Tmaida17
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2012
- Messages
- 141
Probably rigged so you have to buy their other products. Lol
Not cleaning your filter for months would certainly cause a high number, it's not like freshwater! If your using a canister on a salt tank you need to be cleaning it at least once a week to avoid waste build up. As mentioned before, your beneficial bacteria live In your rocks and the canister is just holding waste and putting it back in your system. I can remember if you use a protein skimmer? If so I would just remove the canister and if not, I would get one and remove the canister you will still need to do weekly water changes which I assume you do already? Def do a couple of big ones back to back now, if that is a true nitrate reading it's pretty high!
Did you have a LFS test your water for a second opinion?
Something is causing the nitrates. Doing a water change and the numbers staying the same does not make sense. Maybe test the water you are adding prior to putting it in and see if that comes up nitrate- free.
Can you get your lfs to test as had same issue with API and now use Red Sea for most test and Salifert for nitrate.
I've been using the Red Sea kits and there good but use Salifert for nitrate as it's clearer to read the results and no ain't got Red Sea tank hot aqua reef.
The bottom line with nutrients is how much are you putting in v.s. how much you are taking out. If you are feeding daily, and running a HOB filter that you don't clean for months, I would say it's pretty easy to have high nitrates.
As stated before me, the snails and crabs don't really do any "cleaning". The reason you have to replace them is either that they starved to death, or they were killed by hermits. I'm betting they starved to death. Nassarius snails eat meaty foods, they do not eat algae or detritus, contrary to popular belief. They are carnivores.