Nitrates extremely high(still)

[SaltwaterWorld1780]

Recently posted on emergency thread, but does anyone know wats to reduce nitrates on a new 200 gallon system without swapping all water? Nitrates read 160 ppm ammonia .50 and nitrites 0. I’ve been cycling for well over a month.

 

[jda]

Put those test kits away for a while. If you have places where anoxic bacteria can grow, then it needs the nitrate to start their growing - this would be sand and rock. If you have dry/dead rock to start, then this can take a long time.

A month is nothing. I would worry about this if it is still high in 6 or 8 months. Any lack of patience that you have where you interfere usually will need to be paid back many fold later on. Do your routine, smart stuff like regular water changes, feed smartly, skim heavy and all of that and let nature work.

 

[UCF Alum]

+1 ^^^
Quit testing for awhile and let the tank do it’s thing. Worry about high nitrates a year from now.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Can easily take a month or two to cycle. Give it time. Sounds like you're almost at the drop off.

 

[spidercrab]

Got to get ammonia under control first!! things are dying. Do a giant water change, add prime, add bottle bacteria and then wait.

 

[SaltwaterWorld1780]

Put those test kits away for a while. If you have places where anoxic bacteria can grow, then it needs the nitrate to start their growing - this would be sand and rock. If you have dry/dead rock to start, then this can take a long time.

A month is nothing. I would worry about this if it is still high in 6 or 8 months. Any lack of patience that you have where you interfere usually will need to be paid back many fold later on. Do your routine, smart stuff like regular water changes, feed smartly, skim heavy and all of that and let nature work.

I have no fish in the 200 because I bought it and moved it. I have a Naso tang two sailfins 2 clowns, one coral beauty, and a snowflake eel(Damsel went MIA) all in a 55 gallon holding tank.(I do regular water changes and clean the filters)

The 200 gallon has gravel along with a sump tank I built, with only three live rock chunks and a piece of old decor to hopefully sprout. I used two dead shrimp in the beginning but removed them due to my tests(less than a day). I’ve been adding bio booster.

My question is how long should this system take? The only reason I am trying to speed it up is because of the three tangs in the 55.Also is my nitrates normal? Is it still going through cycles? Should I keep adding booster?

 

[airmotive]

Reefers’ motto:
“Nothing good happens quickly”

 

[jda]

Nobody knows how long it will take. You cannot rush it. Sorry.

If you have ammonia, then this is a problem and you need to wait. With all of those fish, the nitrates will likely always be high, but you might need a while longer or the fish will die of ammonia poisoning. I don't know what booster is, but if this tank was set up before, it has all of the bacteria that it needs and just needs to grow to an equilibrium.

 

[SaltwaterWorld1780]

If you have ammonia, then this is a problem and you need to wait. With all of those fish, the nitrates will likely always be high, but you might need a while longer or the fish will die of ammonia poisoning. I don't know what booster is, but if this tank was set up before, it has all of the bacteria that it needs and just needs to grow to an equilibrium.
[/QU

Unfortunately the tank was rinsed off and most likely killed the bacteria. I kept 20 percent old water, and 80 new. I pumped the 55 gal with old water and moved the fish in. I then put a few decor in their from the old tank. Since then I have planted one (dead)coral drag covered in algae in the refuge.

 

[SaltwaterWorld1780]

If you have ammonia, then this is a problem and you need to wait. With all of those fish, the nitrates will likely always be high, but you might need a while longer or the fish will die of ammonia poisoning. I don't know what booster is, but if this tank was set up before, it has all of the bacteria that it needs and just needs to grow to an equilibrium.
[/QU

Unfortunately the tank was rinsed off and most likely killed the bacteria. I kept 20 percent old water, and 80 new. I pumped the 55 gal with old water and moved the fish in. I then put a few decor in their from the old tank. Since then I have planted one (dead)coral drag covered in the refuge