Battling High Nitrates

[CKI]

So after finding out about a faulty test kit, i have a nitrate problem like crazy. According to API 160ppm. Since i found this out, i have changed about 55-60 gallons of water (since monday of this week), and my nitrates have not gone down much at all, still showing in the red.

75 gal tank with 30 gal sump
eshopps psk150 skimmer
2 reactors (rowaphos and bioplastics)

Any help would be great.....

 

[Flatbrook]

So after finding out about a faulty test kit, i have a nitrate problem like crazy. According to API 160ppm. Since i found this out, i have changed about 55-60 gallons of water (since monday of this week), and my nitrates have not gone down much at all, still showing in the red.

75 gal tank with 30 gal sump
eshopps psk150 skimmer
2 reactors (rowaphos and bioplastics)

Any help would be great.....

How old is your tank? What's in it?

 

[CKI]

How old is your tank? What's in it?

Tank is 7 months old. I have a yellow tang, 2 clarkii clowns, 3 chromis, and a carpet anemone. And a few zoas.

 

[Boboe77]

Dang that's crazy! You should get some of Dr.Tim's "One and Only". It's a natural nitrifying bacteria that will help reduce your nitrates and ammonia.

 

[Flatbrook]

I would do 20% water changes 3 days in a row. That should lower nitrates by theory to almost nothing.

 

[CKI]

I would do 20% water changes 3 days in a row. That should lower nitrates by theory to almost nothing.

Since monday i have changed 60 gallons of water .... thats why im stumped! Because in theory they SHOULD be going down...:dizzy:

 

[Flatbrook]

I would think so! If it were me, I might be doubting the new test kit...

 

[Eienna]

Blow out your rocks with a turkey baster and make sure there's no detritus collecting where you can't see it. This includes the sump. Make sure your skimmer is clean and working properly.

I agree that some bacteria would likely help, but you need the denitrifiers, not the nitrifiers. Dr. Tim's Waste-Away is a good bet - but BE CAREFUL!!! If you overdose or combine it with another bacterial additive you could very well kill your fish.

If the nitrates are reading that high on the kit but don't appear to be coming down, chances are it's off the charts (I've personally had this happen with nitrites). It'll take a while and a lot of water changes to bring it down.

EDIT: I just checked my own API kit and 160 is as high as the nitrate reading will go. You're off the charts. Do the above, then daily water changes until it's back to a readable level. Wait on the Waste-Away; it may overbloom with your tank that bad. When it happened with my nitrites (FW, though) it took three complete water changes and a sand rinse to get it back down. I wouldn't recommend you rinse the sand, but you've got a long haul ahead.

 

[CKI]

yeah they are pretty high, would explain why i have never been able to keep SPS corals .... Should i take the bio-pellets offline and replace that media with Seachem De-nitrate?

 

[Eienna]

I would leave the bio-pellets...I don't think they're adding to the problem. If anything, the Waste-Away might give them a boost when you start using it. I personally would get a small HOB and run Seachem Purigen in it for a little while. I know that works. Seachem denitrate is iffy at best from what I've heard so far, and it requires a very slow flow rate.

 

[CKI]

I would leave the bio-pellets...I don't think they're adding to the problem. If anything, the Waste-Away might give them a boost when you start using it. I personally would get a small HOB and run Seachem Purigen in it for a little while. I know that works. Seachem denitrate is iffy at best from what I've heard so far, and it requires a very slow flow rate.

I do have a small HOB for my 10gal tank., guess i can drop in a bag of purigen if it will fit and try that... if not cant i just drop the bag of it in my sump?

 

[Eienna]

I do have a small HOB for my 10gal tank., guess i can drop in a bag of purigen if it will fit and try that... if not cant i just drop the bag of it in my sump?

Yeah, even in the sump it should help, but do try the hob first. Get the media bag Seachem makes (it's called The Bag) for it or you'll probably end up with it floating around in your tank XD you can get a fairly large amount for a decent price on amazon.com.

It won't replace water changes, but it should help the process.

 

[MBG75]

How long have the biopellets been running?

Do you know your phosphate reading?

 

[CKI]

How long have the biopellets been running?

Do you know your phosphate reading?

I just put them online monday. as far as phosphate reading, i havent bothered to check, ive just been checking nitrates at this moment since they are so high

 

[dadof4]

If you're doing water changes and not seeing any change in nitrates I'd wonder about the accuracy of the test results. API tests are notoriously inaccurate and the directions have to be followed to the letter or you can get messed up readings. You have a carpet anemone in that tank and if the nitrates were that high you would be seeing serious signs of distress. Before adding anything like Waste-Away do a few more water changes and really vacuum the substrate paying attention to spaces in the rockwork and lower flow areas. What is your water source BTW?

 

[CKI]

If you're doing water changes and not seeing any change in nitrates I'd wonder about the accuracy of the test results. API tests are notoriously inaccurate and the directions have to be followed to the letter or you can get messed up readings. You have a carpet anemone in that tank and if the nitrates were that high you would be seeing serious signs of distress. Before adding anything like Waste-Away do a few more water changes and really vacuum the substrate paying attention to spaces in the rockwork and lower flow areas. What is your water source BTW?

Thats why i tested it against 3 other API kits just to make sure. I figured i would see signs of distress from the Carpet anemone but its doing great. I have a 5 stage RO/DI system. tested water direct from it and its perfect .... ill try to siphon what i can out from rocks tomorrow and do another change and keep testing.

 

[Eric B]

If you just started the biopellets it will take 2-3 weeks and sometimes longer for them to start working. I would retest with another brand test kit to confirm your numbers and then you can do small water changes between test to see if numbers are falling. Once the biopellets start working you don't want them stripping the nitrates out too fast or all the way to zero as that is also a problem.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Dose Vodka, we can get em down in 2 weeks from 160. But your tank will be cloudy until we drop the dose to normal daily maintenance ranges Up to you, but when this is done, you don't have to worry about changing anything that your doing.

 

[CKI]

Dose Vodka, we can get em down in 2 weeks from 160. But your tank will be cloudy until we drop the dose to normal daily maintenance ranges Up to you, but when this is done, you don't have to worry about changing anything that your doing.

what would be the steps in this method? <--- new to reefing

 

[Eienna]

Mr Saltwater Tank says vodka dosing is kind of hit-or-miss. You'd be better off finding a carbon supplement that's less variable.