I can't imagine created more bio than I already have packed in. I could remove the crushed coral and put a few more liters of Matrix, but that's really it.

Water changes are easy and I do a 40 min water change in 25 minutes.

 

[messinger.r]

My opinion is your nitrates are fine as is. Your ranging between 15-30 which is OK. How often do you change/clean your filter socks? Pulling that crud more often will help keep numbers down.

I'm using 100 or 200 felt socks and changing them every 4 days. I cut a strip of Aquatic Expert Filter first material and lay it over my socks. After 2 days, the socks are still clean. When doing this, 90% of the water flows into the first sock. I simply flip the pad front to back, put the 2nd sock in the first position and a new sock in the 2nd position.

 

[messinger.r]

Do you know what your tap water starting nitrate tests?

Usually -0-, but I've seen it as high as 10. I always check it.

 

[DJRansome]

Plants consume the nitrate whereas your biological filtration (beneficial organisms) produce the nitrate.

 

[sir_keith]

Second time today I've used this quote-

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'

I'm not seeing anything at all that you need to be doing differently. 30ppm NO3 is nothing to worry about.

 

[Auballagh]

+1 to sir_keith on this (and my first response).
-
BUT......
If you are THAT GUY, who likes to tinker around with stuff (hardware/technology nerd - like me?). Then the plant, Nitrate-eating thing could be something additional you could look into. That is, implementing something as simple as a couple Pothos with their roots dangling down into your aquarium - on up to the design and build of a full-blown - above tank - plant refugium.

NOTE: I am NOT a fan of 'real' plant refugiums sited down in the sump. And yes, I agree that those look bright and cool when posted up on instagram to capture your DIY adventures.... But, the reality is that those cutesy little sump install refugium things are almost always too small in size (too few plants) to be very effective. And, are sited in a location for the aquarium, that is too difficult to access and maintain.