Can't get my Nitrates down - Red Sea Max e170

[kevin318]

Need a little advise, I can't seem to get my Nitrates down, 17.7. I have a Max e170 AIO, the tank has been up for 1 year, I've had the live rock for over 20 years, 4 fish, 10 snails, 10 hermit crabs, 20 or so mixed corals zoas, SPS, and LPS. I'm dosing 9.5ml of soda ash and 9.0ml of Calcium and all my parameters are good except Nitrate, dKH=8,5, Phos=0.04, Salinity=1.026, Calcium=430ppm, Mag=1390ppm, PH=8.15 I do 5 gallon water changes faithfully every week and 10 gallons a week for the last three weeks. I have a Red Sea carbon bag, poly filter, and recently added a nitrogen sponge gravel to my filter, with two pieces of filter felt that I change weekly. I have about 3/8 substrate in the bottom, stirred up sweeped every week. I feed the fish very small amount of Pellets from Disciae Energetics, some green seaweed once a day 1 inch by 1.5 inch, I was dosing Reef Energy A&B 3ml a week but I stopped that 3 weeks ago. My skimmer is kicking out a medium to wet skim that gets empty and cleaned weekly. I have plenty of flow, two Jabao OW-25's running at 40%.
Everything seems to be growing great and I know that I'm not supposed to chase the number but I'm at a loss. Any thoughts to share?

 

[EakTheFreak]

Need a little advise, I can't seem to get my Nitrates down, 17.7. I have a Max e170 AIO, the tank has been up for 1 year, I've had the live rock for over 20 years, 4 fish, 10 snails, 10 hermit crabs, 20 or so mixed corals zoas, SPS, and LPS. I'm dosing 9.5ml of soda ash and 9.0ml of Calcium and all my parameters are good except Nitrate, dKH=8,5, Phos=0.04, Salinity=1.026, Calcium=430ppm, Mag=1390ppm, PH=8.15 I do 5 gallon water changes faithfully every week and 10 gallons a week for the last three weeks. I have a Red Sea carbon bag, poly filter, and recently added a nitrogen sponge gravel to my filter, with two pieces of filter felt that I change weekly. I have about 3/8 substrate in the bottom, stirred up sweeped every week. I feed the fish very small amount of Pellets from Disciae Energetics, some green seaweed once a day 1 inch by 1.5 inch, I was dosing Reef Energy A&B 3ml a week but I stopped that 3 weeks ago. My skimmer is kicking out a medium to wet skim that gets empty and cleaned weekly. I have plenty of flow, two Jabao OW-25's running at 40%.
Everything seems to be growing great and I know that I'm not supposed to chase the number but I'm at a loss. Any thoughts to share?

Pellets probably contribute to high nitrates depending on how many you feed? You also have to fully eliminate the nitrates in order to see the loss. They can’t go away on there own so you will have to hit the tank with 50% water changes numerous times until eliminating.

Frozen food carries far less nutrients than pellets. Pellets are power packed and everyone (myself included) over feeds them. Frozen food is my go to which definitely lowered mine.

I also will use NoPox to bring my nitrate down which is essentially a form of carbon dosing. You will most likely see a darker skim mate but if you decide to use to make sure you start with 1/2 recommended dose.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

personally I point my finger at your carbon bag, poly filter, and 2 pieces of filter that you change weekly. All so-called "nitrate" factories.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any filter sources (pads, socks, etc have the ability to store nitrates and release them when clogged. Clean filters regularly and instead of carbon, try a pouch of Chemipure elite which will bring down nitrates and keep them in check
Main causes generally are :

• The aquarium is too young for the livestock within it
• Overstocked. Too many fish
• Not enough Live Rock/Live Sand/Beneficial Bacteria habitat
• Overfeeding
• Little or no water changes
• Small water change volumes
• Too much detritus
• No protein skimmer or protein skimmer is too small

 

[SPR1968]

If everything is doing fine, it’s just a number, and yes it might be a little on the high side by some standards but it’s not very high at all.

Just decide a target, I aim for around 5-10 and personally in a tank that size I would just do a series of 10% water changes every few days to bring the level down If that’s what you want to do. Or just leave it were it is.

My large tank currently has a nitrate level of 25 (faulty test kit leading to over feeding!) and I’m reducing it with a Nitrate Reactor, but does it look healthy, absolutely, and the corals including mainly SPS grow like crazy because they have plenty of nutrients in the system

Just try to keep phosphate locked down we’re you are at less than around 0.03 and you will continue to avoid many of the issues we read about.

