High Nitrates

[swamprat]

I have had my tank set up for a year now and have high nitrate levels. I can get them down to around 25 but they shoot right back up to 50 in the next couple of days. The only fish I have left after I got ick is a Goby and 2 snails. What can I do? Am I over feeding? Do I need more live rock? I do regular water changes about every month.

 

[mlm]

How much do you feed?
What kind of water do you use for top off?
Do you have a deep sand bed for substrate?

 

[birdy]

It could also come from the filter media in your fluval if you don't clean it out very frequently.

 

[swamprat]

I use aged saltwater. I buy it from my lfs for $.99 a gallon. Lately I have been using spring water and premixing it. I have been reading up on DSB and am thinking of changing. My lfs only has uncured live rock. Is there some suggestions you could give me to find cured live rock that you trust.

 

[swamprat]

I feed once a day.

 

[entice59]

try cleaning the fuval and do some water changes, fishwaste can be trapped in the fuval causing your nitrates to go high
how much are you feeding it? enough for everything to get food right? nothing should be left behind
weekly waterchanges helped lower my nitrates only 5-10% though

 

[broncofish]

This site has cured, liverock as well as another I can't post there name cause it will get deleted, but do a search for walt smith live rock resellers

 

[swamprat]

Thanks. I have a feeling I am feeding too much.