nitrate levels spiked

[gsleeger]

I have a 220 gallon with fish 300 plus pounds of rock, sand bed, LED lights and had many corals. I went from a 120 to the 220, I added 150 pounds of coral rubble that I got from Maui. About a year later I started loosing corals. I was told that the new LED lights were the cause. I did not know they had levels of intensity. I reduced the level to 60% down to 0%. I continued loosing corals. My nitrates levels started to rise and I was told that feeding my fish frozen food caused the nitrate levels to rise. I have been feeding the fish frozen food since 1989. I never had this issue. I was told that freeze dried food would be the answer. Any idea if this might be correct?

 

[twilliard]

What is your export method?

 

[gsleeger]

What do you mean by export method? Does this mean water change?

 

[morpheas]

Water change is one export method, a diverse refugium is another, carbon dosing another etc. The question is what do you do to keep your nitrates low, if anything...

 

[gsleeger]

water change once a month, chemiPure, pura filtration pad is also kept in the overflow chamber in the refugium. macro algae in the refugium to help keep nitrates low. I have sand and rock placed in the refugium as well.

 

[Salty1962]

Has something died in your tank? Snails dying off are notorious for causing No3 to spike.

 

[gsleeger]

I have had corals die with the high nitrate levels. Just before the corals started dying, I had some sponge type corals die as well. I have not had snails in the tank for quite some time. I was told that my sand bed might be one of my issues.