 

[kevin318]

Pellets probably contribute to high nitrates depending on how many you feed? You also have to fully eliminate the nitrates in order to see the loss. They can’t go away on there own so you will have to hit the tank with 50% water changes numerous times until eliminating.

Frozen food carries far less nutrients than pellets. Pellets are power packed and everyone (myself included) over feeds them. Frozen food is my go to which definitely lowered mine.

I also will use NoPox to bring my nitrate down which is essentially a form of carbon dosing. You will most likely see a darker skim mate but if you decide to use to make sure you start with 1/2 recommended dose.

I thought it might be the pellets but I feed so few. I also thought that it was the reef energy.

I never tried NoPox but I used Prime Nitrate remover a decade or so ago, different tank, no corals.

I think a couple of large water changes is the immediate answer. I can do 50% two or three times and then see what happens.

Thank you.

 

[kevin318]

Pellets probably contribute to high nitrates depending on how many you feed? You also have to fully eliminate the nitrates in order to see the loss. They can’t go away on there own so you will have to hit the tank with 50% water changes numerous times until eliminating.

Frozen food carries far less nutrients than pellets. Pellets are power packed and everyone (myself included) over feeds them. Frozen food is my go to which definitely lowered mine.

I also will use NoPox to bring my nitrate down which is essentially a form of carbon dosing. You will most likely see a darker skim mate but if you decide to use to make sure you start with 1/2 recommended dose.

Thank you, still fighting them and going to try the NoPox. I did find out that I need to rinse the big black sponge on the return inlet side more often. Missed that somehow but Nitrates are still spiking.

 

[Dkmoo]

Set up a fuge?

 

[mike550]

@kevin318 I agree that some big water changes will help bring your nitrates down quickly. So maybe do the water changes then lightly dose NoPox (starting out at 1/3 or 1/2 of the recommended amount) to get to the level you want. But I’d also say if there’s nothing wrong in your tank then why does the nunber bother you?

 

[Pistondog]

Dose carbon: nopox, vinegar or vodka for nitrate reduction and more bacteria.
Takes a few weeks.

 

[blasterman]

If the tank looks good leave it alone.

 

[kevin318]

If the tank looks good leave it alone.

 

[kevin318]

If the tank looks good leave it alone.

Because it keeps going up and I’m thinking that if I don’t get it under control things will start to suffer.

 

[kevin318]

@kevin318 I agree that some big water changes will help bring your nitrates down quickly. So maybe do the water changes then lightly dose NoPox (starting out at 1/3 or 1/2 of the recommended amount) to get to the level you want. But I’d also say if there’s nothing wrong in your tank then why does the nunber bother you?

Just bought NoPox, will be here on Thursday. I can also do a couple of 50% water changes. Thanks

 

[Thaxxx]

Don't do any more water changes.
I say that so you can tell how the NoPox is working. If you do two or more things at the same time you'll never know which one is working best.

 

[kevin318]

Don't do any more water changes.
I say that so you can tell how the NoPox is working. If you do two or more things at the same time you'll never know which one is working best.

I was thinking about doing the water changes prior to the NoPox getting here. My nitrates are 21.3 but oddly my phosphates are .03.
What you are saying makes sense though, thank you.

 

[DeniableArc]

Just bought NoPox, will be here on Thursday. I can also do a couple of 50% water changes. Thanks

G’day, with nopox or any carbon source if your phosphate gets to low or 0 it will limit or will not remove any more nitrates due to the bacteria needing some phosphate to survive. I’m a huge fan on carbon dosing just because how affective it can be but if you just dose based on your nitrate reading you will bottom out phosphate and open the door to dinoflagellates. Some People including me had to dose phosphate at the start or periodically.

 

[kevin318]

G’day, with nopox or any carbon source if your phosphate gets to low or 0 it will limit or will not remove any more nitrates due to the bacteria needing some phosphate to survive. I’m a huge fan on carbon dosing just because how affective it can be but if you just dose based on your nitrate reading you will bottom out phosphate and open the door to dinoflagellates. Some People including me had to dose phosphate at the start or periodically.

Now that I have found the my source nitrates spiking, my tanks is only 40 gallons, maybe I should just do two or three 75% changes and be done.

 

[DeniableArc]

Now that I have found the my source nitrates spiking, my tanks is only 40 gallons, maybe I should just do two or three 75% changes and be done.

If the large water changes help reduce and hold a lower nitrate that would be the easiest thing and safest!

 

[mike550]

Now that I have found the my source nitrates spiking, my tanks is only 40 gallons, maybe I should just do two or three 75% changes and be done.

Congrats! What was the source?