Hi, My tank has always had high nitrates. I can't seem to get it down. It's a 75 gallon 2 year old tank. All fish had died and it's been 3 months with only snails and crabs in it. I haven't fed the tank in 6 months. Just tested the nitrates and the tube is dark red! Why??? I have a Bubble magus skimmer, tons of healthy cheato in the sump, carbon and GFO reactor and a 4 stage spectra pure for topping off. Anyone have any ideas??
High nitrates with no catalyst
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Any really old rock in the tank?
You've double checked the test w a lfs or new kit?
You've double checked the test w a lfs or new kit?
Richard498
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I bought two live rocks from a lfs when I got the tank, don't know how old they are. The rest were dry rock bought online and still haven't turned purple really.
The kit I used is as old as the tank (about 2 years), but I tested my tap water with it and the results were good.-
I had the fabled unicorn "bad rock" but it was covered in corraline and from a very old tank. Leached po4 and nitrates. It was obviously very Old though.
So the tap water was less than the tank?
The other reasons can be the sand and build up in the sump.
So the tap water was less than the tank?
The other reasons can be the sand and build up in the sump.
Richard498
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I completely drained the sump after the fish died and cleaned the entire sump, then put in new cheato. What is unicorn "Bad Rock"? How can I tell if one (or both) of my live rocks from the lfs is bad?
You would have to test the tds. IF gunk built up in them. Yes probaly so.
A lot of folks complain about leacheing. When in fact Its quite minimal very often.
Mine had a lot of po4 bound to to it. And because of the age and thick coating it had begun to produce nitrates.
You can put them in a bucket of fresh salt water with a power head , and then test the water the next day. But it may get messy for the dt. Again it was an OLD rock fro a tank. Not just live
Mine had a lot of po4 bound to to it. And because of the age and thick coating it had begun to produce nitrates.
You can put them in a bucket of fresh salt water with a power head , and then test the water the next day. But it may get messy for the dt. Again it was an OLD rock fro a tank. Not just live
Richard498
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I just tested the water coming out of the Spectra pure and it was fine. I think the nitrates in the tank were ok during the first 6 months after the live rock was added, so it's probably not those then. Any other suggestions?
Zero tds?
Sand. Honestly. A thick bed not stirred and not true deep sand bed can work like the rock I mentioned and help make or hold nitrates.
You can look at carbon dosing or very very carefully calen the sand. Or with no fish re do it.
Richard498
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The sand makes sense. Is there an easy way to clean the sand? Or just vacuum the crap out of it/ Replace it completely?
Could you just stir the sand really well or will that just releases the nitrates into the water where they will just resettle? Maybe they'll get eaten buy the cheato?
No, sand cleaning in an established tank can be tricky. You stir up a LOT of weird stuff. Minerals bacteria and ammonia.
In my first tank I killed a couple corals that way. I'm for sand cleaning now.
If you go very slow and do very small spots it may work. Sand back or gravel vacs for aquariums work well.
I do water changes right after and add bacteria to make sure no ammonia gets kicked up. I'll even run gfo to pull out any Harv metals and other s stuff. And defiantly carbon and change it out right after.
In my first tank I killed a couple corals that way. I'm for sand cleaning now.
If you go very slow and do very small spots it may work. Sand back or gravel vacs for aquariums work well.
I do water changes right after and add bacteria to make sure no ammonia gets kicked up. I'll even run gfo to pull out any Harv metals and other s stuff. And defiantly carbon and change it out right after.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-official-sand-rinse-thread-aka-one-against-many.230281/
Here's a pretty good thread about it.
Here's a pretty good thread about it.
Richard498
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thanks for the link. So no quick and easy way? Even with no life except crabs/snails? I want to quickly get the tank in good condition cause I'm sick of looking at the same old nothing
No corals in there?thanks for the link. So no quick and easy way? Even with no life except crabs/snails? I want to quickly get the tank in good condition cause I'm sick of looking at the same old nothing
Rip that sucker apart and scrub the snot out of it!!
lol peroxide and bada boom!
Richard498
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might as well, looks like I'm starting over! Thanks again.
Your welcome.
As much as many may put it off, boy it works out well.
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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FWIW, there are lots of good ways to reduce nitrate, and you aren't using many of them. The chaeto will only reduce nitrate as long as it has plenty of other needed elements (phosphate, iron,etc.).
A 100% water change will have eliminated nitrate at the time (did you check then?) and so if the test is accurate, you likely have decaying debris in the tank that is adding more.
This has more:
Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium
A 100% water change will have eliminated nitrate at the time (did you check then?) and so if the test is accurate, you likely have decaying debris in the tank that is adding more.
This has more:
Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium
Richard498
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I have found some old corals I completely forgot about, removed them. Now I'm going to rake the sand with a net and get rid of the extra shells, etc.
I did just find out that the salinity is very low. I haven't added salt in a while. I will now, but could that add to the problem?
