Nitrate frustration!! AAARGG!

[jester805]

I've been fighting my nitrAtes for the past several months. When I first tested them, they were at 200 parts per million!

Since then I've done regular water changes and slowed WAY down on my feeding. I also added a sump.
Here's what I currently have:

• 75g display tank
• 20g sump tank
• 60 pounds LR
• 80 pounds LS
• Emperor 400
• AquaC Remora Pro
• CS90 Overflow box & Mag 9 return pump
  My live stock includes:
• 1 Blue-fin damsel
• 2 Percula clowns
• 1 Green chromi
  1 Watchman goby
  1 Strawberry fish
  1 Spotted cardinalfish
  1 Cleaner shrimp
  1 Flame scallop
  1 Sand-sifting sea star
  1 Anemonae
  1 Frogspawn
  Misc snails & crabs

For the past month I haven't been able to get my nitrates under 40 parts per million. I changed out 16 gallons of water yesterday and my nitrates haven't changed at all. I usually add Marine Snow every other day. I also feed one cube of frozen mysis on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday.
Any suggestions on what I an do?????? :help: :help:

 

[sufunk]

How much flow do you have? Ive had my problems also and finally am down to 5-10 from over 200. Cut back on your feeding some more and get some more live rock so that you can get rid of the emperor. If your running a filter in it its probably making your nitrates higher. Mine went down after i cleaned my emperor real well and took out the filter media.
Also, what are "regular " water changes? how much and how often? If you have a refractometer, id say do 25% or more every few days til they are down to 10 or less.

 

[bang guy]

Stop the Marine Snow and start feeding 1/2 cube of food per day.
When you do your next water change try changing 30-35 gallons.

 

[bonebrake]

Thaw your cubes out in a brine shrimp net and a cup of your saltwater so all the junk water that the mysis shrimp are frozen in doesn't end up in your tank. Also, add a fuge with some chaetomorpha macro algae. It will solve your nitrate woes.
:joy:

 

[jester805]

Thanks for the info guys. The "regular water changes" are 10% - 15% every Saturday. My water is really clear right now too.
I should do half cube every day?? Or did you mean half cube every other day?? Just making sure that I understand.
My tank gets turned over roughly 13 times per hour.

• Mag 9 return pump (535 GPH after head loss)
• One MaxiJet 1200 power head (295 GPH)
  AquaC Remora Pro skimmer (Rio 600 = 200 GPH)

535 + 295 + 200 = 1030
1030 / 75 = 13.73
I also have another MaxiJet 1200 in my sump tank.

 

[crazyreefnut]

lets assume that everyone understands the nitrogen cycle. amonia,nitrites,nitrates OK so you have hi Nitrates so lets look closely at what causes amonia. Over feeding dead animals and poor water supply check for those. nitrates can also stay in a system that never gets over a cycle as well people that rush suffer from this and quit before getting started. Cured rock and I mean cured, because if not cured it is a nitrate disaster. can do this as well. Start with looking at the entire set up as if it was brand new. work from that but slow down on feeding that is always the death of so many reefers. have fun with it.

 

[majakarot]

I just started doing 30 gal changes every week to get mine down, turns out they were being put into my tank from the top off water originally, if you are using well water you might want to check it

 

[jester805]

Originally Posted by crazyreefnut
lets assume that everyone understands the nitrogen cycle. amonia,nitrites,nitrates OK so you have hi Nitrates so lets look closely at what causes amonia. Over feeding dead animals and poor water supply check for those. nitrates can also stay in a system that never gets over a cycle as well people that rush suffer from this and quit before getting started. Cured rock and I mean cured, because if not cured it is a nitrate disaster. can do this as well. Start with looking at the entire set up as if it was brand new. work from that but slow down on feeding that is always the death of so many reefers. have fun with it.
I should feed less than 1 frozen cube 3 times per week??? I can try that, but my fish always seem so hungry. The tank has been up for just over a year. However, i moved houses back in October 2005. I saved most of the water from the move.
My other levels (nitrItes, pH, ammonia, calcium) all seem to be fine. I tested for everything tonight and nitrAtes were the only thing out of whack.
I have a Kent Marine High-S RO system. It does 35 gallons per day and it's all I've used for several months. Before that I would only use distilled water from Walmart.

 

[crazyreefnut]

some foods will have nitrates and phosphates in them to help preserve them. that is what i meant to say

 

[jester805]

Originally Posted by crazyreefnut
some foods will have nitrates and phosphates in them to help preserve them. that is what i meant to say
Can you suggest a different food that I should be using? I'm open for ideas on everything. The sad thing is....I'm actually pretty happy with my nitrAtes at 40 (compared to how they were at 200).

 

[barkdog]

Are you using RO water? I've tested the water straight from my tap and found that it has nitrates. I've also heard that some brands of salt have nitrates.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by jester805
I should do half cube every day?? Or did you mean half cube every other day?? Just making sure that I understand.
1/2 every day would be my suggestion. Same amount of food but not all at once.

 

[jester805]

Originally Posted by barkdog
Are you using RO water? I've tested the water straight from my tap and found that it has nitrates. I've also heard that some brands of salt have nitrates.
Yes, I am using RO water that's hooked up to my city tap water. I was thinking of changing salt brands, but I just tested my RO water. It's hard to be sure, but it looks like it has nitrAtes somewhere between 20 & 50. That means I am putting nitrAtes into my tank every time I change the water!

That makes me so mad because of the money I spent on the RO unit. It is a Kent Marine Hi-S two-stage unit. I bought it in January of this year and recently changed the pre-filter. Does anyone know if I should change the membrane now?? The spec's say that the membrane only needs to be changed every 3 to 5 years.
Here's a link to the Kent Marine website. I have the RO unit that's pictured first on this site (single membrane...not dual membrane):
* * * Unauthorized Link * * *
Edit:
I just found an add-on "DI" filter for $65. Says it works with any RO system that has 1/4" tubing (which mine has). It also specifically says that it helps to remove nitrAtes. Has anyone ever used this???

 

[kzoo]

Take the sand sifter star out, he is eating your copapods.

 

[jester805]

Originally Posted by kzoo
Take the sand sifter star out, he is eating your copapods.

Do copepods affect nitrAtes???

 

[kzoo]

They help lower them by breaking down waist. They live in your sand bed and live rock. The sand sifter star will die when he runs out of food. How long have you had him? Your problem is most likely do to over feeding or your water.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by jester805
It's hard to be sure, but it looks like it has nitrAtes somewhere between 20 & 50.
A Hi-S RO membrane should be removing 99% of the Nitrate. I think your membrane is toast.
Get a TDS meter so you can test the output of your RO. You'll want to meter to check the water from your new DI as well.

 

[jester805]

Originally Posted by kzoo
They help lower them by breaking down waist. They live in your sand bed and live rock. The sand sifter star will die when he runs out of food. How long have you had him? Your problem is most likely do to over feeding or your water.
I have had him for a few months. He really helps to keep my sand white. I'll take him out tomorrow and see if my LFS will take him back.

 

[namas05]

you say that you just moved have you tested the water beofre it goes intothe ro unit?
I have well water and it is high in nitrates. even through my ro unit i get readings of 5 - 10
and I have a 3 stage ro/di unit. I doesn't stick around in my tank but it is there to start with.
Might want to check that, most units will say in the paper work that they cannot pull all of the trates out if the water going in is high in trates.