High Nitrate and Phosphate

[mcarroll]

Nevertheless, at mcarroll's suggestion, I will add another powerhead to induce a bit more turbulence.

But the opposite! Turbulence is more or less easy with the kind of pumps we use...unfortunately turbulence is the opposite of flow.


And I wasn't necessarily saying you need this now....a mostly-open tank can probably do fine with one large pump for at least a little while.

But having an alternating laminar flow like the tide is what you are theoretically missing with a flow setup like you have now. Important, but not really urgent.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks again - I think I will try the vodka - it seems well proven. But before doing that I will monitor the Nitrate level a couple more days to see if the downward trend continues.

Sounds good.

Good luck!

 

[Paul B]

I believe Randy is correct that high nitrates won't kill anything. It may give then a headache or the heartbreak of psoriasis but that's about it. Unless we are talking about some very colorful SPS corals, they don't really like nitrates of 100 but even that should not kill them. Not right away anyway. It certainly won't affect the fish.
What your tank needs is more bacteria, not more water changes. Whatever you are putting in there, partially eaten crabs or aardvarks I don't know but if you just change the water, the nitrates will continue to climb unless you increase the bacteria. Vodka may help, (put some in the tank also) but vodka will only feed some more bacteria "if" they have a place to live. Remember all of the available spaces in your tank are already taken up buy other bacteria (as well as dead crabs and aardvark parts) and those existing bacteria don't like to give up their space to new, possibly illegal alien bacteria so you need to provide more surface area for them to live.
Just my opinion of course as I am not the God of nitrate. Randy probably is though.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Didn't read all the previous threads, but you have an anemone in a 2 month old tank?
You realize they live longer than humans in nature right? Just think about that when it dies, so hopefully you do not purchase that again.

With that said, you need to get the nitrate and phosphate addressed. I would personally suggest getting a doser, get some nopox and reef energy, and then start very slow. And meanwhile pray that the anemone doesn't die..