Hey reefers!! so I'm have a problem with Nitrates that I can seem to get to go away. I have a 180gal mixed reef with a shallow sand bed. I only feed once a day making sure food is eaten with in 2-3 min. 15 gal water change every week and still Nitrates are around 80ppm. I did a 40gal water change 2 weeks in a row and levels are still 50ppm... change my sock out twice a week and doing a wet skim with my reef octopus 5000... I also dose microbac from brightwell. soooo needless to say I'm lost. I'm looking into a bio pellet reactor. I'm trying to be proactive not reactive so I need to find the root of the problem. Any ideas??
Nitrates!!!!!!! AHHHHH
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ReefMadScientist
Valuable Member
How new is the tank?
A 40gallons water change on a TRUE 180 water volume tank is roughly 22%. So 80ppm's down to 50ppm's from the water change sounds correct.
The fastest way to reduce the NO3 is by water changes. Sounds like you are doing good with everything else.
I am assuming you have a new tank which is why it is up that high. Or you have way too many fish.
A 40gallons water change on a TRUE 180 water volume tank is roughly 22%. So 80ppm's down to 50ppm's from the water change sounds correct.
The fastest way to reduce the NO3 is by water changes. Sounds like you are doing good with everything else.
I am assuming you have a new tank which is why it is up that high. Or you have way too many fish.
ReefMadScientist
Valuable Member
How has your maintenance routine been? How many fish do you have? See my post above as I added more info.
10 fish with 2 of the 10 being show size blonde naso and clown tang. maint is pretty consistent.. Sump is 50gal with a fuge, mangrove, miracle mud and chato (sp). so water volume is right around 190gal with rock displacement
Thanks!! Light load at this point. Birds nest, frog spawn, a few zoe colonies and a couple of mushrooms. im just hesitant on getting anything else until i get this problem under control. see above for equipment. Also forgot to add 2 reactors 1st rowa 2nd carbon
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