Nitrates wont lower.

[bavass]

I would clean out the wet/dry you will be suprised how much detritus builds up. They are nitrate factories for that reason.

 

[Budda619]

I rinsed my floss, replaced my cotton filter a month ago when the pro problem started. My activated carbon i replaced two weeks ago.

I tend to swap out my carbon every 30 days. My floss gets rinsed and cotton media gets replaced every two months. I didnt know lr can leak nitrates because of tap water. When i use to top off with tap, i would a lil bit of prime to it

 

[bavass]

Personanly I would do away with the wet/dry and get a skimmer. Yep the rock sits in water with nitrates/phosphates it can soak them up. Thats why when you start a new tank the rock gets different stages of algaes on it because its leaching out and there are different stages of bacteria growth that can eat ammonia, nitrites, nitrates etc... I think Prime only really removes chlorine. Tap water is very high in most areas with nitrates and phosphates. You really need something that will remove the detritus, the wet dry only creates an area for bacteria to grow and eat nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Cheato, purigen or chemipure elite and you will see a reduction.the Marco algae will work well.

 

[Budda619]

Personanly I would do away with the wet/dry and get a skimmer. Yep the rock sits in water with nitrates/phosphates it can soak them up. Thats why when you start a new tank the rock gets different stages of algaes on it because its leaching out and there are different stages of bacteria growth that can eat ammonia, nitrites, nitrates etc... I think Prime only really removes chlorine. Tap water is very high in most areas with nitrates and phosphates. You really need something that will remove the detritus, the wet dry only creates an area for bacteria to grow and eat nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.

I currently have a skimmer running. I even supercharged it by adding a wood stone to increase even more bubbles. Its working great as i get about 1/4 of skimmate every 2-3 days. Alot more when i had the skimmer working regulary. I have tested the tap water and it shows very low in in nitrites and nitrates, but that dosent mean it has a small trace of it

 

[Budda619]

Cheato, purigen or chemipure elite and you will see a reduction.the Marco algae will work well.

Purigen and chemi pure, wont that lower my alk levels if i use them?

 

[Daniel Fishy]

I never heard that, the purigen helps remove nutrients from the water, and chemi pure elite has gfo to remove phosphate. To much at one time can cause the corals to close up cus their use to dirtier water but they reopen. Try the macro and the elite since you run carbon swap it out for the chemipure elite. I run both and macro and mangroves.that solved my nitrate problem.

 

[Budda619]

I never heard that, the purigen helps remove nutrients from the water, and chemi pure elite has gfo to remove phosphate. To much at one time can cause the corals to close up cus their use to dirtier water but they reopen. Try the macro and the elite since you run carbon swap it out for the chemipure elite. I run both and macro and mangroves.that solved my nitrate problem.

Thanks! This is a whole new realm for me. So i should replacing the carbon with chemi pure elite and chaeto? Which is better for replacing my carbon, purigen or chemi pure elite? Can i run carbon at the same time? Or best to drop the carbon?

 

[Gregcoyote]

If it was me, I would use chaeto and Purigen. If you are mixing different corals and anemones, carbon can also be useful to help filter out those toxins. Chemipure is a easy to use product that combines GFO with carbon. I tend to use it on nanos, not larger systems.

 

[bavass]

The best option i think is to run Bulkreefsupply ROX.08 carbon in one reactor and run BRS HC GFO in another reactor.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I agree, but using a macro algae like chaeto is the cheapest and perhaps most effective thing you can do over the long term for zero dollars.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Thanks! This is a whole new realm for me. So i should replacing the carbon with chemi pure elite and chaeto? Which is better for replacing my carbon, purigen or chemi pure elite? Can i run carbon at the same time? Or best to drop the carbon?

The chemi pure is carbon and gfo so if you run it you will have your carbon no need to add any more. Just rinse it off well.the purigen buy a bottle of it and a fine mesh bag add the proper amount rinse and put it were water can run through it. Remember you can always add more little changes slowly are better. Do some research on the purigen really makes your water sparkle. Add your macro and give it awhile then you should start seeing results.

 

[Budda619]

Update: I ordered my chemipure and awaiting delivery. Also waiting on my lights that i can install right in the back of nano for the chaeto macro algae.

Tested my waters at 40ppm on thursday. Did a 15% water change and it still tested at 40ppm. Took water sample next day to lfs and they tested same

Four days later this past Sunday it tested it at 40ppm . Did another 15% water change and Went to lfs for some chaeto. They also tested 40ppm. According to them the wc shouldve dropped my nitrates somewhat. They requested me to bring a sample in today which i did and it was still showing 40ppm.
Hopefully after i get my purigen they will drop. Thanks all

 

[Dylan M.]

I work at a fish store and customers come in with this problem all the time and I give them poly-filter they've said it works great and I've used it too an it has lowered my nitrates plus reduced my phosphates. What's cool about it is the filter changes colors when removing impurities like hard metals. that's what I would recommend.

 

[bavass]

If your nitrates are 40 and you do a 15% water change you lowered them to 34ppm i doubt the test kit will see that little of a difference. You have to be aggressive to get them down. When mine were high i did a 50% water change every other day and lowered them

 

[bavass]

Just read back through . Few things what is your livestock? What skimmer are you using? Have you tested the water coming out of your guys RO/DI before he mixes the salt?

 

[Budda619]

Just read back through . Few things what is your livestock? What skimmer are you using? Have you tested the water coming out of your guys RO/DI before he mixes the salt?

I have actually done 50% wc and it made no difference when i tested it right after. This even during back to back 50% wc. Weird right?

My live stock is two clown and two fire fish. I have also a coral band shrimp and cleaner shrimp. Almost 2 dozen corals of all types. And one bta.
The skimmer i have is what came with the tank. Its a finnex 30 gallon nano. I have even considered the skimmer cheap so i super charged it with a extra wood stone which now puts out 1/4 cup skimate every two three days.

The water is premixed before i pick it up so i have not seen it in person but he does have a tds meter built in to his rodi. He makes hundreds of gallons for his clients. He uses instant ocean salt

 

[Budda619]

I work at a fish store and customers come in with this problem all the time and I give them poly-filter they've said it works great and I've used it too an it has lowered my nitrates plus reduced my phosphates. What's cool about it is the filter changes colors when removing impurities like hard metals. that's what I would recommend.

Thx dylan. I will consider this if my purigen and chaeto dosent work. What would cause my nitrates to stay at a constant 40ppm

 

[Dylan M.]

When I do cleaning and dosing for customers and they have this problem it's because there's something dead it just hidden and they can't find it then I find it when cleaning usually hermits or small fish. That might be the problem idk. I would do water changes once a week and measure 3 fingers from your water line and that's how much you take out using RO/DI of course. from my experience it's when people use city water and in the long run they run into problems like this. It's sucks but that's just how it is always use RO/DI

 

[bavass]

if you did a 50% water change and still showing 40% you need to find the source of the nitrates. How much are you feeding? how often. Have you tested the new water before adding it to the tank? I would def use a different test kit API are known to be inaccurate and read high. Lights will not cause nitrates. can you remove one rock and put it in a bucket of new salt water with zero nitrates and let it sit a day and then test the water to see if it is releasing? Its either something you are adding to the tank or the skimmer not removing enough, or you have a build of detritus somewhere