How do I reduce high nitrates?

Lou Young · 09/30/2013, 01:24 PM

My nitrates are 80, very very red. I did a 20% water change and still the same. If I add more live rock will this help to reduce my nitrates?

pkirby · 09/30/2013, 01:34 PM

what is your livestock? How long has it been at 80? what's your water source?

1) If it's fish only, it's not as big of a deal for your nitrates to be at 80... if you have coral you'll want to address it as soon as possible.

2) If your system has had high nitrates for a long time it's different than if your system experienced something recently that's caused the spike... such as a fish dying or something.

3) If your water source is RO/DI and you know the TDS is reading 0, water changes will help drastically! However, if you are using tap water, it's possible for the new water to already contain elevated nitrate/phosphate... and therefore water changes will not help and may actually make it worse.

If this were my system (mainly reef with only a couple fish) and my nitrate climbed quickly to 80, I'd be doing a LARGE water change. Likely I'd do two back to back 50% water changes after making sure my new saltwater matched temp/salinity/ph. I'd then monitor the level throughout the week and perform additional water changes as needed.

Try to figure out where the source of your nitrate is. Water changes will help lower it; however, without resolving the source it'll just keep climbing back.

MARINECRITTERS · 09/30/2013, 01:37 PM

I would consider carbon dosing.

Lou Young · 09/30/2013, 01:44 PM

Thank you for the quick and detailed response. I only have 4 pairs of clowns. No corals or anemones. It has been that high for a few weeks now. I don't know what the source is. I replace my filter socks every few days and siphon out uneaten food every other day. My TDS meter reads 0 so it's not my new water.
The water in my collection cup of my skimmer is green but my tank water is clear. Ammonia is .25 and nitrite is .25 as well. I stopped feeding the frozen rods food a few days ago hoping that would lower nitrate but no change yet. Any suggestions?
Thanks Lou.

hey.its.me · 09/30/2013, 01:47 PM

Cut back on the bacon!

NHATRANG · 09/30/2013, 02:27 PM

check your water source by testing your new freshly made saltwater. You should get 0 for both ammonia and nitrite. Check your test kit by bringing your tank water to your local fish store, or ask someone who have another set of test kit. After you are sure that not your test kit or water, then you do what pkirby've suggested. Is that a new fish tank?

Lou Young · 09/30/2013, 02:53 PM

Good idea about trying different test kits and taking water to store. Thank you. It's not a new tank but I took out some of the live rock to start a new tank I got so I am think that may be the problem.

kurt_n · 09/30/2013, 04:58 PM

In the process of taking out the live rock, did you stir up a bunch of muck? Disturb the sand bed? If so, that's probably where your spike in nitrates came from.

Either way, adding more rock will not make the nitrates go away. Simplest thing is to do water changes until they're gone. Enough water changes - assuming the water is 0ppm nitrates - and it will go away.

SPotter · 09/30/2013, 05:04 PM

How long has the tank been running for? You should have zero ammonia and nitrites.

Lou Young · 09/30/2013, 05:41 PM

The tank has been since may 2012. Just clownfish pairs in a few 10g tanks tied into 40g sump. I talked to some other people who breed clowns and feed a lot and they said they have higher ammonia and nitrate levels but low nitrates, so that's why I am so confused.

dclownd · 09/30/2013, 05:44 PM

just do a bigger water change and feed a bit less for a bit.

pkirby · 09/30/2013, 05:44 PM

I had problems using frozen food... I seemed to always over feed when using it, even when I used just a part of a block. I know many people use it, but for me I couldn't keep nitrate/phosphate at zero unless I used it once a week and flakes or pellets the rest of the time. Might try that.

As others mentioned, getting someone else to test your water would rule out a bad test kit...

JRR1285 · 09/30/2013, 06:25 PM

I would be suspect of the test kit you are using as others have said. I had an API one that would always read 160 PPM.

How much live rock did you remove?

09/30/2013, 01:24 PM	#1
Lou Young Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 410	How do I reduce high nitrates? My nitrates are 80, very very red. I did a 20% water change and still the same. If I add more live rock will this help to reduce my nitrates?

