Nitrates in a 29g Biocube

Are you running RO/DI for top-off/exchanges? Check your filters/tds readings. Also, I would bump the water change schedule up and change a least 5 gallons per. Don't overfeed and rinse all frozen food before adding to your tank. If all else fails you could use a carbon source to bring them down. Bio-pellets or vodka ect. But i would find your source of the problem and correct first.

 

Great input Foo ;-0) As he said, I would also suggest larger WC's. It is very difficult to reduce nitrates simply by WC's especially when trates are being added to the tank at a higher rate than what is exported. Bioballs are a nitrate factory so getting rid of them will help. I would suggest not only doing the larger volume WC's, reduced feedings, rising frozen foods and using chaeto but also not carbon dosing. IMO, carbon dosing should be the last resort. Not having corals right now is helping you understand how your tank will respond to things like PO4 and NO3. Good luck!

 

PO4=Phosphate and PO3=Nitrates
Great addition Sponge and Black

 

I am running the same size tank, and I do up to 10g water changes bi-weekly, and sometimes weekly depending on the test results. Also I have made a filter pad, out of egg create, that the water runs throw going from 1st chamber to the second. I would recommend investing in a better skimmer for when you go to corals. A tunze9002 or the CPR nano are both really good. You also could get some kind of reactor like the 2 Little Fishy or a BRS for GFO. I don't use the bioballs, like Sponge mentioned they are Nitrate factory, I personally would ditch them. Use some live rock in place of them.

I have found that running the 29 biocube the parameters are quick to get out of control, so you just got to make sure that you stay on top of everything. Test, and WC accordingly is your best defense.

 

You don't have to alternate the light cycle, but its supposed to help lessen the pH swing between night and day.......

 

One of those media baskets would be great with eheim effisubstrate. It is like 20 dollars a liter but has more surface area then anything else on the market. I wouldn't waste time clogging up pumps with cheato the chamber is not big enough. Also a two little fishes phosphate reactor with the modified screens from bulk reef supply or marine depot will turn this in to a bio pellet reactor for about 60 dollars for everything including bio balls. Unhook your return to the little fishes reactor and then plumb the return right back into the biocube return. And weekly water changes.