Nitrates wont go down even after 4 water changes!!!

[puffrbware]

I added 5 new fish to my tank within a 2 week timespan(1st mistake). I notice now my trates are about 80... i have done 4 30% water changes since noticing and no drop !!! I have a 125 fowlr setup running a wetdry, skimmer, ls and 80lbs of lr. tank has been running for years!!! I have stopped my skimmer from running for the past 2 weeks and also removed alll carbon,, and chemipure from the wet dry since im treating the whole tank with melafix!!! Do u think the discontinued use of carbon and skimmer caused the spike------- if so would 4 water changes knock it down,,,,,, since 4 30 gallon water changes = the complete copacity of the tank!
Thanks in advance with any feedback!!

 

[geridoc]

Adding so many new fish, turning off the skimmer and running a wet/dry filter are all probably contributing to the rapid build up of nitrates in your system. I would resume skimming and would add some chaetomorpha to the sump if you have one, or to the display (you can but it into a net to contain it). You should also take a water sample to your lfs for nitrate analysis - your kit could be wrong - it happens

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[cak119]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Biozyme-for-Saltwater-28-oz-Aquarium-Products-/181097569223?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a2a419bc7 try this i love it, i have used it many times for things like this,

 

[flower]

API test kits are no good...get a different brand of test kit.
It reads ANY nitrates in the tank way higher then it really is. Somehow this sounds very familiar...did you post about this before?

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/394802/nitrates-wont-go-down-even-after-4-water-changes#post_3514874
API test kits are no good...get a different brand of test kit.
It reads ANY nitrates in the tank way higher then it really is. Somehow this sounds very familiar...did you post about this before?
Yet they did. LOL
Just to put a fine point on all this water changes alone will not bring nitrates to low levels. A 10% water change every 10 days in a tank that is increasing nitrates at 1ppm per day will result in 100ppm nitrates just before any of the water changes.
After the tank setlles in you need to have sufficient nitrate consumers to maintain low nitrates, not just water changes.
my .02

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by beaslbob http:///t/394802/nitrates-wont-go-down-even-after-4-water-changes#post_3514875
Yet they did. LOL
Just to put a fine point on all this water changes alone will not bring nitrates to low levels. A 10% water change every 10 days in a tank that is increasing nitrates at 1ppm per day will result in 100ppm nitrates just before any of the water changes.
After the tank setlles in you need to have sufficient nitrate consumers to maintain low nitrates, not just water changes.
my .02
I agree about getting some macroalgae to absorb and remove the nitrates, I love my macroalgae! But to be honest...I really think it's your test kit.