Can you pleaseeee help!!

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

Hi!

I have posted on here in regards to my high nitrate with little success - keen to see if someone can help me?

My nitrates are over 40 - I think nearer 80.. nothing seems to be dying, but nothing seems to be growing.

I do LOTS of water changes, I run an Algae reactor with Cheato as seen in the picture attached, I use Nitrate remover liquid once a week, run a skimmer on contant.... my sand and live rock are immaculate. I feed the fish just one cube of brine/ marine mix a day and use reefroids once a week.

Can anyone help?????? As far as I know I am doing everything right!?

NY_Caveman · Feb 26, 2019

What is your source water and have you tested it for Nitrates?

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

NY_Caveman said:
What is your source water and have you tested it for Nitrates?

I get it straight from my LFS all mixed up.... all is fine with that!

MaiReef · Feb 26, 2019

What are your phosphates? What about Calcium/ALK?

red13 · Feb 26, 2019

What is your tank volume? How many gallons are your water changes?

ajhudson15 · Feb 26, 2019

ANY CHANCE THE TEST KIT IS BAD?

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

Tank is 180L, Sump and tank together is around 240 L - I do 20% twice a week (to try and combat this Nitrate)

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

ajhudson15 said:
ANY CHANCE THE TEST KIT IS BAD?

I have now tried three different test kits!!!

NY_Caveman · Feb 26, 2019

Did you test the water from the LFS? You definitely should if water changes with that water are not helping.

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

MaiReef said:
What are your phosphates? What about Calcium/ALK?

Cal - 450
Mg - 1300
Alk - 10
Phosphates .6

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

NY_Caveman said:
Did you test the water from the LFS? You definitely should if water changes with that water are not helping.

Yes I have and they are very low !

NY_Caveman · Feb 26, 2019

I did a TDS test of local LFS RO/DI water and the results were surprising.

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

Can you see why im baffled!?

pdxmonkeyboy · Feb 26, 2019

.6 phosphates?? are you missing a zero in there?

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

Brian Bieger said:
.6 phosphates?? are you missing a zero in there?

no? 0.6 on the Red Sea kit?

Will1610 · Feb 26, 2019

Will1610 said:
no? 0.6 on the Red Sea kit?

PPM

scobeyra · Feb 26, 2019

Had similar readings and tried a bunch of different methods. For months, chaeto growth did nothing. A few things helped a lot. Removed chaeto / fuge and put in a biopellet reactor seeded with bacteria in a bottle. Changed socks every 3 days. Stopped reef roids / coral food totally. Skimmed wet. And during weekly water changes, I turkey basted the rocks and sucked up detritus into a filter sock in the sump before the water change. Went from .6 phosphate and 50 nitrate to .12 phosphate and 5 nitrate in 2 months.

MaiReef · Feb 26, 2019

How about Purigen for Nitrates and Phosguard for phosphate? I put a couple net bags of this to get my Nitrates down once so that my refugium could grow better. Also, I don't know how well your Cheato is growing. When I got the Nitrates down and I put a Par 38 light(24 hrs) with a Red flood light(opposite tank lights) on my refugium the Cheato and Caulerpa really took off to the point that I remove a mini basketbell of it and still leave twice that every 10 days. My Nitrate is about 10(8-10) now for c. 1.5 years.

Oldreefer44 · Feb 26, 2019

Had the same issue only not quite as bad. Tried everything you have listed with no permanent acceptable results After a couple of years I started dosing NOPOX. Finally got parameters within guidelines.