Nitrates are through the roof

[beginningsaltwater master]

I just did a test with the api saltwater test kit and the nitrates are the highest they could be. Please help I don't know what to do next!!!! I have a biocube 29g with a CBS and a yellow-tail damsel.

 

[Tahoe61]

Do some water changes over the course of the next week. Remove detritus that you can get to.

Are you over feeding?
Are you using RO or distilled water?
Are you using a skimmer?
How old is the tank?

 

[laverda]

In a small tank the easiest way to drop them is to do a large water change. A 50% water change should reduce them in half. That is assuming your new water has zero nitrates.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

This is probably partly my fault I did a rookie mistake and put some free chaeto that I got into the tank. I quickly realized that it was just going every where and there is still some pieces that are in the sand bed. Could that be causing it?

 

[madweazl]

This is probably partly my fault I did a rookie mistake and put some free chaeto that I got into the tank. I quickly realized that it was just going every where and there is still some pieces that are in the sand bed. Could that be causing it?

Cheato (macro-algae) consumes nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) so no, that wouldnt be adding to the nurtrient levels unless it is dying off and releasing it back into the water.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

It is under the sand bed

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

And I don't know how to get it out because it is spread out

 

[Maritimer]

If it's under the sandbed (how did it get _there_?!), it's likely to be rotting, releasing nutrients. A water change, as suggested, will help to export some of those nutrients from your display.

~Bruce

 

[Flippers4pups]

Is your test kit in date? API isn't the most accurate ether.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

I had a engineer goby that did it.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

My test kit I actually got today

 

[Tahoe61]

An Engineer Goby is not an actually Goby and will quickly out grow any nano.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

I do not have it any more. I was holding it for a friend

 

[John3]

How are your back chambers/filter area done? You can get a lot of dead stuff and poop built up back there and that will cause high nitrates. If your just testing now I wouldn’t be surprised if your nitrates have been high for a while. Do you have any corals?

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

I do not have corals.

 

[John3]

Ok so it’s not so much a life and death situation. Work on bringing them down with water changes and revisit how much you are feeding your fish.

I also have a 29g biocube and I decided against using the bio balls because they will trap a lot of stuff which will rot and turn into nitrates. Those back chambers can get a lot of stuff in them either way. I have a skimmer and a sock in my middle chamber. I have a piece of filter floss over the sock to catch big stuff.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

Ok thank you. I'm also wondering what is an easy fish to keep in a biocube 29g with a CBS? The yellow tail damsel will be out soon.

 

[John3]

I’ve currently got 2 clowns, 1 lyrtail anthias, 2 peppermint shrimp and a bunch of hermits and snails. Probably room for 1 more medium size fish without causing trouble.

 

[beginningsaltwater master]

Don't lyretails get big tho? I was looking at getting one but was heavily discouraged.

 

[cmcoker]

Don't lyretails get big tho? I was looking at getting one but was heavily discouraged.

Yeah, live aquaria lists the minimum tank size as 125g, so it would not be suitable for a biocube 29.

When you do your water change, stick the siphon hose in the back compartments and use a turkey baster to blow the detritus into the water column. That's what I do on my biocube to keep stuff from accumulating back there