100+ nitrates

[Saaqib_Ansari]

The nitrates in my tank are flying at 100+ And PO4 at ~0.25 would like to reduce the nitrates what’s the best product in doing so, was thinking about redsea Nopox??
Looking to start my refugium with chaeto on Tuesday too.

 

[ReefRusty]

What test kits are you using? How old is the tank?

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

API test kit tanks nearly 2 years old, I’ve always had high nitrates around 20-40. But have started over feeding slightly with the addition of new fish. Now it’s 100+

 

[ReefRusty]

100+ nitrates isnt the best can you try for a second opinion test? LFS? OPTION TO RUN a reactor?

I have bothe high No3 and Po4 but not what your reaching and will be going a reactor to help reduce.

I have been using Rowaphos and has help reduce my Po4

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

100+ nitrates isnt the best can you try for a second opinion test? LFS? OPTION TO RUN a reactor?

I have bothe high No3 and Po4 but not what your reaching and will be going a reactor to help reduce.

I have been using Rowaphos and has help reduce my Po4

I was thinking of using a liquid dosage to reduce it then was hoping the chaeto would keep it down after that?

 

[Elitecorals]

I would start doing water 20% water change until nitrate start to coming down

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

I would start doing water 20% water change until nitrate start to coming down

I do a 10% water change every week and it’s still crept this high - also amount of water it’ll take is a headache. I’ve had a look online and seen good things about Nopox ordered some will dose slowly and order a separate test kit for nitrate as I know API isn’t that good

 

[Azedenkae]

The nitrates in my tank are flying at 100+ And PO4 at ~0.25 would like to reduce the nitrates what’s the best product in doing so, was thinking about redsea Nopox??
Looking to start my refugium with chaeto on Tuesday too.

If you are actually measuring ~0.25ppm PO4, then nopox might not help out. Nopox is basically carbon dosing, and the goal of that is just to drive bacterial growth that consumes both nitrate (well nitrogen in general) and phosphate. Without phosphate, then nitrate won't be consumed.

Alternatively, are you measuring any nitrite? Nitrite interferes with the API nitrate test kit, so if you are measuring a certain amount of nitrite, nitrate will resd pretty high too.

 

[Uncle99]

Nopox is a good way to reduce Nitrates provided you have enough hard surface area for the bacteria (which is fed by the Nopox) to live, and, A skimmer to pull them out.

I use Marine Pure Blocks and 10ml Nopox daily in my 180g which pulled my nitrates down from 60ppm to 5ppm, and my DT has stayed a 5ppm for years now.

I does take a bit of time, it took two months to go from 60ppm to 5ppm.

Don’t overdose, more is definitely not better with this stuff, the manufactures instructs are on point.

Nopox had virtually no effect on my phosphate.

 

[John3]

You could consider dosing Vitamin C to bring the nitrates down. It works but like anything you add to a tank it adds another variable to find and keep things consistent.

I would start by feeding less, your fish don’t need as much food as you would think.

hows your skimmer doing?

 

[Jekyl]

Large water change to get numbers down, skimmer

 

[Jekyl]

I would just do larger water changes to get it in order. Get a skimmer if you don't have one. NoPox helps but won't solve nitrates that high. Will also take weeks before having any effect at all.

 

[Montiman]

Working at an LFS for years I will tell you there are many many people with nitrates in excess of 200ppm. My experience is you should start with massive waterchanges 50-70% siphoning all detritus out of everywhere. Usually there is a strong link between detritus and extreme nitrate levels.

From there your nitrates will still be high. I find Carbon dosing with some liquid product to be the best. The problem with both algae filtration and biopellets is they are ment to maintain an aquarium not reduce sky high levels. You can get an oversized fuge or pellet reactor and drop the levels but after a few months then you will no longer need that level of filtration. Liquid carbon dosing can simply be reduced after you are done.

After the levels are back you need a permanent solution for nitrate control. Either an algae filter or carbon dosing. There are many to pick from just pick 1 and commit to it.

 

[ca1ore]

What kind of tank are you keeping .... and what problems are high nitrates causing? I routinely had plus 100 nitrates when I ran a FOWLR ... fish didn’t notice and lower light levels meant very little algae problems.

If you have the space, ATS might be a better tool to remove nitrates/phosphates. The ‘big gun’ for me is a sulfur denitrator but that is pretty advanced stuff (and can create other issues) and probably only necessary on a really huge system where large water changes become problematic.

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

I would like a mixed reef at the moment it’s mostly soft coral.
The nitrates are causing zero problems algae isn’t bad either no GHA or anything.

just would like the numbers lower so I can keep them constant as I want to start getting SPS.

 

[Jekyl]

Larger water changes to get the numbers closer to where you want. Mine were that high in my 90 gallon so I did 3 or 4 30-40% changes over a couple weeks to get them down. From there it makes managing the numbers much easier

 

[N3mo]

I agree with above, large water changes, syphon detritus, clean filter sock More often and adjust feeding.

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

Large water changes are a issue however. I’m doing 65 litres a week which is ~10% doing any more in going to end up running out of water and salt too quickly. I cleaned my sump this week all the detritus there maybe stirring it up caused the increase in nitrates as 2 weeks ago it was ~40ppm

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

Also I only feed twice a day pinch of flakes pinch of pellets in the morning then the same or 2 cubes mysis in the evening. Foods literally gone in about 15 seconds. Felt like I’m not feeding enough lol

 

[FBAA]

Double check your test kit. Take a sample to your LFS. They use their kits enough to be fresh. 2years old since you bought it but when was it manufactured.