Nitrates problem

pedro · Sep 26, 2015

Hello Mr. Randy
nitrates in my aquarium are still very high (+100 mg / l) with the test d salifert.
I find no explanation for what's happening and I find it strange because I have not filamentous cyanobacteria or algae and I think that with so high nitrates that should happen!
but I would like to comment a little story of my aquarium
after several accidents decided to start all over again and therefore:
my aquarium was and rebuilt in May and has a capacity of 500 Lt
used new sand dead
used rock dead
to try to make the fastest cycle followed the advice of Sr.Bob Goemans and added ammonium chloride (I used 100gr / 500lt)
I made a Plenum following the ideas of Mr. Goemans
I have a refuge with caulerpa and also some chateomorfa
My filter is good
I'm adding Zeobac
I'm adding Biodigest (Prodibio)
I'm adding ZEOstart (ZEOvit Korallen zucht)
I started using a reactor with (NP BioPellets All In One BioPellets)
I already do not know what else I can do !!!
please, can you help me?
thank you

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 27, 2015

pedro said:
to try to make the fastest cycle followed the advice of Sr.Bob Goemans and added ammonium chloride (I used 100gr / 500lt)

Can you clarify what you mean by 100 gr/500 lt.

Do you mean 100 grams per 500 liters? That would be 63 ppm ammonia (which seems like an awfully large amount), which would make 230 ppm of nitrate.

Harold Green · Sep 27, 2015

Do you have a refusium? Mine went crazy with macro growth when the nitrates rose some in my dt.

markos · Sep 27, 2015

pedro said:
I'm adding Zeobac
I'm adding Biodigest (Prodibio)
I'm adding ZEOstart (ZEOvit Korallen zucht)
I started using a reactor with (NP BioPellets All In One BioPellets)
I already do not know what else I can do !!!

veuillez bien m'excuser je n'ai pas la capacité de tous écrire en anglais....
Pour le protocole ZEOVIT de base il vous manque ZEOfood ; la zeolite ;le charbon actif;
il ne faut pas mélanger la méthode BIOPELLET et ZEOVIT vous allez obtenir le contraire de se que vous voulez

vous risquez une surpopulation bactériennes et obtenir une grosse pollution de l'eau...
je pense que sur le forum il y a des personnes beaucoup plus calés que moi pour mieux vous l'expliquer...

please excuse me I do not have the ability to write in English all ....
For the base protocol Zeovit you lack ZEOfood; zeolite, activated carbon,
do not mix BIOPELLET ZEOvit method and you'll get the opposite to want you risk a bacterial overpopulation and get a big water pollution ... I think on the forums there are people much more savvy than me to better explain it to you ...

pedro · Sep 27, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Can you clarify what you mean by 100 gr/500 lt.

Do you mean 100 grams per 500 liters? That would be 63 ppm ammonia (which seems like an awfully large amount), which would make 230 ppm of nitrate.

Thank you for answer Mr. Randy Holmes

In fact I was very stupid but I added 100 gr. Of ammonium chloride in my aquarium! As I am ASSL

I followed the advice that is written here (http://www.saltcorner.com/LMAM/ShowChapter.php?ChapterID=3#biological)

in section

Inorganic Metoth

WHAT IF----the Nitrification Cycle could be completed without adding any starter fish and have a greater abundance of bacteria in the aquarium when finished with the cycle! In the Organic Method mentioned above, it's begun with only a few small fish. The fish are fed, they eat and digest their food and excrete their waste products. These ammonia-laded products became an ammonium chloride compound that will be converted into nitrite by Nitrosomonas bacteria. - Why not simply buy some ammonium chloride compound and add it directly to the aquarium. This bypasses the adding fish and feeding portion of the process. Ammonium chloride is a very inexpensive compound and can be found at some pharmacies, chemical supply houses or even some aquarium shops.

Therefore, the use of ammonium chloride precludes the possibility of stressing the fish and possibly introducing a disease into a newly setup aquarium. Also, by using enough of this compound it creates a large initial ammonia presence that would be more than any fish(s) could normally survive and which will lead to a greater amount of bacteria in the initial system.

