High Nitrate

[ruppertb]

I have had my 180 tank set up for about five years. We originally set it up as a reef tank but for about four years it only had fish. The rock we used was brs reef saver dry rock. I cured it for two months in rubber maid totes and lactic acid ( not sure if that’s what it was. It was for removing phosphate). After the tank was set up it had issues from day 1 with the rock having some sort of algae and tank reading phosphates. It had Dino really bad for at least a year and it was nasty brown snot. I don’t believe it is over stocked it has only these fish most of which are from when it was originally set up which are a sailfin tang, blue Caribbean tang, engineer goby, flasher wrasse and 1 chromes. For a total of five fish. Total tank volume is around 250 gallons. The tank was neglected on and off due to the Dino and various issues. It is now in the last four months keeping stable but the nitrate is off the charts. I have tested it with salifert and api nitrate kits and both read as high as they go.

I am wondering if diluting the water with ro will help to figure out just how high they are.

I tested ro water and it showed no nitrates. I have tested with a 50/50 ro and tank water and matched color and multiplied by two as well as tested .1 ml tank water and .9 ro water to try to see just high high it was. With the 10 percent tank water the results were around 25-50. So if that was multiplied by 10 then that would be my results.

I have performed 100g water changes each week for the last month and don’t see any drop.

Could the nitrates really be this high or are both test kits wrong. Could the fish really survive this high of levels.
Could something be adding nitrate to the water besides the fish and feedings.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[theMeat]

How high is it?

Do you have a fuge?

Deep sand bed?

Sump set up?

Phosphate level?

 

[ruppertb]

Tank consists of a 180 to basement there is a 20,55,55,40 all plumbed together. The 40 has some rocks with pipe organ and zoanthids and mushroom I am trying to get to attach to some rubble. There is a reef octopus sss skimmer I think it’s a reef octopus 2000sss not entirely sure. I have cuprisorb Purigen gfo and carbon in reactors. Filter socks changed every other day. Dose Kalk. I have mangroves and cheats growing in part of one of the 55s.

From what I can guess by diluting the saltwater and multiplying by how. Ugh I diluted it. I did this to try to get a color change that wasn’t red. I believe it is around 250-500 ppm

 

[ruppertb]

No sand in any tanks in the system

 

[ruppertb]

And the tank has coral in it which has been in there for a few years. Pipe organ, star polyps, ricordia, various mushrooms, toadstool, a few types of leathers, gogorians, zoanthids. These have been in fudge frag tank area for years and while not growing super fast have begun to grow in the last few months. Coralline algae is taking off and the cheato and mangroves grow as well.

 

[theMeat]

Doubt it’s upwards of 250.

Take a sample to lfs and have em test it.

Rock can absorb then release nitrate and phosphate among other things.

Get a big fuge or algae scrubber going and give it some time.
And/or carbon dose

Where’s phosphate level

 

[ruppertb]

Just checked po4 with Hanna checker. It says 0.00.

The only algae present in the tank is a small maybe 4x4 area of a red short like green scrubby Velcro ish turf algae. If that makes sense. It is not cyano as it is attached to rock and is more red than maroon.

Other Params are

Ph 8.3
Alk 10.5
Calcium 450
Mag 1200
All tested with salifert.

 

[ruppertb]

Live in the back woods of northern Wisconsin. Closest lfs is fosters and Smith and the retail store would test it with api.

How much does and triton test cost and would they test nitrate that high?

 

[theMeat]

Alk is a bit hi

Need mag at least 1350

And no phosphate can make nitrates climb. I know that sounds weird and a lot of people don’t get it, but it is

 

[theMeat]

Last I checked triton test was 50 bucks.

Not sure how hi they can test for nitrates, but i’m Sure it’s higher than you should ever be

 

[theMeat]

sounds like an algae scrubber or big butt fuge is a good idea. They usually consume nitrates to phosphate around 4 to 1. So take the gfo off line for a while while the macros get established, then maybe put it back online if phosphate start to get too hi

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The dilution steps should be ok for nitrate testing, but the results may still not be correct.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If nitrate is really this high, I’d carbon dose. Vinegar is a fine way to go. Stop the GFO and you may even need to phosphate dose if it stays low.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Just out of curiosity, have you tested for nitrite? If not, you may want to. If you have a source of nitrite in the tank, your nitrate readings will be false on the high side. Just a thought.

 

[ruppertb]

I will try that thanks everyone

 

[ruppertb]

I have a question for anyone that has recommended to carbon does can I jump start it knowing that my nitrates aren't that high with a higher amount of carbon source or should I go slowly in the half milliliter increments every week

 

[ruppertb]

Can't seem to edit above. Can I start with more vodka knowing that my nitrates are super high? If so how much. Tested nitrite and it is zero

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve never been a fan of the super slow ramp up in dose. I’m not really sure what it is trying to avoid.

 

[ruppertb]

So how high could I start dosing vodka. I think with tank volume I am supposed to start at like 1.5 or 2 and then add 1/2 ml extra each week. 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4

 

[ruppertb]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I started the normal way on the vodka dose. How high do you think I could start the vodka Or how fast could I ramp it up. I have bottled bacteria to dose along with it just don't know how fast I can ramp up. Thanks