911 High Nitrate Need reduce ASAP

[nnguyen1184]

My nitrate level in my randy went up to 50 holy crap. Changed 30 percent of water a day before. It went down to 10 but went back up to 30. I use instant reducer and Red Sea products daily and weekly. I have a 180 gallon skimmer for a 125 gallon tank. I got a 20 gal Refugium. I have 4 fish and 3 little corals. I can't find the source to what is wrong. Need help asap.


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[jeffaquarius]

Did you disturbed your substrate before nitrate went up. Have you done anything which was not your routine?

 

[nnguyen1184]

I added some live sand but I did that to help reduce nitrates


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[mr_X]

I don't believe that's how live sand works. basically, in order for it to reduce nitrate, there needs to be low oxygen zones where anaerobic bacteria will reside. This would require you to add a considerable amount of sand and wait for anaerobic bacteria to grow and start converting nitrate. It will not instantly start lowering your nitrates, and could very possibly have been the reason they went up.
I would do some water changes to bring nitrates down.

 

[nnguyen1184]

Thanks Mr X. Sorry didn't give you guys a full update. I added some live sands about a week and a half ago. My nitrate didn't rise then. I did 2 water change since then. I'm thinking about adding a carbon reactor to it to fix this issue. I can't afford changing 30% water of a 125 gallon twice a week


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[mr_X]

I still think it was the sand that made it rise. I think a few water changes and you'll be fine if that's the case. Otherwise, look to flow, feeding, and/or nutrient export. What type and size are the fish? How often are you feeding? What is "instant reducer"? What Red sea products are you adding daily, and how much?

 

[nnguyen1184]

I have a tang 2 1/2 - 3 inch. 1 inch clown fish. 2 gobbys. 1 fired shrimp. 30 snails or so and a chocolate chip star fish. 3 little corals still on my frag plug. I use instant ocean nitrate reducer 100 ml each week and phosphate nitrate reducer 15 ml daily

I have a 125 gal tank w/ 100lb live rock. 20 gal Refugium. Over flow box HOB and 2 canister filter and a 180gal skimmer.


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[mr_X]

How often and how much are you feeding? I would skip the nitrate reducer and phosphate reducer. Find out what is causing it and fix the problem there, instead of pouring more stuff in the tank. What brand and model is this skimmer? How often are you cleaning the canister filter?

 

[Mattyfelts]

I have a tang 2 1/2 - 3 inch. 1 inch clown fish. 2 gobbys. 1 fired shrimp. 30 snails or so and a chocolate chip star fish. 3 little corals still on my frag plug. I use instant ocean nitrate reducer 100 ml each week and phosphate nitrate reducer 15 ml daily

I have a 125 gal tank w/ 100lb live rock. 20 gal Refugium. Over flow box HOB and 2 canister filter and a 180gal skimmer.


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why are you using those products? those both can be maintained with water changes and i doubt either product actually does anything. clean your canister filters, they can become a nitrate trap.

 

[nnguyen1184]

I feed my fish very little once a day I have a Aquatop skimmer I dump it out every day and wash it


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[Mattyfelts]

I feed my fish very little once a day I have a Aquatop skimmer I dump it out every day and wash it


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okay but why do you use those two nitrate reducing products, i cant see any actual benefit that you wouldnt acheive easily from water changes, that wouldnt result it possible damage to your system.

how often do you clean your canister filters?

 

[mr_X]

Aquatop? Can you send me the link to that? All I am getting from google are very small HOB filters. I was asking how often you clean the canister filter.

 

[nnguyen1184]

I clean my canister once a month maybe I need to step it up and clean them more often. And my skimmer is an auctiva skimmer 159 gal.




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[nnguyen1184]

Here is my plan I'm going to change 75% of my water clean both of my canisters. Stop using nitrate reducers. Clean my skimmer. Add a carbon reactor. Let me know what yall think.


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[Mattyfelts]

yeah id start cleaning em weekly, better yet id move to a sump. but if you cant do some weekly cleanings.

Mr. X, could the chemicals hes dosing to remove nitrates be screwing up the skimmer?

 

[nnguyen1184]

I have a Refugium and a 10 gal sump that I don't use I can add it to my tank. Would that be ok or too many filtration system??? Btw thanks for all your help. I feel like I have a team supporting me


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[Mattyfelts]

Your going to need a way bigger sump then a ten and twenty gallon


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[nnguyen1184]

What size do I need?


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[mr_X]

I don't think that skimmer is going to be too effective. I don't know if those additives are hurting you or not, but I doubt they are helping. Excess nutrients are all about what you are putting in the tank V.S. what you are puling out. There is a build up somewhere. Try cleaning the canister filter weekly for a while. This is a place where nutrients build up quickly.

 

[PB_Smith]

set up the sump, change the canister filter to pull water from the sump after it has gone through a filter sock and the skimmer and load the canister with something like Chemi-Pure Elite and Purigen.
what you want to avoid is accumulating particulate/waste matter in the canister filter as it breaks down and increases the overall waste being maintained in the water.
By putting it after a filter sock, which should be cleaned daily, you avoid getting that build up of muck and can then devote the canister to chemical filtration.


along those lines you should also get the biggest skimmer you can manage because protein skimming is the only filtration methodology that removes waste completely from the water circulation. all other forms simply trap waste until you clean it.
The more waste that is removed from the water volume, the less nitrates are produced overall.


you should also test your source water for nitrates if that is not directly in your control.