Nitrates Question

[mbgrubb15]

So my nitrates are high. Probably around 80. I do a weekly water change without fail.

All my corals look good. A lot of zoas, frogspawn, golden torch, anem No algae problems either.

When I do the water change they go to about 20. Then I test a week later and it's about 80.

Any advice?

 

[Arati]

where do you get the water? are your sure its 0tds ?

 

[mbgrubb15]

I actually use distilled water and mix my own salt.

 

[Buck0land]

Tell us more about you tank. Size, bio load, age, and how much live rock.

 

[mbgrubb15]

25gl just over a year old. Around 30lbs of live rock. 2 clowns who host a golden torch and frogspawn. And I have 2 Bartlett anthias. I feed small amounts of food twice a day.

Have a skimmer as well. And I have never had the ammonia over zero. It is always zero.

And I am doing a wc tonight.

 

[mbgrubb15]

And like I said. No algea problems and corals look good.

 

[Buck0land]

What about tying a different test kit? Maybe you don't have high nitrates.

 

[mbgrubb15]

I was thinking that. I use the API saltwater kit. have had the same one for a year. Are there any better types of testing kits. However i dont want to buy the expensive electronic kit.

 

[andylee]

Stronger skimmer, less feedings, more water changes.

Assuming readings are accurate (likely are since they drop after water change), it's got to be too much stuff going (too much feeding, too many fish for smaller tank) or too little coming out (inadequate skimmer, inadequate water change).
Simple fix might be to dial your skimmer a little "wetter."

 

[Master Shake]

do the anthias a favor and get them a bigger home

 

[REEF MANIA]

Sounds like your over feeding. Try feeding only once a day.

 

[thirty5]

What about tying a different test kit? Maybe you don't have high nitrates.

I agree get a new test kit. Do a full panel of tests and post results. If your nitrates are that high that fast then you should also get a nitrite reading (in theory). If you get 0 ammonia and 0 trites then you may have bad test kit for trates may be bad.

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[mbgrubb15]

I will do that. My nitrites are always 0. i have never had any other reading but zero for nitrites.

I was looking at my return chamber the other day and i saw a lot of grey matter (food, poop etc) i think that can be adding to it. i am going to do another WC this sunday and syphon out all that crap in the return chamber.

ill also get a new test kit. I think this must be it cause my corals all look great.

 

[thirty5]

If your trites are always 0 then a new test kit is in order. Look at the nitrogen cycle and goes from Ammonia to Trites to Trates. So if you don't have ammonia, or trites, then you should not in theory have Trates, unless you are putting something in your tank that has it directly.

 

[Awibrandy]

What type of food do you feed, and how much? Shouldn't be feeding to much considering that you only have 4 fish.
Are you planning on a larger tank any time soon? The anthias need a larger tank in order to be happy, and thrive.

BTW, lps do enjoy a little nasty tank, but not filthy. Nitrates at 80 are extremely high for a reef, and even for a fish only.

 

[thirty6]

I think once you clean out the trapped "matter" in overflow then good wc you will see results. Much worse issues to have

 

[ravi197699]

try nitrate reactor they are easy to build if you like doing diy projects, there are so many threads you can find about nitrate reactor, i have mine running with calcium media along with sulfer media and my nitrates are near 0 am heavy with feeding.

 

[mbgrubb15]

I think i found the problem. The return pump wasn't pumping water back in the tank for a little. So the water wasn't getting filtered. I fixed that and there is much better flow now. However, i did a wc and the nitrates were lower but still a little high. around 30-40.

I am going to buy a new test today and see if it is that.

 

[thirty5]

I think i found the problem. The return pump wasn't pumping water back in the tank for a little. So the water wasn't getting filtered. I fixed that and there is much better flow now. However, i did a wc and the nitrates were lower but still a little high. around 30-40.

I am going to buy a new test today and see if it is that.

What do you mean wasn't pumping back for a little?

Are you saying that yout had little flow through your system?

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[mbgrubb15]

Yeah. i think for about a week the return pump from the sump was not putting the filtered water back in. so the only circulation was from a power head. I did fix that and now the return pump is working fine.