My first tank. Water changing and more water changing for about two weeks now just can't seem to get the Nitrate down. It's a small tank about 6 gal. I have 2 brittle starfish and two peppermint shrimp, so it's not a lot of fish poo. Any suggestions? Nitrate causing algae, got algae to go away in one spot from all my water changes, then it showed up two days later somewhere else.
Help Nitrate running wild
- Thread starter lilnikiobx
- Start date
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Skimmer to small for tank?
Bigger water changes weekly
Carbon Dose (aka) Vodka, Vinegar dosing.
Bigger water changes weekly
Carbon Dose (aka) Vodka, Vinegar dosing.
That's a small tank. You have live sand or any rocks in there? You would think a gallon a week would be fine for WC. Are you making your saltwater or buying from a store? If making yourself what is the source of the water? How old is the tank? What is your actual Nitrate reading and what are you testing it with?
I guess we all need more info to help you out.
I guess we all need more info to help you out.
Tanks a bio cube about 3 months now old. Live rock and sand. Making my own water from r.o. filtered water. Changing 2 gal at a time. Nitrates read around 70 ppm. I have been reading about the Carbon dose but worried I would over do it.
PatW
2500 Club Member
I would test your mixed salt water just to be sure that it is pristine. If it is good, a few large water changes should decrease the nitrates. Be sure to match the salinity and temperature of your water change water to your display.
Really hard to overdose using vodka or vineagar, you'd have to drop in half the darn bottle all at once to mess up the tank.
100% water change???
What do you do with the exposed Corals and Live Rock?
What do you do with the exposed Corals and Live Rock?
Corals and rocks are exposed and out of the water all the time for much longer than it would take you to swap a few gallons of water. It's called low tide. 
Trust me I'm not making this up. These small nanos are difficult to get good filtration. Now nitrates at 70 seems quite high, but nevertheless stir up the sand, blast the rocks, clean the glass and swap out the water. My LFS store does this about once a week with their cash register nano and so do a number of people in my reef club.
Trust me I'm not making this up. These small nanos are difficult to get good filtration. Now nitrates at 70 seems quite high, but nevertheless stir up the sand, blast the rocks, clean the glass and swap out the water. My LFS store does this about once a week with their cash register nano and so do a number of people in my reef club.
Not sure on the test type can fine out when I get home and post. It's a two part 10 drops I think??? I did another 2 gals last night. Nothings dead I find, stuff is dying and I have been taking it out. I was told if it smelled it's dead so that's been my rule so far. Nitrates were good for the first 9 weeks. I also got it to down down but it's gone right back up. Willing to do 100 WC. I also added vodka last night, just 1.5 ml will test after work today and see where it stands
