Nitrates! ! Help

R

rcreations

Guest
How much LR do you have? Maybe you should add more, it'll help keep your nitrates down.
Here's what happened to me and the small 45gal tank. I have2 messy lionfish in it and last time I tested my nitrates, it was higher than 40. So I went to the LFS and got some more CURED liverock and put it in the tank. A week later, my nitrates are at 10 and staying that way.
 
timbodmb

timbodmb

Member
Ya know, I think you may have something there... My CUC went crazy on my rock, and now it seems that they are almost dead... Could my CUC be too much? I think you may be right about the LR- I have 30 lbs now...
 
cafero702

cafero702

Member
lol its fine.
my LFS sells cured liverock it would possibly cut down my nitrates??
i will clean my bio balls i have never cleaned them before.
i clean them in saltwater??
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member

Originally Posted by mcbdz http:///forum/post/2567693

It's hard to believe you have 300 post and don't know what a RO unit is.
Please do a little more reaserch.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/115344/saltwater-aquariums-101-equipment
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/157075/bottled-water-vs-ro-water
For us to beable to help you please list as much info as you can so we can find the source.
Size-140gal
Age of tank-
Filtration-
# of LR/LS-
Livestock-
GPH(gallons per hour)-
Please list actual numbers for what you test for-amm., nitrites, nitrates,SG, temp., cal., alk., ph., etc
How often do you do water changes?
What do you feed and how often?
Anything else you think may help.
Will find it eventual.

He doesn't have 300 posts. He has 80. He joined this board last month

Originally Posted by cafero702 http:///forum/post/2567415
you have to be kidding me what is the problem
i checked my nitrates 2 weeks ago and did about a 30 gallon waterchange i have a 140 tank then they bearly went down so today i did a 40g waterchange and just got all done and checked my parameters there all fine except nitrates its still at like 80! like what is the problem im doin water changes close together i dont have any excess food on the bottom i have a clean up crew my filters are all clean !???? help
any comments suggestions are appreciated

Has anything died in your tank? When you clean your biowheel, use your old change saltwater not freshwater. Stir up the sandbed and use a baster or powerhead to blow detrius off the LR and then siphon out the old water for a water change. This should help.
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
Cafero:
With a 140 gal tank and only 100 pounds of LR you could use another 100 pounds. You could get base rock but with fish already in there this could definitely be contributing to your high nitrate problem. Also Ro/Di is the way to go. Many supermarkets have culligan and glacier water machines. I was using the one in front of my CVS drugstore and was reading like 4 ppm with my TDS meter.
Timbod:
If you don't have corals then 15 nitrate isn't that high.
 
cafero702

cafero702

Member

Originally Posted by metweezer
http:///forum/post/2569981
Cafero:
With a 140 gal tank and only 100 pounds of LR you could use another 100 pounds. You could get base rock but with fish already in there this could definitely be contributing to your high nitrate problem. Also Ro/Di is the way to go. Many supermarkets have culligan and glacier water machines. I was using the one in front of my CVS drugstore and was reading like 4 ppm with my TDS meter.
Timbod:
If you don't have corals then 15 nitrate isn't that high.
well a powder blue tang has died in my tank but right when it dies i took it out it didnt sit in there sead for any amount of time and u do have corols all soft corals right now. and my nitrates are at 80 not 15 but i am cleaning my bio rings right now and doing a good water change with all the advice above and ill post my new trates when finished
 
cafero702

cafero702

Member

Originally Posted by metweezer
http:///forum/post/2569981
Cafero:
With a 140 gal tank and only 100 pounds of LR you could use another 100 pounds. You could get base rock but with fish already in there this could definitely be contributing to your high nitrate problem. Also Ro/Di is the way to go. Many supermarkets have culligan and glacier water machines. I was using the one in front of my CVS drugstore and was reading like 4 ppm with my TDS meter.
Timbod:
If you don't have corals then 15 nitrate isn't that high.
well if i dont use RO water is that a huge diffrence??
i use the water from my bath i de chlorafy it and i have a water softner in my house for that water it is softer water then normal but not an RO
is that bad i have a water softner and im using that water? i know an RO is better but is the water softner a little better then normal tap???
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member