09/30/2013, 01:37 PM	#3
MARINECRITTERS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,525	I would consider carbon dosing. __________________ MarineCritters, life in the sea is superb Current Tank Info: 91 Gallon Reef

09/30/2013, 05:04 PM	#9
SPotter Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC Posts: 5,691	How long has the tank been running for? You should have zero ammonia and nitrites. __________________ Steve Am I really doing all of this for a fish tank?????? Current Tank Info: 360g Envision Acrylic Tank, Closed Loops, Vectra L1's, MP40QD's, 400w Radiums, Regal 300ext, Dastaco Ext3 CaRx, Controlled by GHL Profilux

09/30/2013, 01:34 PM	#2
pkirby Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 408	what is your livestock? How long has it been at 80? what's your water source? 1) If it's fish only, it's not as big of a deal for your nitrates to be at 80... if you have coral you'll want to address it as soon as possible. 2) If your system has had high nitrates for a long time it's different than if your system experienced something recently that's caused the spike... such as a fish dying or something. 3) If your water source is RO/DI and you know the TDS is reading 0, water changes will help drastically! However, if you are using tap water, it's possible for the new water to already contain elevated nitrate/phosphate... and therefore water changes will not help and may actually make it worse. If this were my system (mainly reef with only a couple fish) and my nitrate climbed quickly to 80, I'd be doing a LARGE water change. Likely I'd do two back to back 50% water changes after making sure my new saltwater matched temp/salinity/ph. I'd then monitor the level throughout the week and perform additional water changes as needed. Try to figure out where the source of your nitrate is. Water changes will help lower it; however, without resolving the source it'll just keep climbing back.

09/30/2013, 01:44 PM	#4
Lou Young Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 410	Thank you for the quick and detailed response. I only have 4 pairs of clowns. No corals or anemones. It has been that high for a few weeks now. I don't know what the source is. I replace my filter socks every few days and siphon out uneaten food every other day. My TDS meter reads 0 so it's not my new water. The water in my collection cup of my skimmer is green but my tank water is clear. Ammonia is .25 and nitrite is .25 as well. I stopped feeding the frozen rods food a few days ago hoping that would lower nitrate but no change yet. Any suggestions? Thanks Lou.

09/30/2013, 01:47 PM	#5
hey.its.me Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: NW New Jersey Posts: 69	Cut back on the bacon!

09/30/2013, 02:27 PM	#6
NHATRANG Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Milford Posts: 109	check your water source by testing your new freshly made saltwater. You should get 0 for both ammonia and nitrite. Check your test kit by bringing your tank water to your local fish store, or ask someone who have another set of test kit. After you are sure that not your test kit or water, then you do what pkirby've suggested. Is that a new fish tank?

09/30/2013, 02:53 PM	#7
Lou Young Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 410	Good idea about trying different test kits and taking water to store. Thank you. It's not a new tank but I took out some of the live rock to start a new tank I got so I am think that may be the problem.

09/30/2013, 04:58 PM	#8
kurt_n Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: WA Posts: 2,592	In the process of taking out the live rock, did you stir up a bunch of muck? Disturb the sand bed? If so, that's probably where your spike in nitrates came from. Either way, adding more rock will not make the nitrates go away. Simplest thing is to do water changes until they're gone. Enough water changes - assuming the water is 0ppm nitrates - and it will go away.

09/30/2013, 05:41 PM	#10
Lou Young Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 410	The tank has been since may 2012. Just clownfish pairs in a few 10g tanks tied into 40g sump. I talked to some other people who breed clowns and feed a lot and they said they have higher ammonia and nitrate levels but low nitrates, so that's why I am so confused.

09/30/2013, 05:44 PM	#11
dclownd Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: NY, USA Posts: 141	just do a bigger water change and feed a bit less for a bit.

09/30/2013, 06:25 PM	#13
JRR1285 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 450	I would be suspect of the test kit you are using as others have said. I had an API one that would always read 160 PPM. How much live rock did you remove?