Nitrate Levels

[atwise21]

For some reason my nitrate levels are extraordinarily high...at least I think it is. I'm somewhere in between 50 and 110 ppm. I do regular water changes (20% every month), I even went out and spent a butt load of money on a protein skimmer and a canister filter to help with the problem. I bought a pouch of bacteria that was supposed to help the levels but nothing seems to do the trick. It isn't good for my bank, I've killed off an anemone and some shrimp as well as ever snail I ever put in there. Friends have told me that I need to take my lr out and vacuum under it, other say that I need to feed less. I have been feeding on snall cube of frozen food nightly. Any ideas on what the problem might be?

30 Gallon Tank, 1 false percula, 1 banghai cardinal, 1coral beauty angel, 6 blue legged hermits, 25-30 lbs of live rock.

 

[austinsdad]

nitrate levels are extraordinarily high...at least I think it is. I'm somewhere in between 50 and 110 ppm.

Yes. It is high.

One cube seems a lot to feed for just 3 fish. I think it's the feeding and the crushed coral.

 

[mjvincent]

I do a 10% change every week. I have a 32 gallon hex.

 

[Jason]

to much food.

 

[Kam]

I'm going with a combination, you should be doing a 5-10% water change every week (from what I have read and am doing) and feed a little less.

 

[malkore]

I agree. Feeding too much, combined with crushed coral substrate, and not frequent enough water changes.
Yes, some people only do a 10% water change every 6 months. However, from the looks of things, your tank doesn't fall into that category.

 

[Phyl]

Too much food (1/2 cube every other day for those 3 fish should be fine plus whatever grazing materials the angel needs--do they eat nori? Are you adding angel food to the rotation?), too few water changes (20% every 2 weeks), not enough live rock (1.5 - 2 #/g), dirty crushed coral... Sounds like you have a combination of factors attributing to your nitrates. Also adding a fuge or Macro algaes to your main should help to reduce your nitrates.

Good luck!

 

[lando]

I have been feeding on snall cube of frozen food nightly.

this may be your problem. What type of froozen food are you feeding and hw are you preparing it? Froozen food should be thawed out and then rinsed in RO/DI water prior to putting it in the tank. the "juice" it produceds when thawed can foul up a tank in no time. One cube in a 30 gal every day is a lot of food. I would cut back to 1/2 cube every other day and do more frequent water changes (10%/week) to see it that helps. I do not believe you are over-stocked. You could certainly add another 30lbs of LR to help with the NO3 and I would also consider ditching the bio-wheels on your filter as they can contribute to the NO3 problem.

 

[schoeplein]

Consider how many fish I have in my tank. 10 (down to 9 now).

I feed one cube every two days. Every third rotation I use an Angel cube (has krill and other goodies).

I think I'm feeding too often and my nitrates are nearly 0.
My nitrites are near 20 tho...

Try also melting the cube in a glass of your tanks water, straining it through a net (the green aquarium nets are fine enough), and tossing the food then. This helps remove the stabilizing liquid that they package the food in. Dispose of the glass of water.

 

[malkore]

Schoeplein,

your nitrItes are 20ppm? That's deadly to fish. Please say that's a typo. 8O

 

[electrikat]

I voted too much food but it should have been a combo of both less food and more water changes.