High nitrates, i need help guys...

charlied

charlied

Member
Yep, ive got high nitrate levels. amm. is 0, nitrites are 0, ph is 8.2.
test results are off the chart (180+ppm)
I have a 55 gallon tank.
sea clone skimmer (150 model i think)
Penguin 200 power filter (new cartridge every week)
2 powerheads
approx 40lb LR
approx 60lb LS
260w PC lighting
livestock:
10 snails
20 crabs
1 serpeant star
1 wild maroon clown (4 inches+)
5 green chromis
1 diamond goby
1 royal gramma
1 Purpleback Pseudochromis
1 domino damsel
LFS suggested that i use her special "advanced" carbon rocks in the media bag. got that in my power filter w/cartridge. has not helped. also suggested that i might have something dead in there... checked that - nothing dead. added 20lb more LS... still high.
I noticed on pictures of skimmers on the board, my skimmer does not put out the same kind of foam like everyone else. might is white for the most part and no where near the ammount that everyone elses has. might that be the problem?
I am also thinking that i might need a larger power filter. more lighting maybe? suppliments? geez its all so much, i love this hobby so much, but i am at my limit here, i just dont know what to do. please if anyone can help me it would be greatly appriciated. i am almost to the point of giving up on this hobby. maybe im just not cut out for it.
charlie
 
charlied

charlied

Member
forgot to mention that i lose about 3 gallons per week (evaporation) and i change out about 7 gallons per week with RO water
charlie
 
qreef

qreef

Member
Originally Posted by CharlieD
Yep, ive got high nitrate levels. amm. is 0, nitrites are 0, ph is 8.2.
test results are off the chart (180+ppm)
I have a 55 gallon tank.
sea clone skimmer (150 model i think)
Penguin 200 power filter (new cartridge every week)
2 powerheads
approx 40lb LR
approx 60lb LS
260w PC lighting
livestock:
10 snails
20 crabs
1 serpeant star
1 wild maroon clown (4 inches+)
5 green chromis
1 diamond goby
1 royal gramma
1 Purpleback Pseudochromis
1 domino damsel
LFS suggested that i use her special "advanced" carbon rocks in the media bag. got that in my power filter w/cartridge. has not helped. also suggested that i might have something dead in there... checked that - nothing dead. added 20lb more LS... still high.
I noticed on pictures of skimmers on the board, my skimmer does not put out the same kind of foam like everyone else. might is white for the most part and no where near the ammount that everyone elses has. might that be the problem?
I am also thinking that i might need a larger power filter. more lighting maybe? suppliments? geez its all so much, i love this hobby so much, but i am at my limit here, i just dont know what to do. please if anyone can help me it would be greatly appriciated. i am almost to the point of giving up on this hobby. maybe im just not cut out for it.
charlie

Did you have your LFS test your water too?? If you haven't brigh your water to LFS for them to test then do you need to do that. Nitrates test kit are sometime not accurate.
 
dragonladylea

dragonladylea

Member
Forgot to ask what your using for substrate? Its almost impossible to get nitrate levels to a manageable level with crushed coral - thats why I switched to sand.
 
devaji108

devaji108

Member
Charlie,
I thought my nitrates were off the charts too! But after 5- months of stressing I found out that it was my test kit. It was old and no good! I suggest testing your h20 w/ anther kit!
Most LFS do it 4 free.
If the nitrates are hight try the flowing:
~Frequent h2o changes
~Try making a fresh batch of saltwater and test it may be nitrates in the h2o u are using or in the salt!
~marco algae… note that the most common grow very fast so in the ref. is the best place for it. Although I have it in my tank looks good too as long as it don’t get out of control .
~kent makes a nitrate absorbing grains.
~don’t over feed!
Just a few things that came to mind.
Good luck!
 
charlied

charlied

Member
i thought about doing that, but the lfs uses the exact same test kit as I. I can drive across town to the other lfs (which i hate) and see if they can test it. Now that i think about it, im going to that side of town tomorrow. i think i might take some water with me. thanks for the idea.
charlie
 
devaji108

devaji108

Member
Originally Posted by Dragonladylea
Forgot to ask what your using for substrate? Its almost impossible to get nitrate levels to a manageable level with crushed coral - thats why I switched to sand.
why is that??
 
charlied

charlied

Member
i was out of town for a while (ARMY) while i was gone i think the tank was over fed. i have them all on a diet now :) i dont think that is a problem
i am using live sand as substrate. about a 2-3 in bed all around. (approx 60lbs)
charlie
 
ruaround

ruaround

Active Member
how old is your tank??? what did you add last???
p.s. been using crushed coral since 95 and only had a problem when there were invert eating fish in the tank...cc is not a bad substrate, just that most prefer a dsb...
 
charlied

charlied

Member
i have owned the tank for 8 months. the previous owner had the tank for at least a year. so more or less it is 2 years old.
last thing i added was my royal gramma
 
ruaround

ruaround

Active Member
when was the last time you did...eh hem...a water change???(im not a firm believer in em hence the eh hem)
 
charlied

charlied

Member
i change out 7 gallons every saturday + add a total of about 3 gallons periodically thru the week due to evaporation. so about 10 gallons of new water per week
charlie
 
charlied

charlied

Member
i use RO water i get directly from a store called "Agua Pura" i asked them and they said their water has 0 nitrates, tested the water myself and it tested 0.
bulbs are the originals that it came with about 6 months old.
charlie
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
Originally Posted by CharlieD
i change out 7 gallons every saturday + add a total of about 3 gallons periodically thru the week due to evaporation. so about 10 gallons of new water per week
charlie

If your nitrates are say 40ppm and you do a 50% water change your nitrates are going to go down to 20ppm. 7 gallons a week on a 55 gallon (assumming you have at least about 40 gallons of water to fill it) is less than a 20% water change (closer to 15%). The evaporation only removes h2o while leaving the garbage in the tank (just making what water thats left more concentrated with garbage) so that in no way equals a 10 gallon water change combined with the 7 gallons you do. That weekly isn't going to do anything to significantly lower your nitrate level. You need to do several larger water changes like 50% and if its critically high you may want to do a technique of several water changes back to back which works something like this:
nitrates 40ppm, change 50% to get you at 20ppm then do ANOTHER 50% water change right after the first to bring it down to 10ppm and so on until its at the desired level. Naturally this is time consuming and takes alot of water but once its down to an acceptable level you can go back to smaller water changes. I'd still do more than 7 gallons a week on aheavily stocked (or any stock for that matter) 55 gallon otherwise its gonna rise right back up again.
I have a seaclone 100 on my 30 gallon and crushed coral and never see above 10ppm. dont have nearly the bioload though (which i believe is the route of your problem). The foam it produces isn't as nasty as better skimmers but mine anyway produces foam consistantly and the skimate in the collection cup is foul enough. with 10 fish and one being 4"+ assuming all the others are just 1" thats just over 4 gallons per inch of fish not including any other livestock. I believe the rule of thumb is 5 or 6 gallons per 1" of fish and those are maximum load values. High bioload=high nitrates. 7 gallons per week certainly isn't going to cut it with that amount of livestock.
 
charlied

charlied

Member
Stanlalee, thank you very much for that. I am going to do what you said, change out the water more per week and do a 50% change a few times today. ::waiting for water store to open:: thank you for your advice. i will report back my results.
charlie
 
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