Can't get Nitrate below 10ppm

[edmond]

I have a 46 gallon tank with about 40 lbs of live rock, eheim canister filter 2234, uv filter and hang on protein skimmer. I have 3 chromis, 1 rock blenny, 10 hermit crabs and five snails.

I would love to start adding coral to my tank but I understand the nitrate should be as low as possible. I can't seem to get my nitrate level below 10 ppm. Everything else is at 0, ph is at 8.2. I have been doing regular 20% water changes about every 2 weeks.

Is my filter not powerful enough for my tank? Its rated for up to 60 gallons.

Does anyone recommend something like this to add to my filter media?
Seachem Matrix Bio-Media

What else can I do?

 

[Hubert90]

Hmm try increasing ur water changes to once or twice a week.. Nitrate is the end of the nitrogen cycle and the whole point of water change is to remove nitrate. So it seems like u need to do more regular water changes. And adding stuff to ur filter media is fine but better fix the root of the problem first. So try changing water more often and then if it still doesn't change. Try adding stuff to ur filter. Good lick

 

[mr_X]

how often are you washing that cannister out? i would be washing it out completely once a week.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with Larry as far as your canister. Try washing it out. Also as far as 10 on the nitrates it is not the end of the world. The object is to try to get to 0 but 10 is really not that bad IMO. As for your PWC`s are you using tap water. If so you might be adding the nitrates yourself.

 

[Hubert90]

how often are you washing that cannister out? i would be washing it out completely once a week.

When u say washing It out every week. Does that include ur filter media?

 

[austinsdad]

10ppm is nothing to worry about IMO

 

[mr_X]

When u say washing It out every week. Does that include ur filter media?

sure. that's the most important part. where ever waste is accumulating is the source of nitrates in a cannister.

 

[Hubert90]

sure. that's the most important part. where ever waste is accumulating is the source of nitrates in a cannister.

I always thou washing ur filter is bad. Coz u lost ur beneficial bacterial.

 

[mr_X]

beneficial bacteria resides on surfaces. he's got 40 pounds of live rock in the tank.

 

[abdhalim2]

as Mr X said, it might be from your filter media...i have my sponge filter in my sump when my Nitrates read 40ppm...changed it to new sponge and my nitrates reads around 0-5ppm..cannot tell the exact figure...try to wash or change the filter media...it might be a good start...

 

[edmond]

Thanks for all the advice. I know 10 ppm is not bad, but I would still like to try and get it to 0.

I will try and rinse out my filter media more often, I would only do that once in awhile. I also change the sponge media in the filter about once every 2/3 weeks, maybe I should change it more often?

As for the water I am using, I am using filtered tap water, I have an everpure purifier: Everpure H-300 Residential Water Filter Cartridges : Everpure Residential Replacement Cartridges : Everpure Filter Systems & Faucets | efilters.net

I also add seachem prime: Seachem. Prime

Do you think that combination is good enough?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'd get rid of the sponge media completely in that cannister, and let your live rock do its job.

Test your filtered tap water for nitrates... it could be coming in that way, too. Filtered and Prime-treated tap water is better than tap water by itself, but is no where near pure. Whether or not it's good enough will all depend on if it gives you problems or not, I suppose.

 

[cheryblk]

Try to increase your changing the water once or twice a week, nitrate nitrogen cycle is over, the whole point of water is the removal of nitrate changes. So it seems like you need to do more regular water changes. And increase the east-west your filter media is good, but better address the underlying first.

 

[edmond]

Try to increase your changing the water once or twice a week, nitrate nitrogen cycle is over, the whole point of water is the removal of nitrate changes. So it seems like you need to do more regular water changes. And increase the east-west your filter media is good, but better address the underlying first.

Increase the east-west? what does that mean?

 

[melosu58]

I believe that your filtered tap water is the source of your nitrates. Prime does not do anything for nitrates. IMO you are only going to make it to 0 by going RO or RO/DI.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Increase the east-west? what does that mean?

If I remember right, this was just some garbage that someone typed in so they could spam the forum with their signature line. Looks like the spam was removed, but not sure why they let spammers like this stay registered here.