nitrate level through the roof!!!!!!!!

[vsnsofadrgn]

can anyone help????? my nitrate level is SUPER high!!!!!! how do i lower it?? i have been using tap water to cap of the eveaporation and i think thats how it got that way... do i do a major water change??

this is my set up:
20gal, 17lbs LR, 18lbs LS, protein skimmer, 2 powerheads, a heater, 2 clowns, hermits, and a snail.

here are my test results:
nitrate - 80
nitrite - 0
ammonia - .25
ph - 8

thanks in advance!!

 

[Royal Gramma]

How old is the system?

PWCs with RO/DI water are the best way imo to lower Nitrates.

Test your tap water for Nitrates to see if it is the culprit.

How often do you do water changes?

Best wishes!

Mark

 

[AndyH5512]

That is the tough issue with having a smaller tank. Small changes in population, feeding etc can equal huge fluctuations in water quality. You defintely need to do some water changes, but be careful how much you do at once. How much are you feeding? Over feeding can be a big cause of high nitrates.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

its been up and running since feb 2005, i will test the tap water.......i do water changes about once a month...

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i feed flake food once a day, ive tried the frozen, but they wont eat it . i havent changed anything in the tank, i moved in may, and ive been using different water to top off but thats the only change ive made. im goin to testt he tap water now....

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

ive heard that sponges acan be a nitrate problem, should i take the sponges off the powerheads???

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

the tap water test results are 10. ive been topping off with this since may, is that the culprit?? im sorry but can you tell me what a RO/DI system consists of please??

 

[runway1]

Monthly water changes, flake food daily and tap water, YUP. That's your problem.

I can barely keep my NO3's under 10 but this is what I do and it works for me anyhow:
*I feed every other day, sometimes every third day - frozen stuff. Try some garlic and let them go 2-3 days without feeding. That should get them to eat.
*Water changes are 15% weekly, RO/DI only.

For now, I would suggest a 1/3 water change and stop feeding for a couple days. Then, do another 10-15% water change and a light feeding of garlic soaked frozen food. Wait 5-7 days and do a 20% water change. USE RO/DI. It's cheap. Especially since you're only buying ~5-8 gallons at a time. GOOD LUCK

 

[Hara]

your sponges could be a source, how often do you take them off and clean them? I would try to do it weekly, as well as water changes weekly with the ro water

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

what should i use for top off?

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i clean the sponges when they are dirty, which turns out to be every week or every other, should i take them off??

 

[MantisFreak]

You need to do topoffs with RO/DI water as well. You will never have low Nitrates if you are adding it every day. Not only that. If your tapwater has that many nitrates, chances are you are adding substantial phosphates and/or silicates as well.

There's an even worse possibility. A lot of water companies are now using Chloramines instead of chlorine. When the chlorine is removed, that leaves you with Ammonia. Ammonia is bad for fish. If this is going on, you will also get high Nitrates as the bacteria change it to Nitrites and then Nitrates.

Sponges, if not cleaned regularly become a biofilter. They attract waste. The waste rots and breaks down into phosphates and Ammonia. Eventually, this Ammonia also turns into Nitrates.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i was told by my lfs that a hob with carbon will help, is this true???

 

[Brenden]

It could help some but you need to fix the problem at the source. I highly suggest a ro/di filter if you have that much nitrate in your tap water. They are less than $100 on ebay. By the time you buy a hob, carbon filters etc you are going to be half way into the price of a filter unit but will only be masking the problem. It will be a constant battle you will never win unless you stop the source. I bought my filter on ebay and it has worked great. PM me if you want me to look up who I bought it from.

 

[lando]

These are all great suggestions. One major contributor to high NO3 is over-feeding. I suggest cutting feedings back to one light feeding every two or three days. Combine this with several PWC using RO/DI and you should see some improvement. Make sure you clean the sponges in the SW you have removed from the tank during a water change. Good luck.

 

[greenmaji]

lando.. if you dont want your sponges becoming bio-filters couldnt you just clean them in RO/DI water to make sure they dont become bio-filters?
I would definatly use RO/DI for topoffs and waterchanges.. and cutting back on the feedings.. all in all it should get your NO3 down gradually.. instead of just big water changes with RO/DI, wich would change things too quickly..

 

[lando]

lando.. if you dont want your sponges becoming bio-filters couldnt you just clean them in RO/DI water to make sure they dont become bio-filters?

Absolutly. However, by using SW you can try to preserve some os the beneficial bacteria while rinsing away the detritus.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

well i got some ro water from the lfs. i will be changing every week. i had a hob laying around, so im just using that for now, until i can afford the ro/di system. i also went ahead and got some frozen food. i didnt feed yesterday or today, and am going to soak in garlic and offer it to them tomorrow. how often do i feed with that? i read somewhere that our water has been changed to the chloramines, and ever since we moved here, ive graduatlly gotten an algea problem....so that would explain that (that and the flake food). as for the top-offs, the saltinity wont be a problem if i use the ro water?? would i be better taking the sponges off, or just the cleaning them with the ro water??? thank you all soooo much for all of your help and advice (especially when i went to the lfs, i knew what i was talking about and he couldnt pull one over on me)

 

[Brenden]

I feed every other day and feed flake/pellet once a week. I am sure everyone has a different plan I just prefer to give them what they would get naturally. I soak all my feedings except flake in garlic, selcon, zoe

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

they ate it!! yay!! they seem to really like it, too thanks again for all of your help