HIGH nitrates!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bobcat178 · 09/02/2008, 10:31 AM

problem------can't get nitrates down.......ApI test of 10+ even after water change last night...... setup-------150gal with 150 lbs cured live rock (tank/rock 8mo old) model 4 overflow that has been removed of anything that can hold nitrates etc. protein skimmer in sump, 1200 gph return pump.. power heads in tank.. completed water change last night (40 gal) when reading was high.....little change..... ANY IDEAS??????????/

stingythingy45 · 09/02/2008, 10:36 AM

10+ on a API test is nothing to freak about...IMO.

toolfan · 09/02/2008, 10:37 AM

Something die? fish or any inverts? how old is the test kit? maybe it's bad. what do your trates usually run at? what do you feed? maybe a piece(s) of food never got eaten?

bobcat178 · 09/02/2008, 10:39 AM

ok,,the orange color put me on edge....have done 2 wtr changes in 6 days..so i was worried about the tang...seemed to be acting funny....was fluttering from time to time like some others i lost in past....

bobcat178 · 09/02/2008, 10:46 AM

nothing dead, feed formula two cubes and brine, usually what little gets by fish the crabs, shrimp get. test kit 10 mo old...checked against QT and that test is 0 nitrate....was just reading someone elses post with same prob....glad this site is here for all the ?'s....

Amphiprionocellaris · 09/02/2008, 10:50 AM

Just adding my agreement that 10 ppm nitrate is no problem. On a large, heavily-stocked tank, you may just be seeing nitrates before they can be metabolised.

wsboyette · 09/02/2008, 10:52 AM

Nitrates do not seem to harm fish, as I had a fish-only setup for two years that typically maintained a nitrate level of 50+, and my fish (Mandarin, Clowns, Puffer) stayed very healthy.

bobcat178 · 09/02/2008, 10:55 AM

just reading other post and saw a ? about base.....i have bout 2-3 in carib sand base, and did stir up some during change.....if that put levels in water how can i filter that out? or should i do another change. also how can you vac that fine material without losing part of it?

Amphiprionocellaris · 09/02/2008, 10:59 AM

As your tank matures and stabilizes, it will reach a point where you no longer detect nitrates. Until then, your system will have small peaks of nitrate due to an oscillation in bacterial population. Once the process is complete (which takes a year, sometimes two), it won't be a problem, and until then the best thing to do with a relatively low level is let the bacteria and other organisms in the tank take care of things.

bobcat178 · 09/02/2008, 11:01 AM

ok,,,,thanks for all the help....

IslandCrow · 09/02/2008, 11:02 AM

It will take much higher nitrates than that to do any harm to fish. I read about an experiment done quite awhile back where it took nitrates literally in the hundreds (I think it was 500ppm or more) before they had any fish losses. Granted it wasn't tested on reef fish, but it was saltwater fish. 10ppm is probably only a problem for very sensitive invertebrates.

Water changes aren't a very good reactionary measure to bring down nitrates, because it really doesn't address the problem. How often do you normally do water changes? Even after 8 months, your tank could still be stabilizing, so I wouldn't be too concerned yet. One thing that seemed to help for me, although it was probably an indirect impact, was running carbon. I say indirect, because I know carbon doesn't remove nitrate, but within two weeks of using it, my nitrates went from 5-10ppm to undetectable. Could have been cooincidence, but you may want to give it a try if you're not using it already.

crvz · 09/02/2008, 11:07 AM

There's a local aquarium to me that allows people to feed rays in a large tank pretty much all day long. The biologist there said he hasnt seen a nitrate test under 250ppm in a while, and the fish are doing well enough. Like others have said, 10ppm is not a worry.

x1crt · 09/02/2008, 11:58 AM

i have way higher nitrates in my tank,

im still working on it, i put a nitrate removal in my sump 3 days, so im waiting for it to start working

09/02/2008, 10:31 AM	#1
bobcat178 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 81	HIGH nitrates!!!!!!!!!!!!! problem------can't get nitrates down.......ApI test of 10+ even after water change last night...... setup-------150gal with 150 lbs cured live rock (tank/rock 8mo old) model 4 overflow that has been removed of anything that can hold nitrates etc. protein skimmer in sump, 1200 gph return pump.. power heads in tank.. completed water change last night (40 gal) when reading was high.....little change..... ANY IDEAS??????????/

