High Nitrates

[Jerms01]

Hey All,
I have been having a problem with nitrates for the past 6 months or so anywhere from 40-60ppm before water changes. I seem to keep losing my LPS slowly but surely. I have lost all my Duncans, Trumpets, and Favia. My favorite Brain coral is starting to recede now. I have taken several steps all with no impact.

1. Changed feeding schedules from twice a day to once a day. See feeding schedule and foods below.
2. Changing filter socks more frequently 7 days max.
3. Weekly 20gal water changes.
4. Adding Microbacter7 weekly after initial treatment period. Been about 2 months.
5. Added Denitrate reactor 3 months ago.
6. Added SeaGel reactor 6 months ago.
7. Basting the rocks once a week to kick up debris.
8. Removed live rock rubble from sump.

The next thing I am thinking is getting a bigger skimmer. I really wanted to try anything else before just throwing more money at it but its the only thing I can think of next.

Tank Specs.
75gal tank
30gal sump with DSB and Chaeto
2 150 reactors 1 with SeaGel and the other with Denitrate. Small pump maybe pushing 10 to 20 gallons per hour.
Quiet One 594 GPH Return

** Bubble Magus NAC 3.5+ think its too small for the tank. (Your Thoughts??)

Fish
1 Powder Brown Tang (3" juvenile)
1 Scopas Tang
2 Occelaris Clowns
2 Chromis
1 Midus Blenny
1 Lawnmower Blenny
1 Anthias
1 Mandarin Goby

Feeding
Sera GVG-Mix - Every Other Day
ELOS Pellets - Twice a Week
Frozen (Brine, Mysis, Cyclops) - Once a week plus left overs from target feeding corals twice a week.
Phyto, Reefstew, Reef Roids - 2-3 times a week

Any help you can think of would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Jeremy

[oscarinw]

Here's a few things you can do:

For frozen food feeding, rinse the food. Apparently the water that results of the process of thawing the cubes can contribute to nitrates. To do so you can use a brine shrimp net. Thaw the food, catch the solids with the net, and just then add to the tank.

Another thing you may try is carbon dosing. People use vodka, sugar among other things but I believe this is a good nitrate control method. Find the actual method and make sure you do it right.

Finally, when I battled high nitrates I added a RDSB and got rid of my bioballs as well as took out the filter sock. Now i just put the sock on when there's too much being blown around and for only 2-4 days at a time and then take it out again.

So you have at least 5 things you may try before going chemical. Hopefully some of this works for you.

Good luck with things!

[thegrun]

I am assuming you are using RO/DI water for your salt mix. If not, all the water changes in the world may not help you lower the nitrate level. My tap water runs between 30-40 ppm for nitrates. You need to increase the filter sock cleaning frequency to 4 days maximum. I clean mine 3 times a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday). You are better off without filter socks if you do not clean them regularly. I would add large live rock (no rubble) to your sump. How is your chaeto growing? I would think it is growing like a weed with the high nitrates. Your water change frequency and size are great so that is not an issue (if anything the size of the water changes is too large). Your fish load is high with the Tangs. You will probably get some criticism that your tank is too small for the Powder Brown Tang but beyond that Tangs are messy eaters (they consume a lot of food and are not efficient at processing it so they produce a lot of waste compared to other fish) so they will contribute to the nitrate problem. Your skimmer is a good one and ordinarily I would not think it is a problem, but given your current fish load a larger skimmer would probably help.

[Jerms01]

Awesome thank you guys for the help. All great ideas which I will implement and track. I am using RO/DI. I will step up the filter sock rotation to every 4 days. My Chaeto is growing like a weed actually time to trim this weekend. It has consumed my entire fuge section of the sump about 12W x 14L x 10D from DSB to top of water.

I will look into carbon dosing but I remember it being really complex to get right.

As far as removing the filter socks I would have no other mechanical filtration. I have no CUC in my fuge or sump which brings me to another question. Outside of the fuge with its brittle stars, pods, etc.. Should I be looking at any additional cleanup crew for the sump to process the waste that collects there if I were to go with out socks? Brrrrr cold feed

Thanks again for the advice guys all great directions!

[thegrun]

Keep the socks if you are willing to maintain them!

[Jerms01]

Just ordered 5 more from BRS to add to the rotation

[Hobchoice1]

What is your salinity and have you tested for phosphates? Personally I think you are still feeding too much. Your tangs need more greens - are you supplementing with algae that is treated with garlic?

Can you get Ecological Labs products? If so, would recommend Special Blend for your nitrates. If you use it, put it in just before the lights are going out. It does have an odor and will temporarily make your tank a bit dark. DO NOT PANIC - it clears up in just a few hours. We use this product when we have a persistent or emergency nitrate situation in our maintenance business.

[oscarinw]

Socks are great to collect larger stuff that floats on the water column. That includes eaten and uneaten food and of course decomposition in the sock is quick and hence getting the 'nitrate factory' reputation. I use mine biweekly for a couple of days, wash them by hand with running water and then let them air dry. Once dried, I shake them really well and get a lot of dust out before putting them back on.
You can rotate socks too. That's a good idea.

[Jerms01]

My salinity is at 1.025 and my phosphates are 0. I am feeding the tangs sheets of Nori with garlic and Julian Sprung's SeaVeggies both Purple and Red. I add to a clip like 3 times a week.

I tried feeding less but I noticed that switching from twice daily to just daily my lawnmower blenny's stomach had dramatically sunk in. It freaked me out and I did not want to do any less food. I have been trying to get him isolated to get more algae because the tangs bully him away. I have been putting the clip in and feeding him on the opposite side of the tank.

As far as a feeding schedule what would you recommend with the products I have listed just out of curiosity.

Feeding
Sera GVG-Mix - Every Other Day
ELOS Pellets - Twice a Week
Frozen (Brine, Mysis, Cyclops) - Once a week plus left overs from target feeding corals twice a week.
Phyto, Reefstew, Reef Roids - 2-3 times a week
Nori with garlic and Julian Sprung's SeaVeggies both Purple and Red