I need help with my nitrates please

[alfieferenzo84]

So i have been having trouble with my nitrates for the past 5mo. about, They are going up to fast and i cant afford to be changing 50% of my water every wk witch would be needed to keep them under 10! I will tell about the tank this all happined after my move and qt my rocks and inverts sense then nothing has been the same!
I started the tank about 1 yr ago with
100lb of base rock and 16lb of live rock
120lb of sand and 40 lb of live sand 3-4inches (water was left in tank when moved so sand didnt get distubed)
4 power heads flipping tank 12+ times a hr
1 mag 350 filter witch is cleaned every week (filter replaced when it falls apart from cleaning it so good everyweek)
sea clone skimmer 150 model junk
i was using tap water and just switched to ro/di to help but thats not going to help!
I do not over feed!!! i feed way under witch is why my puffer and flame got sick not to long ago!
i dont know what to do about this but there has to be a reason for it and i just dont see it, I do not have money to add really anything to the tank rate now so a sump is out as my floor prolly wont hold it anyways and i dont know what else to do with say 50 bucks to help, please let me know what i could do to help this and what other details would help! Thanks
Check out the tank over the year at
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2571255/2
Current tank mates
Puffer 3-4 inches
clown fish 3 inch
yellow clown goby 1 inch
flame angel 2-3 inches

 

[sepulatian]

Have you re checked your readings at the lfs? How long ago did you move the tank? Something is not adding up here.

 

[sepulatian]

I have seen these pics. You just moved in mid December. You probably had alot of crap under the rocks. You pulled them out and released all of the stuff. What is in the tank at this point as far as live goods? Do you have a rubbermaid tub that you can move your fish and inverts into for two-three days? You can leave the rocks and do one MASSIVE water change. I am talking about like 70-80% change. You will need to pre-mix the water. The rocks need to be kept wet durring this. Your fish and inverts can go back in after a few days. You will need to acclimate them back in, but that would take care of the problem.

 

[alfieferenzo84]

so all that stuff in the rocks is bad if it comes out? Yes there is alot of that behind the rocks i was thinking about sucking it all out one day and re landscaping my tank
About doing a large change that is what i figured had to be done, do the fish really need to come out if i can match the temp ect?
Do you think i should toss the canister filter?
What about a nitrate reducer for the future?
Thanks

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by alfieferenzo84
so all that stuff in the rocks is bad if it comes out? Yes there is alot of that behind the rocks i was thinking about sucking it all out one day and re landscaping my tank
About doing a large change that is what i figured had to be done
Do you think i should toss the canister filter?
What about a nitrate reducer for the future?
Thanks
I don't own a canister filter so I will not comment on them.
If you have crap under or around your rocks that means that you don't have enough water flow. As for nitrate reductors. If you have sand, buy some detrivores. They are snails, worms, ect. that eat all of the junk before it has a chance to break down, therefore reducing the amount of nitrates produced. If it were my tank I would set up a stable environment for them, move my livestock, overhaul the main and then acclimate them back in. If you are doing a water change of that magnitude anyway, might as well bring it down to 80%, no more than that, You don't want the sand bed disturbed too much. Make sure your livestock have a clean place to stay for a few days and keep your LR wet durring the water change. You do not want any dieoff. Make sure you have enough water pre-mixed to do that big of a water change. Again, it is what I would do if it were my tank. As long as your fish and inverts are not subject to the disturbance I see no trouble. Again, JMO

 

[pallan]

also can try pura nitrate lock. its not a replacement for waterchanges but it can help you get the nitrates down.