Originally Posted by cafero702
http:///forum/post/2569986
well a powder blue tang has died in my tank but right when it dies i took it out it didnt sit in there sead for any amount of time and u do have corols all soft corals right now. and my nitrates are at 80 not 15 but i am cleaning my bio rings right now and doing a good water change with all the advice above and ill post my new trates when finished
The 15 nitrates comment was directed to another poster on your thread. You do have issues. You have to get the trates down. Good luck! There is plenty of help right here for you
 
vkuroczka

vkuroczka

Member
I know this sounds expensive but I use Real Ocean Water. It's about 12 bucks for 5 gallons but I know it's perfect
. I've been using that for that past few years for my water changes and all my levels are perfect. Granted I only have an 80 gallon tank and water changes cost a hundred bucks..... just an opinion...
 
cafero702

cafero702

Member
i just did about a 30 to 40g water change took my bio rings out and cleaned them all cleaned my intior inside of my filter there was like white sponge in it but it was like gel. really wierd it was like boogers.
lol i had boogers in my filter!
tested my trates they went from 80 down to about 20-40.
so thats a start but i will do another waterchange like next week ya???
is that too far away to soon?? ill do another 30g water change next week i was thinking.
any suggestions is that fine for the situation im in???
 
mcbdz

mcbdz

Active Member
I think that sounds good. Just keep a check and see if they stay stable or go back up. Make sure you add your bio rings to your maintance schedule for now on.
 
timbodmb

timbodmb

Member

Originally Posted by metweezer
http:///forum/post/2569981
Cafero:
With a 140 gal tank and only 100 pounds of LR you could use another 100 pounds. You could get base rock but with fish already in there this could definitely be contributing to your high nitrate problem. Also Ro/Di is the way to go. Many supermarkets have culligan and glacier water machines. I was using the one in front of my CVS drugstore and was reading like 4 ppm with my TDS meter.
Timbod:
If you don't have corals then 15 nitrate isn't that high.
I do, I have some zoos, sps, lps, sebae- All are doing fine... so two days later, they are still at 15- I checked my change water, and that's not the issue either... I use Walmart RO water $.67
Is it good to siphon your LS? I hear both, but I think if I have a nitrate problem it m ight be good to stirr it up a bit, then change the water...
Thoughts?
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
Some experienced members of this board do not recommend siphoning the sand as you could remove some beneficial bacteria. But I don't think there is any harm in stirring it up a bit. Also use a turkey baster to blow detrius off your LR & LS right before a water change. Between the siphoning and your filter and powerhead you should be removing quite a bit of nitrates, and your corals will love you for it
 
cafero702

cafero702

Member
thank you my nitrates dropped to between 20 and 40 right now and im going to do just a littlw 20g waterchange today
i was wondering should i take my uv sterilizer off my tank since i have corals now well zoas, only soft corals.
will it be bad for my fish if i take it off?? or should i just leave it on??
 
timbodmb

timbodmb

Member
I bought 18 lbs of LR, and it has been in the tank for about 5 days now... Trates still at 20, I did a water change and brought them down to 15. My sebae looks worse for the wear- It was in a ball this AM, Still reactive to me, but all deflated. It has expanded a bit now, but doesn't look so good. How will I know if he is dead?
 
bs21

bs21

Member
Cafero: I would leave the UV on it can't hurt anything just help.
Timbodmb: If the anemone is dead you will know it because it will make a huge mess in you tank.
For both of you how much and how often are you feeding because this may be contributing to your problems also.
 
timbodmb

timbodmb

Member
It originally was. I now feed every other day and turn off the filters/skimmer when I feed. I got Phos-x (Clearmax) to lower the nitrates, but it says to use caution with inverts and corals... has anyone used these before?
 
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