Help me with my nitrate problem!

[archon210]

So, Ive had a nitrate problem that probobly occured from lack of water changes. However, I cannot get it to go away. My nitrates have been at about 10-20 ppm for the past 2 weeks ATLEAST. I have been doing 5 galon water changes EVERYOTHER day. I am using RO/DI water bought from Raley's to do these water changes.
The tank is a 20g with a 10g fuge. I recently had downgraded from a 45g, but the nitrate problems started in the 45g. The 45g was setup for more than a year.
I bought some macro algae that has been in the fuge since saturday, and although it is thriving, the nitrates havent gone down at all.
The only thing I have in my display tank is a small hammer coral, a small mushroom, and 2 clownfish. I make sure to not overfeed my clownfish, so I dont think that is the problem.
My Nitrite is 0, ammonia 0, but my ph is about 7.8-8.0.
Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong?
Thanks in advanced.

 

[beth]

What kind of filters are using? And what kind of substrate do you have? I assume you have LR?

 

[jacknjill]

10-20 nitrates are perfectly fine

 

[archon210]

I have a cpr bak pak 2, and I downgraded from a 45 with plenty of lr and ls, so i have about 3 inches of sand in the display and about 4 inches of sand in the fuge. both are pretty full with lr.

 

[milomlo]

Originally Posted by JacknJill
10-20 nitrates are perfectly fine

seriously? My nitrates are 20 now. I have had 0 nitrates until this week for some reason. :scared:

 

[klaramore]

put some TLC bacteria it will be fine. 20 is ok. If you do to many water changes you my get new tank syndium.
Bill

 

[archon210]

Originally Posted by milomlo
seriously? My nitrates are 20 now. I have had 0 nitrates until this week for some reason. :scared:
it depends on what kind of setup you have... fish only can survive with 20 nitrate, but alot can argue that your fish wont do so good with high nitrates. reef and inverts will have a hard time in high nitrate conditions. So for my tank, which will be reef, i want 0 nitrate.

 

[archon210]

Originally Posted by klaramore
put some TLC bacteria it will be fine. 20 is ok. If you do to many water changes you my get new tank syndium.
Bill
Can anyone else confirm the reliability of this product?

 

[archon210]

I just had a thought cuase I was reading about nitrates being caused by filters and what not...
My CPR bak pak 2 has biobale... can this be the cause of these nitrates? Should I replace it, or clean it off?
Thanks again

 

[ecoman]

do you have a protein skimmer??

 

[murph]

Good question eco. High levels of dissolved organics is gong to make it next to impossible to bring nitrates under 10. I believe the CPR has a skimmer Incorporated but if its not producing well this could be the problem.
Check on circulation also. Pollutants need to stay suspended in the water column long enough to be removed by filtration. Buildup of sediments are going to contribute to nitrates.
IMO "boxed up" filter media is prime realastate for nitrate production. HOBs canisters or even expensive sumps with various chambers for media qualify as "boxed up". I have since removed any such contraptions from my setup and lay a piece of egg crate across the top of the fuge and sump where my overflows enter and place filter media at these locations. Even if my theory is wrong, at the vary least it makes for easily changed filter media and easily changed filter media stand a much better shot at becoming frequently changed filter media.

 

[archon210]

bump

 

[pchromis]

Originally Posted by archon210
I just had a thought cuase I was reading about nitrates being caused by filters and what not...
My CPR bak pak 2 has biobale... can this be the cause of these nitrates? Should I replace it, or clean it off?
Thanks again

I don't think the biobale is necessary. Definitely not for a reef tank!

 

[nemo22]

do a 20 precent water change with RO water, change all filters and add Algone(a water clarifier and Nitrate remover) 1 pouch for every 50 gals of water, i just put them in my whisper filter. you may neen to change the water about 2 days a week for the next 2 weeks but the nitrate should come down. the algone pouches will last about 2 weeks at high levels, but when you get it down under 10 they will last about a month.