High nitrates

[leecasey82]

Hi newbie to the site here! Also a bit of a newbie to the saltwater scene. I have had my tank for 17 months now and nitrate levels have usually been around 10 but I checked my parameters yesterday and they was stupid high at 30-50ppm all my corals look fine and are thriving but NEED my nitrates down. I did a 1/3 water change yesterday to no avail and am wondering why they're not coming down? I have a bubble magus c6 skimmer and my tank + sump is around 300ltr in total. My phosphates are at 0.2 as well , any help would be much appreciated.

 

[leecasey82]

I have been doing 50ltr water changes each week to get my phosphate down some weeks around 80ltr as ive had red slime and treated it with antired its cleared up by the way, It was down to my flow and lighting but am wondering if the water changes have put my tank into a mini cycle?

 

[Tahoe61]

No a water change is not removing denitrifying bacteria.

Have you tested your water source for nitrates and phosphates?

Are you over feeding? Or over stocked?

 

[leecasey82]

Sorry ignore this post, took some water to my local shop and had them test it as well and my bloody test kit was out they read it at 25ppm which is still a bit high but I've had flow problems which I've just got on top of so going to stick to weekly water changes for a couple of week and keep testing see if it drops, been using nopox as well so should see a drop over next couple week thanks for the reply.

 

[Reefing Madness]

In order to get them to drop, you need a bigger skimmer, or bigger water changes weekly, or step up the water changes to twice a week. If they are still high, then are measures can be taken.

 

[Tahoe61]

You can do water changes until the cows come home but if your water source has elevated nitrates or phosphates it's not going to make much of a difference.