Nitrates off the charts! HELP!

cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
I have never seen mine nitrates so high! What the hell is goin on? the test strip is saying it's as high as it gets I can't believe this! we do 5 gal change on our 46 gal every week or so and I think maybe we over feed but 1 cube of brine and a lil peice of mysis for all my fish seems to be not that much.
I have a false clown. a 6 line, a cleaner wrasse, a ornante goby, a lawnmower blenny and 2 chromis and a hungry coral banded shrimp who molts like every 3-4 weeks! please help! I am doing a water change tonight but I have no way of doing any more that 5 gals at a time!
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
You are going to have to give more information so people can give you some good paths to follow.
How much live rock?
How much sand?
What kind of filtration do you have, filters skimmers etc.?
How often do you change filter media, pads floss etc.?
What kind of flow is in the tank, power heads returns etc.?
How old is the tank?
In the mean time keep doing 5 gallons at a time water changes to dilute the nitrates.
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
I have no idea as far as pounds but lets say about an inch and a half of sand, 30-40 lbs of lr? can't fit too much more maybe a few more peices. I have a bak pak2 skimmer and clean the bale in the dirty water when we do a water change. we have 3 power heads one #1 koralia and I think the other is a #3 and then a diff kind not sure how much flow it was the 1st one we bought, the tank has been up for 4 years! tia!
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
Test "strips" are generally inaccurate. You might want to get an API,Seachem, Instant Ocean,ie: titration type test kit. Or take a water sample to your LFS and get it checked.
 
fishstick4sale

fishstick4sale

Member
20ppm 15ppm 25ppm nitrate readings those r high sometimes people have even higher so whats the highest reading on that strip. do u have bioballs or anything of that sort. you need to give more detail and strips... dont use those they arent very accurate only when their new they r ok.
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
Another question..."ornate goby" isn't this a sandsifter? Sandsifting gobys can wreak havoc on a sandbed. As well you say you only have 1 1/2" of sand, not much really.
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
ugh just bought the strips lol oh well they are brand new my old ones seemed like they were inaccurate and both my lfs only use the strips. so I have a chem test I can see if I can go try that hopefully u guys are right! I can only do 5 gals at a time cause we use a 5 gal bucket and I only have one extra heater and powerhead for that 5 gal. no bio balls just the blue plastic stringy stuff in the bak pak? thanks again guys gonna go try another test!
 
nigerbang

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by cabin7882
http:///forum/post/2976637
ugh just bought the strips lol oh well they are brand new my old ones seemed like they were inaccurate and both my lfs only use the strips. so I have a chem test I can see if I can go try that hopefully u guys are right! I can only do 5 gals at a time cause we use a 5 gal bucket and I only have one extra heater and powerhead for that 5 gal. no bio balls just the blue plastic stringy stuff in the bak pak? thanks again guys gonna go try another test!
5 gallon buckets are like $2
A cheap heater like $10.....
Not the hobby to skimp in..
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
Originally Posted by NigerBang
http:///forum/post/2976635
All those kits sucks... Get some Elos or Salifert
Not everyone can afford elos, or better. I thought salifert quit? The kits I mentioned are fairly accurate, accurate enough to say yay or nay I have extremely high or near normal NO3.
As far as your water changes go, get some more 5 gal buckets. They are fairly cheap at home depot or similar.
 
nigerbang

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by promisetbg
http:///forum/post/2976651
Not everyone can afford elos, or better. I thought salifert quit? The kits I mentioned are fairly accurate, accurate enough to say yay or nay I have extremely high or near normal NO3.
As far as your water changes go, get some more 5 gal buckets. They are fairly cheap at home depot or similar.
Salifert still makes kits... No need to skimp on kits..Elos are not that bad...well they are kinda pricey...I have more in my test kits than I do in my RO unit.. API is known for giving bogus trate readings..
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
okay so I just used my marine lab which is the only other test I have right now and it says 25 on one side and .5 on the other? it's about in the middle? I just found my pep shrimp dead but I have a feeling it may have been my coral banded he was attacking a scarlet a few days ago! fish and corals look fine just my BTA moved to a crevace where u can't see him cause of the new powerhead. ugh
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
I know its all cheap but I cannot afford to just keep buying more stuff. I would need a 5 gal bucket which is NOT $2, a heater and something to circulate probably around $30 total, trust me if I had the money I'd go grab it and I will soon!
umm its a color in the middle and on one side it says higher side and the other says lower side It says .5 ppm and 25 doesn't have a explaination I dunno?
 
nigerbang

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by cabin7882
http:///forum/post/2976673
I know its all cheap but I cannot afford to just keep buying more stuff. I would need a 5 gal bucket which is NOT $2, a heater and something to circulate probably around $30 total, trust me if I had the money I'd go grab it and I will soon!
Buckets at home depot are $5 at most...Heaters are cheap and you dont need a damn $30 to move 5 gallons of water
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
thanks I was saying a total. anyways no need to be like that my fiance just got a 5 gal bucket now I just need a heater and a pump.
 
hlcroghan

hlcroghan

Active Member
Okay......everyone is getting kind of heated.....relax. Besides your fish raising the nitrates, did you do anything recently to your tank, like perhaps add some more live rock or a new fish that you didn't have before?
Did you manage to get some new test kits from your lfs? Once you do you may find that the strips were testing incorrectly high or low. Until that time, perhaps just do 5 gallons per day. I can't imagine the tank getting out of control with you doing that. Don't stress about getting a bunch of buckets. I think at Home Depot, their 5 gallon buckets are $3.......and a little later get a $10 heater. It is all a little bit at a time.....
 
nigerbang

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by cabin7882
http:///forum/post/2976733
thanks I was saying a total. anyways no need to be like that my fiance just got a 5 gal bucket now I just need a heater and a pump.
ahhh okay my bad then...find a cheap used heater and a mj400...total should be about $15
 
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