Horrible Nitrates !

beefcake · 01/29/2006, 03:44 PM

In the past I've never really had a nitrate problem, certainly nothing over 20ppm anyway. Its been a while since I tested my water I admit and if figured I should check it since I'm getting algae pretty bad. Lo and behold its off the charts 100ppm+. I'm doing a water change as I type this but am wondering what may have caused such crazy nitrates. I only have 2 small fish atm and tons of live rock and some corals (none of which r too happy i would imagine). I feed my fish fairly conservatively as I only have 2 fish so i dont think thats a big issue. I don't use bio balls. I have the mud/calurpa in my fuge with some more live rock. I also ran a phosphate test which turned up negative. ideas ? please don't flame i know i've been naughty.

mg426 · 01/29/2006, 04:04 PM

Do you run a skimmer? a skimmer does not remove nitrates directly but it removes the stuff that becomes nitrates.Are you sure about your make up water? Tons of LR? 1 lb per gallon minimum. Mabe try another test kit to verify the whole situation.anyway water changes are the way to go at this point lots and lots of them

beefcake · 01/29/2006, 04:31 PM

No skimmer, really no room for one underneath the tank. Corners are so small. :-(

mg426 · 01/29/2006, 04:39 PM

You could buy a hang on the tank type.Aqua c remora pro comes to mind.They work great. a good skimmer goes a long way at helping with this sort of thing.Poly filters help too.

beefcake · 01/29/2006, 04:44 PM

Actually I was just looking in to that very thing. I found a Red Sea Prizm Hang-on Protein Skimmer (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=RS1131) thats rated up to 100g. I had no idea these things worked well. I could actually hang this in my fuge under my tank.

mg426 · 01/29/2006, 04:47 PM

How much are you going to pay for the prizm.The Remora c is about 215 dollars and is a much better skimmer IMO.Check out www.marinedepot.com they have a pretty good rating chart for skimmers

mg426 · 01/29/2006, 04:48 PM

Also make sure that tyour skimmer receives raw unfiltered water

beefcake · 01/29/2006, 04:50 PM

Ok ill see if I can get a remora to work I found it for $163.95 at marine depot. Sounds good.

mg426 · 01/29/2006, 04:53 PM

You have a 110 right??? it is rated for up to 75.If this id the case get the remora pro up to 120

beefcake · 01/29/2006, 05:01 PM

Oops was looking at the specs for the Red sea one there. I have a 92gallon corner tank. I'll check the pro one out.

old salty · 01/29/2006, 05:54 PM

I'm using the same type of filtration as you are, and nitrates are always at zero. When you do water changes, do you take a powerhead or a turkey baster and blow off the rock and the substrate?? I do this in conjunction with a filter sock.

01/29/2006, 03:44 PM	#1
beefcake Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: St. Charles, Mo. Posts: 696	Horrible Nitrates ! In the past I've never really had a nitrate problem, certainly nothing over 20ppm anyway. Its been a while since I tested my water I admit and if figured I should check it since I'm getting algae pretty bad. Lo and behold its off the charts 100ppm+. I'm doing a water change as I type this but am wondering what may have caused such crazy nitrates. I only have 2 small fish atm and tons of live rock and some corals (none of which r too happy i would imagine). I feed my fish fairly conservatively as I only have 2 fish so i dont think thats a big issue. I don't use bio balls. I have the mud/calurpa in my fuge with some more live rock. I also ran a phosphate test which turned up negative. ideas ? please don't flame i know i've been naughty. __________________ Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. Current Tank Info: 92 gal. corner bowfront, 110 lb fiji, eco-system refugium, 250w Halide w/ 240w of PC lights

01/29/2006, 04:04 PM	#2
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Do you run a skimmer? a skimmer does not remove nitrates directly but it removes the stuff that becomes nitrates.Are you sure about your make up water? Tons of LR? 1 lb per gallon minimum. Mabe try another test kit to verify the whole situation.anyway water changes are the way to go at this point lots and lots of them __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

01/29/2006, 04:31 PM	#3
beefcake Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: St. Charles, Mo. Posts: 696	No skimmer, really no room for one underneath the tank. Corners are so small. :-( __________________ Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. Current Tank Info: 92 gal. corner bowfront, 110 lb fiji, eco-system refugium, 250w Halide w/ 240w of PC lights

01/29/2006, 04:39 PM	#4
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	You could buy a hang on the tank type.Aqua c remora pro comes to mind.They work great. a good skimmer goes a long way at helping with this sort of thing.Poly filters help too. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

01/29/2006, 04:44 PM	#5
beefcake Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: St. Charles, Mo. Posts: 696	Actually I was just looking in to that very thing. I found a Red Sea Prizm Hang-on Protein Skimmer (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=RS1131) thats rated up to 100g. I had no idea these things worked well. I could actually hang this in my fuge under my tank. __________________ Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. Current Tank Info: 92 gal. corner bowfront, 110 lb fiji, eco-system refugium, 250w Halide w/ 240w of PC lights

01/29/2006, 04:47 PM	#6
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	How much are you going to pay for the prizm.The Remora c is about 215 dollars and is a much better skimmer IMO.Check out www.marinedepot.com they have a pretty good rating chart for skimmers __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

01/29/2006, 04:48 PM	#7
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Also make sure that tyour skimmer receives raw unfiltered water __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

01/29/2006, 04:50 PM	#8
beefcake Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: St. Charles, Mo. Posts: 696	Ok ill see if I can get a remora to work I found it for $163.95 at marine depot. Sounds good. __________________ Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. Current Tank Info: 92 gal. corner bowfront, 110 lb fiji, eco-system refugium, 250w Halide w/ 240w of PC lights

01/29/2006, 04:53 PM	#9
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	You have a 110 right??? it is rated for up to 75.If this id the case get the remora pro up to 120 __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

01/29/2006, 05:01 PM	#10
beefcake Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: St. Charles, Mo. Posts: 696	Oops was looking at the specs for the Red sea one there. I have a 92gallon corner tank. I'll check the pro one out. __________________ Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. Current Tank Info: 92 gal. corner bowfront, 110 lb fiji, eco-system refugium, 250w Halide w/ 240w of PC lights

01/29/2006, 05:54 PM	#11
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	I'm using the same type of filtration as you are, and nitrates are always at zero. When you do water changes, do you take a powerhead or a turkey baster and blow off the rock and the substrate?? I do this in conjunction with a filter sock. __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby