Nitrates

[Djbetterly]

My tank was started mid January, it's a 34 gallon solana. I test my nitrates, along with cal, mg, dKH and pH about twice a week. The past two weeks I've noticed my nitrates are typically ranging between 10-20ppm, which to me seems a bit high. I only have three fish right now so that doesn't seem like it should be a heavy bio load for that tank. I also run purigen, phosban and chemipure elite in my middle chamber.

I do 5 gallon water changes at least once a week and readily change out my filter floss and clean out my skimmer. The tank is very clean, no algae on glass at all.

Any thoughts? Should I up my water changes for now?

I forgot to mention that I do have a CUC of snails and hermit crabs. The dwarf cerith snails are hard to tell if they are dead or alive so once in a while I scoop a few out to double check. I have also seen a few hermit bodies floating around, but I'm not sure if they are shells from molting or if they are dead. I scooped one of those out as well and it was still very hard to tell if it was a molting shell or a corpse.

 

[twan]

What brand test kit are you using?

 

[Djbetterly]

I'm actually using the left overs from my API kit that I was using during my cycle. It's not old at all.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

API is fine for ammonia and nitrate but anything else I'd switch to Salifert, Elos or another brand that will be more accurate. I use Salifert for everything and like them very much.

When you say you clean out the skimmer, do you mean you empty the collection cup? Or you clean the body of the skimmer? If you clean out the body of the skimmer I wouldn't clean the skimmer weekly. It has to form a film to operate efficiently. That's why it takes 3 or 4 days to "break in". So if you clean it every week, you're making it break in all over again each week.

Clean it every 3-6 months not weekly. It'll produce better skimmate, remove more waste and aid in keeping the nitrates under control. If the level of water changes you've been doing aren't keeping them in check, increase the volume of water per week that you change out as well.

Good luck

 

[Djbetterly]

Thank You JimmyR1! I do use salifert for my cal, mg, dKH and pH. I appreciate the advice about the skimmer and the water changes. I guess I'll up my water changes from 5 gallons to 10 gallons and see if that helps.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

You're welcome. I think with the water change increase oyu'll see a noticeable difference.

Just empty the skimmer cup when it gets to the point it needs emptying and let the thing go at it lol. Take care