High Nitrates and Frustration

[fernalfer]

Ok my tank has been running now for about a month, it has cycled, had the ammonia spike, nitrite spike and was able to dose ammonia to 2 ppm and have it processed in under 18 hrs. about 2 weeks ago. My problem is Nitrates, they are very high like 80ppm using the red sea test kit. I have done about 8 (50) gallon water changes over the course of the last 2 weeks and nitrates are still 80ppm. My tank is empty. After it cycled about 2 weeks ago i did leave some pellets in a mesh bag to feed the bacteria but have now taken that out. This last week nothing has been in the tank and they still won't come down.

Problem is how expensive and time consuming these water changes are getting with little results. I'm afraid to put a CUC in there to help with my diatom bloom because i heard that high nitrates and inverts is not good. Any suggestions on how i can battle these high nitrates? It seems to me these water changes are having little or no effect.

 

[stan13ag]

Do you have access to another test kit? Was your sand/rock brand new? or was it old sand from an old tank?

 

[cloak]

Are you running a filter sock or perhaps a canister filter on the tank? What kind of water are you using, RO/DI or tap?
Having somebody else test your water is definitely a good idea.

 

[fernalfer]

Do you have access to another test kit? Was your sand/rock brand new? or was it old sand from an old tank?

I have a API kit that reads between 80ppm and 160ppm when i test but looks closer to 80ppm and my Red Sea test kit only goes to 50ppm and it is definetly darker then the 50ppm color. Live Caribsea sand and Marco Dry rock that i had sitting in brute tubs for 3 months prior to putting in the tank dosing with phosfree to rid the leeching phosphates hence the low 0.002 phosphate reading on my hanna checker

Are you running a filter sock or perhaps a canister filter on the tank? What kind of water are you using, RO/DI or tap?
Having somebody else test your water is definitely a good idea.

Yes running filter socks and have changed them once. But my tank is empty and not producing to much waste so it takes a while for them to get dirty. No canister filter, i have a protein skimmer running tho. Using RODI water.

 

[Dalmatia]

Probably die off in your live rock.

 

[fernalfer]

Probably die off in your live rock.

It is completely Dry Rock (Marco Dry Rock) nothing living on it so that's not it.

 

[Bumgrundle]

Do you clean your sand when doing wc's? Take a sample to your lfs, have them test and compare. I have the same issue, soon as I do a wc, clean the sand (Using a python) i get to a clear as a bell 20ppm, it's always 20ppm tho. gl mate

 

[Alanc425]

I'm guessing you're using RODI 0 TDS water? Nitrite>Nitrate phases have been known to take 6-8 weeks as well. Give it another week or 2 and then do a large water change imo

 

[fernalfer]

I'm guessing you're using RODI 0 TDS water? Nitrite>Nitrate phases have been known to take 6-8 weeks as well. Give it another week or 2 and then do a large water change imo

Yes i use RODI 0 TDS water. I'm waiting it out because my fish still has 3 weeks in QT. Just wanted a CUC because diatoms are coming on strong but hear that they don't do well in high nitrate water.

 

[twilliard]

What is your total volume?
Do a 75% water change

 

[jsker]

Water changes are temporary. Having nothing in the tank to use the nitrates, such a algae, corals, clean up crew the nitrates will stay. Even though your tank is a month old your tank is still cycling and most like with do so for a few more months. Tanks cycle a different rates depending on the environment. You are going to go through an algae bloom and that is when your nitrates will start dropping. Salt water reefing is all about taking our time to make adjustments and wait to see what happens. As @Bumgrundle stated I also use a Python vacuum to clean the sand when I do my water change and this help a lot with my nitrates for the reason I feed heavy http://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Pytho...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

 

[Aquaman024]

Keep in mind that a month may not be enough to cycle a tank. I have seen tanks have two spikes depending on what was added and when. You need to encourage the bacteria growth that will consume the nitrate. For bacteria encouragement, did you add any bacteria specifically to cycle the tank? This bacteria usually comes from a fish or water coming from a cycled tank. Or purchasing something like Dr. Tims bacteria. Check out these.

 

[twilliard]

To help eliminate the frustration a large water change will bring this down.
This is just a normal step after the nitrite hit.
But no total volume is mentioned to get an idea of what it would take.
Over time the tank will balance out
No3 is not hard to beat, it's about understanding what will naturally lower the level and also knowing how and where it comes from.

 

[fernalfer]

To help eliminate the frustration a large water change will bring this down.
This is just a normal step after the nitrite hit.
But no total volume is mentioned to get an idea of what it would take.
Over time the tank will balance out
No3 is not hard to beat, it's about understanding what will naturally lower the level and also knowing how and where it comes from.

I have a 120 gallon tank. problem is i have already done 6 50 gallon water changes in the last 2 weeks with little to no effect. These changes are starting to become time consuming and expensive (SALT) for little change in nitrates.

 

[MikeyAl]

Be patient. When I started I was so darn frustrated and spent money on every solution out there. My advice is to continue with a good water change routine and choose a good solution that you stick with - carbon dosing, algae turf scrubber, chaeto, or gfo.
Don't kill yourself and worry too much. Your tank is new and will balance over time. Be patient.

 

[Bumgrundle]

Just a thought, have you thought about firing up a refugium? There are some really cool and interesting things you can cultivate in a fuge, I find myself spending nearly as much time scoping out my fuge as my DT heh
Can only help with the nitrates, and is the best way to bring the nitrates in ck if not clear em' and it's natural! Your future fish will love the live food the pods will bring, you'll get all sorts of very cool life like Pineapple sponges, Starfish, Pods just to mention a fraction of what will grow there. Very rewarding! gl mate

 

[DLuce510]

It's cool, be patient, these systems have a mind of their own. Red Sea NoPoX (carbon dosing) will work very well in fact it worked too well for me and left my system nutrient deficient and I had to start dosing NO3 back in! It's a much cheaper and less labor intensive alternative. Good luck!

 

[fernalfer]

I just put some chaeto in my fuge and i increased the flow of my return pump hopefully that helps bring them down a little

 

[brandon429]

you can remove that feed from initial serving, and the bac w still remain, then when you do a water change it will stay low if enough is changed, since nothing in the tank is pumping out rotten proteins to oxidize into nitrate.


you can CUC if you want

Nitrates are bad if you have algae issues

Its all those extra weeks of breaking down food in the tank, you have a very easy nitrate source to manage.

 

[fernalfer]

The feed you are rotting in the tank, to feed bac that wont require it, is causing the nitrate and nothing else per your prior threads.

you can remove that feed from rot, and the bac w still remain, then when you do a water change it will stay low, since nothing in the tank is pumping out rotten proteins to oxidize into nitrate.

If you have already removed the feed, there are no natural exports for nitrate in your tank so that needs to be done. The fact you have rebounding nitrates after the water change tells me you are still rotting food in the tank unneeded, so nitrates are the result of that.

What you read about nitrates harming anything isn't correct, you can CUC if you want but they will only add to nitrate and not lower it. Nitrates are bad if you have algae issues, the way you were managing the bacteria long after they were self managing is the cause of your nitrates if that helps to pinpoint anything. Its all those extra weeks of breaking down food in the tank, you have a very easy nitrate source to manage.

i removed the rotting food the day of my original post. so has been out since friday. we will see how it goes.