09/02/2008, 10:36 AM	#2
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	10+ on a API test is nothing to freak about...IMO. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

09/02/2008, 10:50 AM	#6
Amphiprionocellaris Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 588	Just adding my agreement that 10 ppm nitrate is no problem. On a large, heavily-stocked tank, you may just be seeing nitrates before they can be metabolised. __________________ Some of us are obsessed with the hobby...some of us just can't control it...those are the ones who get their PhD in it... Current Tank Info: 1 40 gallon breeder mixed reef; past tanks: 75 gallon mixed reef, 3 140 gallon mixed reefs, 3 10 gallon nano species/coral displays, 2 30 gallon reefs, 4 10 gallon research tanks

09/02/2008, 10:59 AM	#9
Amphiprionocellaris Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 588	As your tank matures and stabilizes, it will reach a point where you no longer detect nitrates. Until then, your system will have small peaks of nitrate due to an oscillation in bacterial population. Once the process is complete (which takes a year, sometimes two), it won't be a problem, and until then the best thing to do with a relatively low level is let the bacteria and other organisms in the tank take care of things. __________________ Some of us are obsessed with the hobby...some of us just can't control it...those are the ones who get their PhD in it... Current Tank Info: 1 40 gallon breeder mixed reef; past tanks: 75 gallon mixed reef, 3 140 gallon mixed reefs, 3 10 gallon nano species/coral displays, 2 30 gallon reefs, 4 10 gallon research tanks

09/02/2008, 11:02 AM	#11
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	It will take much higher nitrates than that to do any harm to fish. I read about an experiment done quite awhile back where it took nitrates literally in the hundreds (I think it was 500ppm or more) before they had any fish losses. Granted it wasn't tested on reef fish, but it was saltwater fish. 10ppm is probably only a problem for very sensitive invertebrates. Water changes aren't a very good reactionary measure to bring down nitrates, because it really doesn't address the problem. How often do you normally do water changes? Even after 8 months, your tank could still be stabilizing, so I wouldn't be too concerned yet. One thing that seemed to help for me, although it was probably an indirect impact, was running carbon. I say indirect, because I know carbon doesn't remove nitrate, but within two weeks of using it, my nitrates went from 5-10ppm to undetectable. Could have been cooincidence, but you may want to give it a try if you're not using it already. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

09/02/2008, 10:37 AM	#3
toolfan Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston,Ma Posts: 87	Something die? fish or any inverts? how old is the test kit? maybe it's bad. what do your trates usually run at? what do you feed? maybe a piece(s) of food never got eaten?

09/02/2008, 10:39 AM	#4
bobcat178 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 81	ok,,the orange color put me on edge....have done 2 wtr changes in 6 days..so i was worried about the tang...seemed to be acting funny....was fluttering from time to time like some others i lost in past....

09/02/2008, 10:46 AM	#5
bobcat178 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 81	nothing dead, feed formula two cubes and brine, usually what little gets by fish the crabs, shrimp get. test kit 10 mo old...checked against QT and that test is 0 nitrate....was just reading someone elses post with same prob....glad this site is here for all the ?'s....

09/02/2008, 10:52 AM	#7
wsboyette Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: N.E.N.C. Posts: 140	Nitrates do not seem to harm fish, as I had a fish-only setup for two years that typically maintained a nitrate level of 50+, and my fish (Mandarin, Clowns, Puffer) stayed very healthy.

09/02/2008, 10:55 AM	#8
bobcat178 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 81	just reading other post and saw a ? about base.....i have bout 2-3 in carib sand base, and did stir up some during change.....if that put levels in water how can i filter that out? or should i do another change. also how can you vac that fine material without losing part of it?

09/02/2008, 11:01 AM	#10
bobcat178 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: illinois Posts: 81	ok,,,,thanks for all the help....

09/02/2008, 11:07 AM	#12
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	There's a local aquarium to me that allows people to feed rays in a large tank pretty much all day long. The biologist there said he hasnt seen a nitrate test under 250ppm in a while, and the fish are doing well enough. Like others have said, 10ppm is not a worry. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

09/02/2008, 11:58 AM	#13
x1crt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: california Posts: 319	i have way higher nitrates in my tank, im still working on it, i put a nitrate removal in my sump 3 days, so im waiting for it to start working