How do you get your NITRATE down?

hortonjr

hortonjr

New Member
How do you get your nitrates down? I have done a 15% water change and nothing they are stay the same for a week now. I just can't get it to go down, it stays around 80ppm. Is there some sort of buffer i can use.:help:
 
aarone

aarone

Active Member
water changes...DSB...wet dry filter...feed less. Many options. I would first eliminate the source of the nitrates. How long has the tank been set up?
aaron
 
rockies

rockies

Member
If you are using tapwater, you should consider RO/DI water instead.
You should test your water before putting it into the tank to determine if the source is in the tank or in the water supply.
 
hortonjr

hortonjr

New Member
I have a tap water purifier, and have no fish just 55 lbs of live rock, and 1 to 2 inches of live sand. Will inverts make the nitrates go up. What kind of test kit should I use? I have the quick dip that test the ph,Nitrate, Nitrite and alkalinity for saltwater. Thanks for the help.
Johnny
 
aarone

aarone

Active Member
quick dips are not accurate at all.
I would recomend a salifert or hagen test kit.
aaron
 
cherokee angel

cherokee angel

New Member

Originally posted by sandman12
a wet/dry filter can acually cuase nitrates. I have the same problem I just do water changes.

What type filtration do you use?
 
sandman12

sandman12

Active Member
In any case the best filteration to use is a nice big refugium IMO. On my 30 reef i have a pegium 330,seaclone 100, and plants. I hope to add a fuge asap. For my bigger tank iam working on getting a fuge. They r easy to make and the best filteration IMO.
 
hortonjr

hortonjr

New Member
quote:

[hr]
Originally posted by Cherokee Angel
What type filtration do you use?

[hr]
I have a 55 Gal tank and have a Pegium 330, and an Excalibur protein skimmer. Do you think this is adequate?
P.S.
How do you post a pic here?
 
clarkiiboi

clarkiiboi

Active Member
At this point it seems your tank is just done cycling and you are in the trAte stage, is that correct? Water changes will help, but you should test the water you are putting in. Even though you have a purifier on your tap there is most likely unwanted stuff still there, and then you are adding it back in with water changes----it's a never ending battle, so to say. I dont have an RO/DI unit yet, so I either buy distilled water from Wal-mart (if anywhere else, test it first. I know that this brand doesn't use copper tubing in the process) or I use water from my LFS---they give it to me free and it passes through an RO/DI system first. Its a pain to lug the gallon jugs in the house, but I have seen an improvement since doing this. My first suggestion is to see if your water is the source of your trAtes, most likely it is since you have no fish yet. HTH some
 
clarkiiboi

clarkiiboi

Active Member
Inverts wont add that much to the nitrAtes, IMO. And along with my first suggestion of the water source, the test you are using may be giving you a false reading. You could take a sample to the LFS and have them test it. Most likely it will still read trAtes, but maybe not as high (crossing fingers for you). A new test kit is a must, IMO.
 
terrance

terrance

Member
Mine are that high as well, around 80 ppm. I think it is due to my crushed coral. I have a 40 gallon with 55# live rock, remora skimmer, fluval 204 filter, a dragon goby, 2 chromis, brittle star, fire shrimp, and some snails and hermits. If i change my crushed coral to sand, do i have to take my fishes and such out and wait for the sand to settle or can i put them back in right when i add the sand because i know it will be cloudy for a few days.
 
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