Can high nitrates cause bleaching and coral death?

[NHgoalstop]

So my tank (20L) was set up in march and cycled normally. It has 20lbs of live rock in it and marine pure in the sump. Everything test fine except the. Nitrates, pretty sure they're off the charts. I use salifert tester and it is at 100ppm or darker. I took some water to LFS for a double check and they got the same readings. My corals bleach and I lost some Duncan's early on and tried again and they havent opened up in weeks. Now it looks like my hammer is starting to deteriorate also. The only things doing good are the one fish I have in there and my GSP which also looks bleached at the base and my shroom is doing good. Even my ricordia died. Could this all be a result of very high nitrates?

 

[Saltyreef]

Post all parameters.

 

[NHgoalstop]

Post all parameters.

I'll post them when I get home. I posted the question while I was out at dinner.

 

[Jason mack]

I would do a couple of large water changes too reduce nitrates ...high nitrates is not good but in the long term rather than short ..I suspect something else is wrong with the water ..maybe heavy metals or trace elements overdose ...I would recommend an Triton test or api test ..at least that's what I'd do ...I know you said everything else was ok .but can you list your other params .no2 no3 ..ammonia...p04..calc alk..mag ..

 

[Jason mack]

Marine pure has been know too leach aluminium into the water i believe

 

[NHgoalstop]

I Souls do a couples of large water changes too reduce nitrates ...high nitrates is not good but in the long term rather than short ..I suspect something else is wrong with the water ..maybe heavy metals or trace elements overdose ...I would recommend an Triton test or api test ..at least that's what I'd do ...I know you said everything else was ok .but can you list your other params .no2 no3 ..ammonia...p04..calc alk..mag ..

I'll run new test when I get home for the test kits I have. When I took some water to my LFS they tested for most things and said everything was good but the nitrates were crazy high. And they've been high for awhile. No matter how many water changes I do they just shoot right back up.

 

[Jason mack]

20l isn't a lot ...if your nitrates were 100 and you did a 50% wc so 10 liter ..you should in theory reduce them by 50% so they would be 50 ..if you then did another 50% it would be 25 ...you dont have a big bioload with 1 fish ...so either you are feeding an awful lot ..or it could be leaching out of your rocks .but you set it up in March so I'd have thought that would have passed ...I ve had high nitrates on my tank for s long time ..50 + without any I'll eefects ..so long as your po4 is also on the higher side ...

 

[NHgoalstop]

Did some testing just now with what test kits I have.
Nitrate 100+ (salifert)
Ammonia 0. (Salifert)
Nitrite .1. (Salifert)
KH. 7 drops (API)
Temp 77f
Salinity 1.025

 

[Jason mack]

P04 phos ...

 

[NHgoalstop]

20l isn't a lot ...if your nitrates were 100 and you did a 50% wc so 10 liter ..you should in theory reduce them by 50% so they would be 50 ..if you then did another 50% it would be 25 ...you dont have a big bioload with 1 fish ...so either you are feeding an awful lot ..or it could be leaching out of your rocks .but you set it up in March so I'd have thought that would have passed ...I ve had high nitrates on my tank for s long time ..50 + without any I'll eefects ..so long as your po4 is also on the higher side ...

I hardly feed the little damsel. I'm feeding pellet food and give him maybe 4 pellets a day. I'll have to pick up a po4 test kit tomorrow.

 

[Jason mack]

Do you have a full tank shot of your tank..?

 

[Flippers4pups]

It's possible your N03 is high from your source water. Are you using a RO/DI unit for water?

 

[NHgoalstop]

It's possible your N03 is high from your source water. Are you using a RO/DI unit for water?

Yes I use rodi water I make myself. It test zero nitartes.

 

[NHgoalstop]

P04 phos ...

I'll run out to my LFS tomorrow and grab a po4 test kit.

 

[NHgoalstop]

Do you have a full tank shot of your tank..?

Here's a link to some pics I just took. I added a small HOB so I could get a little bacteria growing in it so I can then use it as a filter for a quarantine tank when I get some clowns once this issue is ironed out. I also added a thrown together waterfall turfscrubber a week ago hoping this might help take care of the nitrate issue. Dont mind the shot glass in there. My mushroom decided to let go when I was doing some cleaning and I'm trying to get him to latch back onto the rock. Tank

 

[Jason mack]

What have you got in as sand bed ....??
#Flippers4pups...what do you think ..??

 

[Jason mack]

Just too confirm....its a 20ltr tank..or 200 ltr..?

 

[NHgoalstop]

Just too confirm....its a 20ltr tank..or 200 ltr..?

I meant 20 long. 20 gallon tank.

 

[Jason mack]

I meant 20 long. 20 gallon

Looks a lot bigger but I guess thsts about 80-90 liters then

 

[Jason mack]

And your sand bed ..?