HUGE Nitrate problems

new2salt3

Member
1 week ago we had a bad leak in our 115g reef tank. Our LFS delivered us our new 120g tank and even helped with all of the install. The old tank was a DAS tank that held all the crap in the enclosed filter which the LFS told us could be the reason we could never get control of the nitrate problem. We spent a million bucks on water changes it seems but it never went down. They gave us a product in a baggie to go into the sump ( sorry can't remember the name ) to eat the nitrate. We got so excited a few days later when the test showed almost clear of nitrates, but about 15 min later it was pegged over again. Before, it was immediately pegged over the top, off the charts high. So does that mean any improvement at all or no? We are new to the sump way of life...what do we do? What do we use to get rid of this crap?
 

jchase1970

Member
what did they give you, was it a plant or chemical? if it as a plant probably cheato and as it grows it will eat more of the nitrates. be patient and let the sump develop the growth it needs to get rid of it.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
One of the huge fallacies IMHO in the aquarium hobby is the controlling ov nitrates by water changes. See my analysis of water changes in: https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...hange-analysis
To me what is important and the proper method of controlling nitrates is to get the nitrate consumers expanded until nitrates are always 0. Macro algaes in your sump are the best method to do that.
just my .02
 

new2salt3

Member
Okay, the product is called Purigan (sp) ??? Today the LFS told me it is a good sign that it did not peg over right away ( the test ) & that the little bag still needs more time to work. Is this true? Please explain macro algaes?
 

jchase1970

Member
sorry i am unfamilier with that. I take it then that this is a chemical treatment?
I have macro algae as a lot of people do. You can buy different types, two of the more popular are cheato or Chaetomorpha, and Caulerpa. How it works is as the marcoalgae grows it uses up nitrates and some other trace elements like phosphates. The algae does not export anything it just binds it up in the algae and then as it grows you harvest some of it and thus remove the bad stuff from your tank.
There are many different ways to use it and I'm no expert, but the what I use cheato is in my sump which is under my tank in a cabinet, I have a small light down there that it needs to grow and I have that light on a timer on the opposite light schedule of my display tank. I have read on the forums that it works better that way can't tell you for sure about the light schedule. I also have some caulerpa growing in my DT because I think it is pretty, it is on one side a small patch of it. Sometimes it grows very fast, like a new 4-5in leaf in a day, other times I see no real growth for weeks or I dont notice it anyway.
I have read that it will out compete other types of algae, like hair algae for nutrients, your nitrates, and I guess this is true as my tank gets sunlight from 2 sides since it is built in the wall between 2 rooms and I have no algae in my tank other then some brown algae in my overflow. I use no other treatments for algae other then snails, but it's a 125g tank and I dont think they do that much.
If you want some check with your local club and someone should be able to give you a start for free, it doesn't take much to start and grows at a rate according to the nutrients in your tank.
 
B

bigtankbigfish

Guest
When you did the tank swap you could have stirred up a bunch of nitrates from the sand. I would keep doing massive water changes, blow the crap off your rocks, stir the sand a little before hand. Ease up on feeding. If you have the means to get a skimmer, get one, if that dont work then the chaeto in the Refugium will.
Are the fish dieing? How many fish are in the tank? Could it be overload in which case the tank will never "catch up" on the nitrates
 

ajroc31

Member
Originally Posted by new2salt3
http:///forum/post/3266041
. They gave us a product in a baggie to go into the sump ( sorry can't remember the name ) to eat the nitrate. We got so excited a few days later when the test showed almost clear of nitrates, but about 15 min later it was pegged over again. Before, it was immediately pegged over the top, off the charts high. So does that mean any improvement at all or no?
Lots of products can't deal with high levels of nitrates. You need to lower the levels in order for it to work. Can you tell us what equipment you have. That would help, nut a canister filter if not regularly cleaned will cause high levels of nitrates. Make sure you have no dead spots where ditritus could build up. Vaccum your SB. There is no quick cure for nitrates, you will need to do this on regularly. Put a powerhead behind your rocks to blow waste from there. What is your feeding routine? And btw, what are your nitrate levels? Please don't tell me that you are freaking out over 20 ppm. How did you set up a new tank? With the problem that you had, million things could have gone wrong, you need to be a bit more specific.
 
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