Nitrates

Jfishwild · Apr 10, 2018

My nitrates are crazy high. And I can not get them to come down. I have down big water changes added micro allergy. Just can’t keep it to come down. Starting to drive me crazy. I have a skimmer that’s is rated for a 300 gallon tank mine is only 135. I have ran uvs. I have pretty much have done everything but doss vodka. My levels are
Nitrites - 0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrates 100
Calcium 460
Alk 9.6
Ph 8.3
Salinity 1.025
Temp 78

Everything is where I want but the nitrates. Help me out.

1WildBill · Apr 10, 2018

What test kit are you using?

125gSW · Apr 10, 2018

Are you using a sand siphon as well?

pharazon · Apr 11, 2018

1WildBill said:
What test kit are you using?

My first thought as well. Are you noticing any ill effects on your animals? If not, then I would order a new test kit and see what you get.

ZaneTer · Apr 11, 2018

Please would you post your PO4 level.
Have you tried refugium or dosing carbon?

Jfishwild · Apr 11, 2018

1WildBill said:
What test kit are you using?

salifert test kit

Jfishwild · Apr 11, 2018

125gSW said:
Are you using a sand siphon as well?

i have a sand switching goby, sand switching star fish and snails that barry them self in the sand. sorry i do not remember what they are called

Jfishwild · Apr 11, 2018

pharazon said:
My first thought as well. Are you noticing any ill effects on your animals? If not, then I would order a new test kit and see what you get.

fish, inverts and corals are all doing great

Jfishwild · Apr 11, 2018

ZaneTer said:
Please would you post your PO4 level.
Have you tried refugium or dosing carbon?

i just got a bigger tank that i am going to turn into a sump. just waiting on more money to come in to finish it up. as for carbin i do add chemi pure blue once every 2 months

Jfishwild · Apr 11, 2018

thanks for everybody that responded to my message this thing is driving me crazy

77railer · Apr 11, 2018

I had crazy high nitrates on my 75g. Beat my head against the wall several nights trying to fix the issue. Finally, I bought a kessil h80, created a refugium, and through in some chaeto. Within a week and a half my nitrates were are zero and holding. I havent done a water change in 8 weeks and still holding at zero. My recommendation, do a refugium and make sure that the light your using in it is as strong, or stronger than your display lights. Nitrates will plummet quickly.

Royy13 · Apr 11, 2018

I had the same problem on my d tank. Turned out to be the sand bed. It was quite nasty. I know you said you have sand sifting fish and all, but I would start vacuuming it to see if that helps.

Good luck.

125gSW · Apr 11, 2018

Jfishwild said:
i have a sand switching goby, sand switching star fish and snails that barry them self in the sand. sorry i do not remember what they are called

Not enough my friend! Get yourself a sand siphon, your LFS and Amazon has plenty of them, its a big tube and basically through the suction sucks the sand up and itll twirl in the tube and the dust/detritius will be sucked through with the water, you wont lose sand dont worry about that it falls back out of the tube gracefully.

Trust me after you do that you will see a change I promise.

Youtube Sand Siphon and you'll see exactly what i'm talking about.

CindyKz · Apr 12, 2018

Refugium with a good light fixed mine. The light is critical.

ZaneTer · Apr 12, 2018

Refugiums really are a great way to get a handle on nutrients. Just be a little cautious as you can sometimes bottom out with aggressive use of a refugiums.

tthouston · Apr 12, 2018

Just combine all the comment up here from easy to harder.
1- Vacuum the sand. You can do it anytime any day.
2- Couple big block Marine Pure in the sump. This is my opinion, you can google it.
3- create the refugiums.

Itsander · Apr 12, 2018

Refugiums , Refugiums , Refugiums I never though that they will work so good with a magenta kessil light, in less than 3 weeks my nitrates went down from 60 to 0,0 , you should try it with any other light to start, but the kessil have been giving great result to a lot of persons.
good luck

nosmok · Apr 12, 2018

Jfishwild said:
salifert test kit

My salifert kit was posting crazy high levels despite my very best efforts to reduce nitrates. I tested again with Red Sea, API and Exact iDip and found that my Nitrates were MUCH lower!