lowering nitrate

[ryan]

I started out with a fish only tank and had that set-up for about 1 year before turning it into a reef tank. It is a 46 gal tank. When I had my fish only I was able to keep the nitrates around 0 ppm. My tank has been set up for reef now for over a year, during the majority of this time my nitrates have been between 20-30ppm. All of my fish, coral, and inverts have been alive and fine this whole time. I would just like to get down around 0 ppm again. I am running a canister filter designed for tanks up to 100 gallons. It has three areas for media. In the bottom area I have a sponge, a little filter floss, and some SeaChem Nitrate media (I think this stuff is worthless). In the middle area I have filter floss, and Purigen, and in the top is my bacteria media (bioball like media). I also have a Coralife Protien skimmer which is designed for tanks up to 90 gallons. I do 20% water changes every 2 weeks. I have tried doing water changes weekly, but the nitrates stay the same. Any info on different media or techniques to lower the nitrate?

 

[ryan]

I forgot to mention I use RO water, and use both instant ocean and coralife salts.

 

[hurt]

Have you cleaned your canister lately?

 

[ryan]

Yes I change the material in the canister every 2 weeks, and clean the canister really good once a month.

 

[sinner's girl]

1. are you sure your test kit is correct?
2. what's your bioload?
3. do you have cc or ls? cc will trap stuff and cause nitrates if it's not cleaned.
reduce feeding, reduce bioload, increase amount of wc, increase cleanup crew

 

[tampausmc]

adding a refugium will help keep them down too.......or even adding certains type of macroalgae to your display....

 

[maxalmon]

The bio stuff, is it those ceramic round things? Do you replace them or rinse them out. Try running just the canister with nothing in it for a week, right after your water change. If levels stay down you know it the canister, which is where I think the problem is. If levels go back up then it's something about the tank.
I was having this same problem, finally traced it to the 18" spray bar inside my tank thats connected to my canister, inside the spray bar, it was half filled with this black gunk, the only reason I found it was because I was moving some powerheads and pulled the spraybar down to move it, as soon as I took it out of the water I saw the stuff inside, I have a blackback tank and you simply couldn't see it. Once I cleaned out the spray bar, my levels stayed down, moral of the story, find the source

 

[ryan]

Yes it is the ceramic round things. I rinse them with water from my tank. I do not want to take them out because of the bacteria on them. I could try putting new ones in a different comparment until for a couple of weeks, then remove the old ones. I wonder though if the hosing from my canister to the tank could have a lot of crap built up in it. I have cleaned about everything with the canister except the hoses due to the length.
As far as the substrate I am using crushed coral. I have a brittle star and a brittle star that are good at eating everything. I also have a cucumber that is all over in the sand. I have tried two different test kits both having the same results. My bioload could be a liitle high. I have a snowflake eel in there I would like to take in and trade. I had him when it was a fish only tank, and kept him when I converted to a reef. He is getting big enough now though that I am afraid of him knocking over rock work. By the way if anyone has any brilliant ideas on getting him out without taking out the rocks and coral it would be appreciated.

 

[klaramore]

Leave ths sponge in the bottom but add carbon with it. in the middle have the purigen in both sides if it is a 3 stage 6 chamber canister. I also have Phosguard in the middle chamber 2 bags over the purigen. and then the ceramic on top. Make sure you do rinse them every time you change the media. I also change the sponge filters with new every 3 -4 times. But I only change mine every 30 days. The Purigen should really help.
Over feeding or high bio load is the problem most likely. I run 2 protien skimmers on my tank. You could add more rock to help with your bio load. coral vital will help too. There are sevral produces that will help reduce nitates look at *Link Removed*
Bill