My tank is new and all my levels are getting better but my nitrates are still through the roof. What should I do ? I have some cheato for about a week and it still has not helped. Any advice. I am doing a 10% water change a week and 20% a month until they go down and then I'll stick too 20% a month. Please help
Nitrates high help
- Thread starter johnyboy
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You can do a 30% water change twice a week till the nitrates went to 0 and now I just do 10 to 20% water change every week had no problems since I've had my tank for 9 years almost 10 years Hope my advice helps good luck
Start doing 50% every other day until you have them down. Then switch your routine.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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How high is the nitrate? What type of corals do you intend to keep?
I want anemones torches hammers some sps mushrooms zoas. The usual you know. All my chemicals are slowly starting to become perfect except my nitrates. I just did another water change tomoro and they are still crazy! Over 4 ppm. I have cheato and a phosphate reactor. The reactor helped my phosphates so much and got rid of my hair algae and the Cheato is helping my detritus but my nitrates are still terrible. Helppppp lol
Sukotto
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Depending on how many fish, corals, and other living animals you have, your nitrates will be on the high side since, nitrates are caused by waste biproduct from living animals. How new is your tank and how many living animals do you have? How big is your tank? What kind of fitrarion system do you have? Do you have a protein skimmer? What about hermit crabs and other bottom feeders. How many of them? If you do to many water changes to often, you could cause your tank to cycle again.
4FordFamily
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4 ppm is not that high..
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I agree that it seems not bad to me, especially for that mix of inverts. 
beaslbob
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+1 4ppm are nothing to worry about.
Additionally, some initial nitrates in a tank with macro algaes can be a good sign that the macros are consuming ammonia instead of nitrates for nitrogen. Then as the aerobic bacteria builds up the macros will start consuming more nitrates and finally nitrates drop.
IME it takes more then a week for that nitrate drop anyway.
I personally don't believe in water change but definitely would not start doing massive frequent water changes to control nitrates especially a 4ppm.
my .02
Additionally, some initial nitrates in a tank with macro algaes can be a good sign that the macros are consuming ammonia instead of nitrates for nitrogen. Then as the aerobic bacteria builds up the macros will start consuming more nitrates and finally nitrates drop.
IME it takes more then a week for that nitrate drop anyway.
I personally don't believe in water change but definitely would not start doing massive frequent water changes to control nitrates especially a 4ppm.
my .02
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