High Nitrate!!

LisaJ2118

New Member
My tank is 125 gallons and is seven years old, and I've been battling with high nitrates (180 on API) for months now. I've tried everything from changing the crushed coral to live sand, 25% water changes every day for a week to change out the water. Along with weekly water changes.


Feeding only once a day. Adding a second protien skimmer (250 gallons) in the sump along with the 125 gallon protien skimmer. I added the macro algae, I tried sugar dosing for a couple months with no change. My fish guy gave me the No3-Pox4-x and I tried that for a couple months with no change. Only a white slime everywhere.
I only have a 2 clowns, a foxface, sailfish tang and one snail. They all seem happy with no signs of disease.
The rest of my fish, a magestic angle and powder blue tang died suddenly back in the spring, a couple weeks apart.

I dont know what to do, could it be the live rock or something else? I dont overfeed, I add a little each time when feeding and make sure everything is eaten before adding more. Hardly anything falls on the sand and if it does Foxface eats it up.

Please help.
 

Moortime

New Member
I looked at your tank and I dont see any clean up crew.
I had high nitrates as well. And I needed to change the types of cleanup.
Adding a 2 Dimond Goby's and hermit crabs and other things that ster the sand. I also had to do 2 large water changes but the big issue was finding why it was going back up to 180.
My tank now has Nitate of 0 for over a month now.
Also I had the same issue of white slime...I will never use it again.
Again it all changed when i changed my cleanup crew.
My tank is 220 gal.
 

luvmyreef

Active Member
Water changes can help but think about this... if your nitrates are 180 in a 125, you would have to change 50% of the water just to reduce it by half using that method. You need to find the source. What are you feeding? What kind of macro are you using? Chaeto is the best macroalgae to use IMO to reduce phos and nitrate. However, how old is your test kit? Have you tried a different one just to double check? You can even take a water sample to your local pet store and they will test it for you as well. Also make sure you are using pure RO/DI water.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
If something has gone bump in the night resulting in ammonia, the macros will switch to ammonia for nitrogen and nitrates will rise.

Perhaps you just have a temporary situations similar to a cycling tank. If that's the case as ammonia is reduced through either recovering from the bump or by increases aerobic bacteria, nitrates will drop down.

Otherwise I would expand the chaeto.

So if everything seems fine with no losses, perhaps it's best to simply let the tank recover.

my .02
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
FWIW, I wouldn't worry about nitrate in a fish only tank. As long as ammonia is on check and algae growth isn't out of control your fish should be fine.

Sounds like you've made numerous changes which makes it hard for the system to find it's own equilibrium in regards to the nitrogen cycle.
 
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