Help! My nitrates are SKY HIGH!!

sixers3

sixers3

Member
I have a 26 gallon reef and i have been having a problem with green algae growth. It is overtaking some of my corals and some of my snails have died. I checked my levels and here they are:
pH 8.0
ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
phosphates = 0
nitrates = 160ppm
I'm sure its the nitrates that are causing the problem. What should i do to resolve this problem. I'm doing a water change of 5 gallons. What else should i do??
The tank has been up for 1.5 years and is mature. I have lots of coraline algae on my live rock and glass, but green algae is overtaking everything.
I've cleaned my skimmer, i have 2 powerheads, regular filter, phosphate sponge.
Please help.
Thanks.
Please help.
 
mn1467

mn1467

Member
only thing I can think of is water changes instead of 5 gallon changes do some 10 gallon changes. and also you mention some of your critters died make sure you take them out that also can cause nitrate build up.
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
Definitely sounds like time to take up arms, mobilize, and go go go go go!!!! You're right in that that's almost certainly what's killing your snails and at least one cause of your algae growth. Quick fix: yes, do a larger water change than 5 gallons then test the water to see what that brought the nitrates down to.
Next I'd test daily to closely monitor where the nitrates (and other levels) are at. If they're still too high do smaller, maybe as much as 5 gallons, water changes with RO/DI water. If your fish are all acclimated, have been eating well, and are fat and happy I'd even go so far as to not feed for a day or two (I know what they say about feeding x times a day and such but I've gone three days without feeding anything at all and my critters are still fat and sassy).
Then you need to look at long term solutions such as why did the nitrates spike up so high all of a sudden? Find out why and fix that problem so it won't get to emergency levels again.
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
Originally Posted by sixers3
I have a 26 gallon reef and i have been having a problem with green algae growth. It is overtaking some of my corals and some of my snails have died. I checked my levels and here they are:
pH 8.0
ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
phosphates = 0
nitrates = 160ppm
I'm sure its the nitrates that are causing the problem. What should i do to resolve this problem. I'm doing a water change of 5 gallons. What else should i do??
The tank has been up for 1.5 years and is mature. I have lots of coraline algae on my live rock and glass, but green algae is overtaking everything.
I've cleaned my skimmer, i have 2 powerheads, regular filter, phosphate sponge.
Please help.
Thanks.
Please help.
Nitrates....
Ok, let's focus on the "regular filter" first. I am assuming this is a media based filter, such as floss, or it is a wet/dry or bio-ball of some kind. Either clean it on a weekly basis, or get rid of it. They are nitrate factories if not properly maintained, and that means cleaning it very often, and changing the media in it as well. If youhvae a good skimmer, you dont need any of the media anyway. I have a wet/dry for carbon etc...but i clean it religiously.
I also have a canister that i use only for flow since I already had it anyway. But it is empty of any media whatsoever.
I also suggest doing more frequent changes for a while...do the same volume you are doing now, but do it every other day for a while or so. More frequent changes of less volume IME is better for the system thatn larger all at once changes. It allows everything in there to adjust slowly over time.
Your phosphate sponge...you know that you can only use that for 72 hrs or so. After that time, it begins releasing it all back into the tank. It is meant for short term removal...is it the kent granuals? Or is it that "pad" type? Either way, they are not to be used as a permanant fixture.
What is your source water? Tap water? Most tap will have way too many nutrients, causing some algae outbreaks. Check your water source.
 
snailheave

snailheave

Active Member
get some macroalgae, probably chaeto, and position it where there's enough flow and light. give it 4-12 weeks, and see the results.
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
Originally Posted by snailheave
get some macroalgae, probably chaeto, and position it where there's enough flow and light. give it 4-12 weeks, and see the results.

This will definately help once nitrates are a bit lower. To reduce what the results are now without fixing the problem, you would need a 30 gallon sump filled with cheato to bring the levels down. There isnt much room in a 30 gl for a lot of cheato.
Fix the sources first, get it under control, then add cheato to help keep it under control.
 
cora

cora

Member
This isn't my thread, but I have a hard time keeping nitrates down too. My question is "What is cheato?" A brand? Granules? There is only one small FS in the rural area where I live and it's 120 miles to larger ones. Can cheato be purchased through catalogs? I appreciate your help too.
Cora
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
Originally Posted by Cora
This isn't my thread, but I have a hard time keeping nitrates down too. My question is "What is cheato?" A brand? Granules? There is only one small FS in the rural area where I live and it's 120 miles to larger ones. Can cheato be purchased through catalogs? I appreciate your help too.
Cora

Cheato is a plant that "lives" off nitrates, light, and to some extent (varying opinions) on phosphates.
Yoiu can order it online.
It is NOT a cure all for nitrates. You MUST remove the sources of your nitrates, change habits, do what you can in other respects first. For example, if you have a wet dry filter (or any filter using medium that can "trap" particulate) and you don't clean it often, or you overfeed, or if your tank is overstocked, cheato will do nothing against that tide.
But as a basic way to help keep trates under control, cheato works wonders. It will definately reduce them if it isn't fighting other factors.
 
snailheave

snailheave

Active Member
do you use tap water? you probably don't, judging by the phosphate reading
do you use bioballs? i am guessing yes. they trap detritus hence increase nitrate
 
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