I've tried to come up with a comparison to show why the Inorganic Method provides more bacteria and hope the following sounds sensible. ...With the Organic Method there is a very small amount of ammonium chloride produced because there is a very small amount of fish waste. It is like putting 'five grains' of sugar on the ground and watching five ants carrying them away. When employing the Inorganic Method you're using a large amount of ammonium chloride compared to what would be ultimately generated by a few small fish, and it's like putting 'five pounds' of sugar on the ground and watching one heck of a bunch of ants carting it off! Not only have you completed the Nitrification Cycle disease free, but now have much larger colonies of useful bacteria in the system. The system is now ready to handle a large initial load and do so disease free.

How much ammonium chloride to add is something no two people have yet to decided on. So let me simply tell you how I accomplished it in the past. The first time this method was used I followed the instructions inThe Marine Aquarium Handbook, by Martin Moe, Jr. It required 2 to 3 grams of ammonium chloride for every 20 gallons of

water and then simply sitting back and waiting until nitrite dropped to zero. It proved to be very successful. Yet, as more information surfaced on this method I increased the amount of ammonium chloride in the hope to increase the initial amount of bacteria. With the last aquarium started using this method I used 2 to 3 grams of ammonium chloride for each 10 gallons of water on the first day and placed a cup full of healthy substrate from another aquarium in the system. The substrate introduced a large quantity of live bacteria and shortened the entire cycle. Then, on the fifth day I added another half dose of ammonium chloride. The entire process took about two weeks to complete.

And since this method starts off with a much larger amount of ammonia, the end result of nitrate is also much higher. Therefore suggest checking the nitrate level before adding any animals and if necessary, accomplishing a major water change before stocking the system.

But I used Google translator and took no attention to gallons conversion liters

So what I did! I added 3 g 20 Lt and did the conversion I should have added 3gr in 20 gallons

My god so many months of work and care and lay it all away for my stupidity L

And now what do I do?

Please I need your advice

thank you

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 27, 2015

The fast but expensive and a lot of work is big water changes.

You could also try organic carbon dosing, but may need to add some potassium as well since there should not be that much around and bacteria may become limited in growth by available phosphate.

pedro · Sep 27, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The fast but expensive and a lot of work is big water changes.

You could also try organic carbon dosing, but may need to add some potassium as well since there should not be that much around and bacteria may become limited in growth by available phosphate.

at this point I do not have potassium test I used salifert but are no longer available mr.I recommend that potassium test?
add potassium is dangerous without the notion of quantity that exists in the tank?
as carbon source the counseling?
advises how many liters of water exchange and periodicity my tank has the ability to 500lt
Thank you so much

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 28, 2015

Sorry, that was a typo. I meant add some phosphate, not potassium.

Water changes will need to be fairly large to bring the nitrate down enough. Even 100% might be best.

Here are some articles on carbon dosing:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index...ar-dosing-methodology-for-the-marine-aquarium

pedro · Sep 28, 2015

thanks Mr. Randy
today i make a 200 lt. water change.
wednesday i make again more 300 lt ( i need time for make RO water )
and i give news
regards

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 29, 2015

Sounds good.

Good luck!

pedro · Oct 15, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Sounds good.

Good luck!

here I am back to tell you my fight against nitrates
after the day 27/9 have asked for help on this forum want to thank all those who gave their ideas but especially to Mr. Randy Holmes for the advice that helped me a lot.
from the day 27/9 until now I did:
4 water exchange 200Lt
I created a refuge where I have caulerpa and chateomorfa
i used one ampoule of biodigest (prodibio)
I'm dose carbon (vodka) at this time 1.3ml daily
I'm also a reactor with media All-in-one (NP Biopellets)
with all this nitrates increased from 230 ppm to less than 25ppm (Salifert test)
I think I can ensure that water exchanges and also the carbon source teem been my best weapon

with all this fighting I learned another lesson:
HAVE NOT HURRY
( sorry for mi english )
thank you

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 16, 2015

That's good news!

You're welcome for the help and Happy Reefing

pedro · Oct 21, 2015

I think I won my fight against nitrates

after 5 X 200Lt of water exchanges and also dose vodka for 2 weeks nitrates in my aquarium station in imperceptible value
the time has come to reduce the portion of vodka

it's time to move on stage
thanks Mr.Randy

regards from Portugal