Nitrate Removal-PLEASE HELP

[Fishboy-from-NY]

Hello everyone, I have 150 GALLON FISH ONLY-Saltwater and have problems with my Nitrate levels for quite sometime. Here are the following things that I have tried and haven't worked at all:

1) AZN03-New Product that promises 0 levels, tried for a month and didn't work.
2) De-Nitrate Media(Seachem) in both of my ehiems and still no results.
3) Constant water changes every 3 days (10%) and it goes down for a day and then shoots up.

I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO HELP ME IN DECIDING WHAT GREAT NITRATE REMOVAL FILTERS TO POSSIBLY PURCHASE OR BETTER PRODUCTS that would do the job. I took time to list all my equipment and fish in the tank.

PLEASE HELP.

Equipment
2-Ehiem 2217 Filters
1-EcoAqualizor
1-Maxi Reef 200 Wet/Dry
1-25 Watt Sterilizer
1-Natulis TE Skimmer
1-1/4hp Drop-in Chiller

Current fish in the Tank:
1 Humu Trigger
2 Yellow Tangs
1 Purple Tang
1 Green Bird Wrasse
1 Snowflake Eel
1 Ghost Eel
1 Watchman Goby
1-Regal Pygmy Angel
9-3 Stripe damsels

 

[Brisc0]

Could you give a little more info about the tank other than the equipment and inhabitants? How old is it, is there LR or a DSB? Do you add any suppliments? How much of what are you feeding the fish? Hope to be of more help!

 

[Guest]

What type of water are you using? Tap? RO? DI?

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

Tap

 

[Guest]

That may be your problem right there.. I know I was having problems with Nitrates when I used Tap. Nothing major, but enough to annoy me. I switched to RO and haven't had any problems since. However if your's is really high IMO I would not only look into RO..But also check what your feeding and how often your doing it.. Those could lead to possible Nitrate problems as well.

 

[Guest]

Just noticed.. You have a wet/dry...Are you using the bio balls in there? They are known to be good for containing Nitrates.

 

[daveNandi]

You might solve your problem by adding live rock (about 1 lb per gal) and a refugium with some macroalgae, but I'd bet using good water will be it. Test the tap water you are using before you put it in and see what the level is.

 

[reefrunner69]

1-Maxi Reef 200 Wet/Dry

2-Ehiem 2217 Filters

Current fish in the Tank:
1 Humu Trigger
2 Yellow Tangs
1 Purple Tang
1 Green Bird Wrasse
1 Snowflake Eel
1 Ghost Eel
1 Watchman Goby
1-Regal Pygmy Angel
9-3 Stripe damsels

That is a heavy fish load (even for a 150) with a few messy eaters, and 3 nitrate sinks/factories as part of your filtration. You don't mention what the actual nitrate levels are? With a FO tank it is not as imperative to maintain really low nitrates. What substrate are you using? cc or sand?

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

what the actual nitrate levels are? my levels are currently 30PPM.

What substrate are you using? Aragonite sand about 3 inches?

 

[reefrunner69]

my levels are currently 30PPM.

Considering your fish load and filtration....I do not think your levels are that high. I would suspect any algae issues are more likely caused by PO4 from the Tap water.

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

Reefrunner, you are so right. My tap water has ton of phosphate levels high.