Need to get Nitrate Level Down Fast!

[Charles4400]

Water changes should lower your nitrates, after 50% wc it should have reduced it by 50%. Keep doing water changes to get it down.

Are you using tap water for your salt mix? If so it could be your problem right there, or what type of storage container for water are you using. The brute 44g is the way to go, no leaching there. You might also be getting phosphate from dry rock if you just recently used that in a new setup.

If water changes aren't lowering your phosphates then it's probably in the makeup water itself.

 

[Evan West]

If you must add fish NOW you really need to get some cycled live rock from an LFS or friend and also a big bottle of Bio-spira and a good liquid test kit like API and test daily to make sure its staying fish safe. This isn't recommended but if you must this is IMO your best bet

 

[Ashish Patel]

Wait a second;Stop You mentioned you are shocked that nitrite are 0 and nitrates are 80? This is not shocking this is good under normal circumstances. how long has your tank been setup - it seems to me you are in a rush? I started with 100% dryrock and 3 raw shrimps and added some Instant ocean bio spira (bacteria) once ammonia was present in few days. My cycle was done in 10 days and then i added 2 clownfish once Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate where undetectable. I tested my water every other day and never heard of 80PPM nitrate coming out of a cycle. Test again and make sure you test kit is not a problem - best way to verify is make some new saltwater and test it to cross check.

 

[Ashish Patel]

The nitrogen cycle simply put is "getting once tank ready to handle waste it will produce". New water = no bacteria = big problems (new tank syndrome).. Waste is converted to Ammonia, then nitrite, then Nitrate. During the cycle each one will rise and fall until you are left with only nitrate (which fish and corals can tolerate aslong as is its not too high where it causes problems) . After the cycle Ammonia and Nitrite should always be undetectable. Each time you add fish it will adjust this cycle and this is a reason why stocking slow and smart is recommended. What you do to help this process is add surface area for nitrifiying bacteria (nitrate eaters) to colonize such as LR, Dry rock, marinepure block, or any media that is porous. Bacteria will help covert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate and the denitrying bacteria will consume and bring it to low levels. At least thats my spin on it! lol