Controlling high Nitrates - HELP Please!

[good11s]

I may have written my own demise. I am having a problem with NO3. Even with PWC weekly. My NO3 levels have been ranging from 20-80 with a spike to 100 once (really freaked me out). Normally I have not been able to keep it under 40 for very long. Other parameters have been fine - 0 - NO2, 0 - NH3 SC 1.022-1.024; temp 78-80; PH 8.0-8.2; Ca 380-400.

Does anyone have any suggestions? One large (experienced) LFS told me to replace my canister with a wet\dry, plus reduce my LS (currently 1-2") down to 1" only. Plus I have just started to feed every other day vs. every day. Also, I have read I should consider removing my BIOWheel; but I dont understand how that would help.

The inhabitants seem to be OK, the disc anemone, colt coral, feather duster, and polys seem open and happy. The fish are swimming about hungry, like always.


TANK SPECS.

75 gal FOWLR w/some soft coral
Set up February 06
100lb LR 1-1.5" LS
Hydor Prime 30 canister filter
Seaclone 100 skimmer
Chiller
BIOWheel 330
1140 Powerhead
96 W 10K Compact Fluorescent
96 W Actinic Blue Compact Fluorescent
3 Nocturnal Blue lunar lights

FISH
Powder Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Purple Tang
Marroon Clown
2 Blue-Green Clomis
Engineering Goby
Firefish Goby
Lawnmower Blenny
Royal Gramma Basslet
Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby

INVERTS
Bulb Anemone
2 Emerald Crabs
3 Peppermint shrimp
Scarlet Skunk cleaner shimp
Feather Duster
2 Lg Turbo snails
various red and blue hermit crabs
cerith and astraea snails

CORAL
Colt coral
Green Bubble Coral
Brain Coral
Colony Polyp Corals
Button Polyp Corals
Green Polyp
Hairy Mushroom
Disc Anemone
various small white mushrooms

 

[Devilishturtles]

Welcome to AA.

Are you using RO/DI water, or tap water? If tap water, test your tap for nitrate. That could be alot of your problem, as it is with me. I have a very poor performing well as my water supply, annd it's not the best water. I battled constant high nitrates forever. Finally managed to do 50% water changes weekly to keep that under 10 or so, which is still too high.

When you do water changes, do you vaccum your sandbed? You could try that. That would be the only way it could be causing an issue with nitrate. I wouldn't worry about reducing the depth, that's alot of unneeded work, IMO.

About the biowheel, sometimes if they are well used and have built up alot of gunk on them, they can become more detrimental than beneficial to have. Alot of people don't use mechanical filtration at all, for this reason. Try removing it and seeing if you see a difference in readings.

HTH

 

[good11s]

I use RO water and SW (premixed) I purchase from a LFS; I ususally test the SG and check the balance and temp, but never thought of checking the NO3; I will do. As for my BioWheels, they are fairly mature, and I always thought those were better. I will try to remove them.

Thanks.

 

[ianrich147]

you dont have to remove the biowheel just the media you can keep it for water flow

 

[roka64]

Does that canister have sponges in it? I found mine was a nitrate factory. Also bio wheels are know to be nitrate factories. If you have sponges, try rinsing them in FW and see what happens. I would not do it all at once. Maybe remove the sponges, one or two at a time (if you have any). Try removing that biowheel, but keep it in some old SW, with a PH and heater, just in case.
I had 4 spomges in my canister, removed 2 one week and 2 the next. Now I use the canister for water movement and carbon.

+++EDIT+++

WELCOME TO AA!!!

 

[ianrich147]

filters in general do exactly what ther suposto witch is trap waste this is what makes them nitrate factories the wast is trapd insted of being consumd by filter feeder and removed by your skimmer and you probubly have enuff lr to go without filters like roka64 sed just remove the media slowly and keep the filters for water flow i did this in my 30g with the same amount of lr 1.25 lb per gallon and now my nitrates are never above 1ppm

 

[good11s]

What about glass tops?

I have a glass top that cover 3/4 of the top leaving the back 1/4 uncovered. I feel this is necessary to protect the CF lighting on the hood. Once my wife left it open after feeding and the lamps and reflector were covered in salt from the surface agitation.

Could this be effecting gas exchange?

 

[roka64]

Could this be effecting gas exchange?

Possibly, what is your pH? Temp?
If those stay stable pH: roughly pH 7.8-8.4 (keep in mind, pH swings a little between lights on/off).

 

[good11s]

pH remains fairly constant at 8.1-8.3 and the temp is 78-80.

 

[roka64]

I think your gas exchange is good. If it stays around those parameters, you should be good to go.

 

[austinsdad]

Too many fish to have any respectable nitrate level. You're fighting a losing battle IMO.

 

[roka64]

Too many fish to have any respectable nitrate level. You're fighting a losing battle IMO.

Good catch, I didn't notice that.....

 

[neilster1]

Dump the seaclone for a better skimmer.. I have a AquaC ev120 that really got my nitrates under control.. the HOB refugium w/caulerpa also helped in that regard.

You have enough LR that you probably don't need any mechanical filtration save for the skimmer and a good clean-up crew. A sump with more LR would certainly help though..

 

[Trameltanz]

My two cents:

I agree with the canister problem. But more importantly my first impression was "WOW! Thats quite a bit of live stock". Try monthly maintenance on your canisters and biowheel (replace/rinse filter media with tank water). That is one good place to start. The second would be to test your tap water for ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Either way using filtered water is the only way to go. You face other problems that you cant see when using tap water. The dissolved material in the water could be feeding other life causing your nitrates to be high. Seriously consider purchasing your water from the LFS or looking into a RO/DI system. Last but really not least try taking some of your livestock (fish/corals) back to the store. You have a big stress on your system with the amount of animals producing waste. Possibly any/all combination of the mentioned can produce the results you are experiencing.

 

[tecwzrd]

75 gal FOWLR w/some soft coral

FISH
Powder Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Purple Tang
Marroon Clown
2 Blue-Green Clomis
Engineering Goby
Firefish Goby
Lawnmower Blenny
Royal Gramma Basslet
Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby

As said by others that is way too many fish for a 75 gal tank. The tangs alone would be pushing it. Either upgrade to a 125+ gal tank to support the life or return more then half your stock to the lfs.

As Ray say you will always be fighting a loosing battle with no3 and I truly hope you never have a power outage since your oxygen would be used up quickly within hours and you could loose your whole tank.

 

[Don424]

I agree with Austinsdad................your bioload is way to high