Nirate won't go down!!! >o<

[match55]

my tank has been set up for 2 and a half month.
everything is fine except the nitrate.
it keeps at 15~20ppm

I did check my mixed water before I add to the tank,
I know I m using tap water, but I used prime and the water test and the mixed water is super good, everything is 0.

I usually do 20% water change every 4days, cuz i don't want my snails to die, I do 20% every other day now.

Anyone know what cause the nirate to stay at 20ppm?
I have 8 or 9 hermits, 4 nassarius snails, and 3 green spotted puffers.

I m thinking the puffers is the reason why the nitrate stay that high.
if thats really the case, will the refu I set up in the near future help reduce nitrate?


http://reefscavengers.com/nassarius.html

 

[thominil]

You will be fine with 15-20ppm IMO. Fish are good til' like 30-40ppm (I don't recommend). It's when/if you add coral that you will need the lower nitrates, but even at that level you would still be fine although you would want to bring down to around 5-10ppm. Your snails will be fine as well. A fuge will help with nitrate if you have macro growing in it, ot if you have a DSB. HTH.

 

[match55]

i m planning to add more corals next month, so that time i should reduce my nitrate to less than 5ppm, right?
do snails do fine at 20ppm nitrate?

 

[thominil]

Yes, the snails will be fine. Around 5ppm for coral is great, you can go a little higher to 10-15ppm if you have to for coral.

 

[match55]

Yes, the snails will be fine. Around 5ppm for coral is great, you can go a little higher to 10-15ppm if you have to for coral.

oh great.
but how come my nitrate stay at 20ppm even tho I did a PWC?
should I go get some marco algae put them in the tank, then move to my refugium later?

 

[joy13]

I have macro algae in my tank and it does help with the nitrates. I was lucky enough to get some on a LR I got off craigslist, my LFS doesn't sell macro algae usually. I am now waiting from reef cleaners they had some reds I wanted to try. I also got some snails from them too. Be sure if you put it in your tank that it doesn't go asexual very easy and doesn't become a problem. ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Plants/Macroalgae

 

[match55]

I have macro algae in my tank and it does help with the nitrates. I was lucky enough to get some on a LR I got off craigslist, my LFS doesn't sell macro algae usually. I am now waiting from reef cleaners they had some reds I wanted to try. I also got some snails from them too. Be sure if you put it in your tank that it doesn't go asexual very easy and doesn't become a problem. ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Plants/Macroalgae

woo thats some cheap mangrove, $4 for 5 OoO
thanks for the link, I think I will get some macro algae from them.
^^

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I would hazard a guess that if you're using tap water, your parameters aren't "super good." Water that's OK one day might not be OK the next. Trust me... been there, done that. If you're not testing your tap water every single time you use it, you just never know what you're putting in there. If you're concerned about nitrates, I'd suggest getting a RO/DI setup and eliminating any possible contaminants from the source. It's not just nitrates you're eliminating... it's all the other stuff you can't/don't test for.

As far as how the nitrates are getting in there... only a theory, but I'd say that you've been slowly accumulating them in the tank every time you do a water change with tap water. Perhaps the amount of nitrates in the tap water is just below the threshold of your test kit, and while it appears you're adding 0.0ppm nitrate tap water each time - in reality you've been adding 5.0ppm nitrate tap water each time. Slowly but surely you've been increasing the nitrate level in your tank until it becomes measurable using your test kit.

The other thought is that your tank is really young. You could just be seeing the nitrates "catching up" as the waste is being processed and your bacterial colony increases in size.

You say you're going to be adding more corals? Puffers have a tendency to snack a little on hard coral, so you might keep an eye on that.

 

[match55]

I would hazard a guess that if you're using tap water, your parameters aren't "super good." Water that's OK one day might not be OK the next. Trust me... been there, done that. If you're not testing your tap water every single time you use it, you just never know what you're putting in there. If you're concerned about nitrates, I'd suggest getting a RO/DI setup and eliminating any possible contaminants from the source. It's not just nitrates you're eliminating... it's all the other stuff you can't/don't test for.

As far as how the nitrates are getting in there... only a theory, but I'd say that you've been slowly accumulating them in the tank every time you do a water change with tap water. Perhaps the amount of nitrates in the tap water is just below the threshold of your test kit, and while it appears you're adding 0.0ppm nitrate tap water each time - in reality you've been adding 5.0ppm nitrate tap water each time. Slowly but surely you've been increasing the nitrate level in your tank until it becomes measurable using your test kit.

The other thought is that your tank is really young. You could just be seeing the nitrates "catching up" as the waste is being processed and your bacterial colony increases in size.

You say you're going to be adding more corals? Puffers have a tendency to snack a little on hard coral, so you might keep an eye on that.

thanks you so much ^^
I m saving money on my RO/DI right now
I will check my mixed water everytime till I get the RO
should I get another test kit for nitrate? any recommendation?

I think maybe my tank is still catching up since its only 2months old

I m still fighting on keeping puffer or change it to reef.
>o< I love both~ just need to figure out which I m gonna do.