How to get Nitrate going down?

[jennytram]

I am Newbie, My nitrate (NO3) in SW is going up very high, Which is about 80 or more. Any one have any exprience or any good advide to help me to get out this problem...Please.

PH = 8.2
Amonia = 0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = 80
salinity = 1.25

 

[bawel]

Did you do PWC often? usually PWC brings the nitrate down and how big is your tank Jenny? My nitrate stays at around 5ppm and I learn that it's because I don't have a skimmer. I think your salinity is 1.025 rite? 1.25 is lethal.

 

[melosu58]

How about a little info. What size tank? Do you have a sump? How often are you doing PWC`s? What fish are in the tank?

 

[jennytram]

My tank size 75galon, I do have Sump and PWC every week for 10%

Triangle Trriger, Humma Trigger, Niger Trigger, Lion Fish, Yellow Tang, Safin Tang, Emperor Angle, Clown Fish, Group Blue Dot and Fiji Fox-face.

 

[melosu58]

My tank size 75galon, I do have Sump and PWC every week for 10%

Triangle Trriger, Humma Trigger, Niger Trigger, Lion Fish, Yellow Tang, Safin Tang, Emperor Angle, Clown Fish, Group Blue Dot and Fiji Fox-face.

That`s a pretty large bioload for your tank. Many of those fish are messy eaters and will cause a huge nitrate spike. If it was me I would almost do a 25% PWC every week. Do you have a skimmer? You need one. Also what are you doing for filtration? Anyway you can make your sump a refugium? How much Liverock? Just trying to come up with a few ideas.

 

[Innovator]

Agreed, that is a lot of eventually large, messy fish for a 75g. I am not sure how long you have had them or the system running with them, but most times you will eventually see health problems arise from territorial disputes causing injury with that assortment and amount of fish. At least for now, I'd even recommend 50% water changes weekly and get a high-end skimmer. If this were my tank, I'd start culling.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Agree with the others, with all those particular fish in there, you're probably lucky that your nitrates are "only" 80ppm! Unless you want to be doing 25%+ water changes weekly and still living with high nitrates, you're going to want to start thinking about which fish want to be returned to the fish store. Of course... there's always the larger tank option!