Nitrate issue

[spbowe1]

So, for the past month, nitrates have been an issue. We started our tank in September, never had an issue with ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates were always at 5 or less. In December they spiked for an unknown reason. We have had nitrates as high as 80, but mostly averaging at 40. Was told by LFS that it is my diamond watchmen goby sifting through the substrate, and stirring up the gas. I am doing weekly and more recently twice a week water changes, without success. I am feeding Larry's Reef (reef frenzy) at night, and tetra marine flake in the morning. No food is left in the tank after a couple minutes, it all gets eaten. Any suggestions or advice.

 

[lapin]

First I would test my mixing water just to see if it could be the water you are adding. Ya never know what your supplier/ water company does.
Next be sure your test kit is accurate. Maybe a trip to the LFS for a second opinion.
Food is usually the next source. Reef frenzy can cause issues if over feeding.
Saying a fish caused high nitrates by stirring the sand bed is a bit far fetched to me. Deep sand bed over time can trap a lot, but yours is very new.
Vaccuming the sand bed will remove a lot of gunk.

 

[Reef and Dive]

An

So, for the past month, nitrates have been an issue. We started our tank in September, never had an issue with ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates were always at 5 or less. In December they spiked for an unknown reason. We have had nitrates as high as 80, but mostly averaging at 40. Was told by LFS that it is my diamond watchmen goby sifting through the substrate, and stirring up the gas. I am doing weekly and more recently twice a week water changes, without success. I am feeding Larry's Reef (reef frenzy) at night, and tetra marine flake in the morning. No food is left in the tank after a couple minutes, it all gets eaten. Any suggestions or advice.

Another idea is to feed less frozen for a while and clean your media if you have some...

 

[spbowe1]

First I would test my mixing water just to see if it could be the water you are adding. Ya never know what your supplier/ water company does.
Next be sure your test kit is accurate. Maybe a trip to the LFS for a second opinion.
Food is usually the next source. Reef frenzy can cause issues if over feeding.
Saying a fish caused high nitrates by stirring the sand bed is a bit far fetched to me. Deep sand bed over time can trap a lot, but yours is very new.
Vaccuming the sand bed will remove a lot of gunk.

I tested the water from the LFS, they use RO/DI and I have been using that. their water is 0's across the board. I had water tested at 2 different stores, and bought a new test kit to confirm that I wasn't wrong. still the same. I was thinking of cutting back on the reef frenzy to 3 times a week and just do flake twice a day otherwise. I vacuum and stir the sand up every time I water change. Im glad you suggested that, makes me feel my thought process is in the right track. Been at a loss! Thanks for the advice!!

 

[spbowe1]

An

Another idea is to feed less frozen for a while and clean your media if you have some...

So thats the other thing I forget to state. 2 days ago, I just changed filtration types. I had a 2 hang on the back filters, just switched to a fluval fx4. hoping maybe I was under filtering. I was thinking of cutting the frozen back to 3 times a week, and just do the flake twice a day on the off days.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Change feeding type and amount. Additionally- What test kit(s) are you using ?
Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which polish water and keep nitrates and phosphates in check

 

[spbowe1]

Change feeding type and amount. Additionally- What test kit(s) are you using ?
Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which polish water and keep nitrates and phosphates in check

Test kits are API master test, and API Nitrate test. Also was using purigen as well in filtration.

 

[Dan_P]

So, for the past month, nitrates have been an issue. We started our tank in September, never had an issue with ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates were always at 5 or less. In December they spiked for an unknown reason. We have had nitrates as high as 80, but mostly averaging at 40. Was told by LFS that it is my diamond watchmen goby sifting through the substrate, and stirring up the gas. I am doing weekly and more recently twice a week water changes, without success. I am feeding Larry's Reef (reef frenzy) at night, and tetra marine flake in the morning. No food is left in the tank after a couple minutes, it all gets eaten. Any suggestions or advice.

I would confirm that nitrite is not present.

Next, dilute your tank water sample with freshly prepared saltwater (or RODI) for nitrate test. Colorimetric tests are difficult to interpret when the color is so intense.

By a “nitrate spike” what do you mean? For example, do you test once per month and the nitrate level went up between tests?

What happened to the system between the time the water tested 5 ppm and 80 ppm?

 

[spbowe1]

I would confirm that nitrite is not present.

Next, dilute your tank water sample with freshly prepared saltwater (or RODI) for nitrate test. Colorimetric tests are difficult to interpret when the color is so intense.

By a “nitrate spike” what do you mean? For example, do you test once per month and the nitrate level went up between tests?

What happened to the system between the time the water tested 5 ppm and 80 ppm?

When I tested today, Ammonia was 0, nitrite was 0, nitrate was somewhere between 10 and 20 based on coloring. If I hold the vial flat against the card, I get a different reading then when I hold the vial away from the card. When I noticed the spike, I was testing once a week. it went up in that week, hasn't been back down since. We bought a diamond watchman goby, changed salt, increased how much reef frenzy we were feeding from 2-3 times per week to nightly. Have since decreased the reef frenzy back to 3 times per week.

 

[spbowe1]

I would confirm that nitrite is not present.

Next, dilute your tank water sample with freshly prepared saltwater (or RODI) for nitrate test. Colorimetric tests are difficult to interpret when the color is so intense.

By a “nitrate spike” what do you mean? For example, do you test once per month and the nitrate level went up between tests?

What happened to the system between the time the water tested 5 ppm and 80 ppm?

And the colormetric tests are a great pain in the rear. sometimes there is subtle differences there that I am not sure to act on or not

 

[Deschutes541]

API is junk. I'd suggest buying a NYOS test kit before you get too work up.

 

[spbowe1]

I would confirm that nitrite is not present.

Next, dilute your tank water sample with freshly prepared saltwater (or RODI) for nitrate test. Colorimetric tests are difficult to interpret when the color is so intense.

By a “nitrate spike” what do you mean? For example, do you test once per month and the nitrate level went up between tests?

What happened to the system between the time the water tested 5 ppm and 80 ppm?

Also, was having this problem in a 35 gallon, switched to a 55 gallon without change in levels.

 

[Dan_P]

When I tested today, Ammonia was 0, nitrite was 0, nitrate was somewhere between 10 and 20 based on coloring. If I hold the vial flat against the card, I get a different reading then when I hold the vial away from the card. When I noticed the spike, I was testing once a week. it went up in that week, hasn't been back down since. We bought a diamond watchman goby, changed salt, increased how much reef frenzy we were feeding from 2-3 times per week to nightly. Have since decreased the reef frenzy back to 3 times per week.

10-20 ppm sounds pretty good.

 

[Uncle99]

So thats the other thing I forget to state. 2 days ago, I just changed filtration types. I had a 2 hang on the back filters, just switched to a fluval fx4. hoping maybe I was under filtering. I was thinking of cutting the frozen back to 3 times a week, and just do the flake twice a day on the off days.

The change in filter may have a short term effect as the surfaces on your two HOB filters have been removed and along with that, some of your BB population.