high nitrates

rigdon87

rigdon87

Member
Hey,
I tested my water like a week ago and it said my nitrates were around 80(tank is fallow)so i did two 18 gallon water changes and it went back down to 20(never been below that) but now there back up again.. i had a bit of hair algea outbreak so i have had my lights off for the past month. could the dying hair algea be raising my nitrates?? And why arnt they at zero i havn't had any fish for awhile?
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
something is causing ur trates to be at that level..since u have no fish im assuming ur not feeding anything..what are u using for filtration?
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
i read that u are using a fluval 305? if so, what is inside of it? keep in mind that u are gona have to clean that sucker out easily once a week..remove the filter sponges if u havent done so..
 
rigdon87

rigdon87

Member
i have a wet/dry with pads and media and the 305 is filled with bio-balls and live rock rubble.and no i havn't fed anything for about a month
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
i'd ditch the canister filter..get some phosband for your hair algae. if anything do a 90% + water change
 
rigdon87

rigdon87

Member
Originally Posted by premilove
http:///forum/post/3046729
have you tested twice in a row? sometimes certain tests kits are faulty..
yeah i just did earlier cause i couldn't believe it. im even using ro water(from walmart)but still better than tap.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
either clean out the fluval or ditch it bc i cant think of any other source for those trates. u arent feeding, theres no fish in there to poop, you have phosband..IMO if you arent cleaning the fluval then that has to be the source..

ditch it, do a huge water change, monitor levels for a week, and see whathappens.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
but u said theres LR rubble and something else in it. there's your source. since you got your sailfin coming in soon, turn it off, do a huge water change, get some chaeto and make a fuge in ur sump.
 
rigdon87

rigdon87

Member
i can't make a fuge my wet/dry is one of those all in one with built in protein skimmer. but im getting a 225rr this weekend and building my own sump/fuge out of a 75g and that will take the place of the 120
 
soulsigma

soulsigma

Member

Originally Posted by Rigdon87
http:///forum/post/3046744
yeah i haven't cleaned it out for a month or two im only using it for surface agitation.
You haven't cleaned the canister filter in over a month, then to rop it off you have bio-balls which have to be rinsed offed a couple + times a week, theres your answer to the high nitrates right there. Clean the canister filter and change out all mechanical filtration media and at this point and time even buy new bio-ball, then perform a huge water change with RO water and watch your trates drop

You must commit to cleaning your canister filter on a weekly basis or this will grow into something bigger especially when you begin adding fish into the mix

Good Luck

P.S. Dirty bio-balls + Drity canister filter = OFF THE CHART NITRATES
 
R

rcreations

Guest
I agree with the others. Your canister filter is your source of high nitrates. Either ditch it or start cleaning it really good ONCE A WEEK. You add fish to this tank with the dirty canister filter and your nitrates will go through the roof.
 
jayson417

jayson417

Member
Originally Posted by premilove
http:///forum/post/3046826
yeah i did lol
I have one of these fuval 305's and my Wet / DRY basically same setup. My nitrates are fine 90% of the time its 0 but every now and then its at 10.
Do you think this could be the cause of why it jumps every now and then? I can't wash the fuval pad out as this is my main source of bacteria as the wet/dry was added on only a week ago.
 
rigdon87

rigdon87

Member

Originally Posted by soulsigma
http:///forum/post/3046794
You haven't cleaned the canister filter in over a month, then to rop it off you have bio-balls which have to be rinsed offed a couple + times a week, theres your answer to the high nitrates right there. Clean the canister filter and change out all mechanical filtration media and at this point and time even buy new bio-ball, then perform a huge water change with RO water and watch your trates drop

You must commit to cleaning your canister filter on a weekly basis or this will grow into something bigger especially when you begin adding fish into the mix

Good Luck

P.S. Dirty bio-balls + Drity canister filter = OFF THE CHART NITRATES

The only thing in my canister are bio balls and live rock rubble. iam cleaning it and removing the bio balls out of it today along with a 30gal water change and new filter media in my wet/dry tommorow. when i clean the canister i just empty it and spray it out since its almost empty
 
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