high nitrates

[craig_will2513]

hi my nitrates are way high like 160+ my amonia and nitrite are zero but nitrate is high. what can be causing this and how can i fix it as things are slowly starting to die. iv done plenty of water changes and yet they remain high nothing seems to be working.... help before my prized mandarin dies

 

[carey]

How big is your tank and what type of filtration do you have?

 

[craig_will2513]

its 33g. i have the normal sponges carbon and a skimmer. plus about 30lb rock

 

[carey]

Hmm so the nitrates arent coming from your filter, I'm guessing it's a hang on back?

I would do a massive water change, like maybe even 10g or a little less. Mathematically that should drop your nitrates almost to half of what they are. I would wait a day or two and then do another one.

How often are you feeding and what do you feed the fish? That anount of nitrates doesnt happen overnight, did something change in the tank? Also, what are you stocked with?

 

[craig_will2513]

the skimmer is in a sump the filter is built in to the tank. iv done water changes and id dont make a difference. i feed every few days.. i feed a mixture of brine misis shrimp and rotifiers. well i had a pair of clowns mandarin yellow watchman goby strawberry baslet and a valantini puffer. he is fine with all the other by the way.. i have a cleaner shrimp and sand sifting star and a few hermits and a clam. the clowns have died so has the clam and i cant find the goby anywhere. nothing has changed that i know of. iam desperate as i dont want my little dude the mandarin to die.

 

[tlkng1]

A couple of questions....or observations...check the salt you are using for your mix..some have higher concentrations of nitrate. If your water changes aren't changing the numbers, and as Carey pointed out by simple math, the nitrates should go down on a water change, it could very well be in your replacement water; test for nitrates there.

As well, there are de-nitrifiers out there you can add to your filter. They aren't 100% effective but it may help contain things until you can figure out where the nitrates are coming from. Increase your carbon amount...double it for now.

 

[craig_will2513]

oh cool can you name a few of the denitrifiers.. so it could be my salt mix. ok ill have to look into that thanks

 

[tlkng1]

Seachem: Denitrate
Filstar Nitra-zorb
Purigen

There is also a poly pad that absorbs nitrate called Poly-Bio Filter Pad by Poly-Bio-Marine, Inc. You can cut this pad to size and add it to your filter.

I run the Seachem De-nitrate and Purigen as well as Chemi-pure elite and carbon in a 14g Biocube with the media basket.

 

[David S]

if your tank is only a 33g tank you should do 50% water change every 2 days to get the trates down,but the main problem is where the trates are coming from,you need to find the cause.10g wont bring your trates down to half.
Your tank is small,you say you feed every few days but trates are high, do you normally do pwc's at all? you dont need a skimmer on a tank that size but it will help so why is your trates high?this is what you need to find out.

 

[carey]

I suggested 10g since theres only maybe 25 gallons of water in the tank after displacement and all.

I agree though, finding the problem and addressing that would be the best solution.

 

[craig_will2513]

right thanks guys. so how the [moderator edit] do i find out where its comming from

 

[tlkng1]

Follow the steps outlined already. Check and test your replacement water and salt; are you using RO water or tap? Do your water changes. Is it possible something else died and you haven't located it yet? That can add to ammonia and up the nitrates.

It is going to take some detective work.

 

[craig_will2513]

hi all well recently i have took out my pre filter floss and replaced it witch i had forgot about changing and its been in 3 months also the carbon i added at the start i forgot about so iv replaced that.. could the 2 of them have raised my nitrate. also i have removed the crushed coral substrate and replaced it with 20lb of live sand. will this help reduce nitrate..

 

[carey]

That should help, perhaps thigns were building up in the substrate and in the carbon bag, it can happen. Let us know if it improves.

 

[craig_will2513]

cool thanks carey. so if the substrate and old carbon bag was the problem how long should it take for the nitrate levels take to drop

 

[kurtyboh]

they still wont drop by themseleve, unless you have some algae to take care of it, you need to do pwc's to get it down.

 

[msuhaizie]

Seachem: Denitrate
Filstar Nitra-zorb
Purigen

There is also a poly pad that absorbs nitrate called Poly-Bio Filter Pad by Poly-Bio-Marine, Inc. You can cut this pad to size and add it to your filter.

I run the Seachem De-nitrate and Purigen as well as Chemi-pure elite and carbon in a 14g Biocube with the media basket.

Can u link me the pictures or details of this pruduct.. ?I dont know the funtion of this product.. Many marine aquarist use this product.. I want to know..

 

[tlkng1]

Which product?

All of them are designed to absorb Nitrates. The Denitrate, Nitra-Zorb and Purigen are solids of various sizes that are in a filter bag...just like you would do with loose carbon in a filter bag. The Poly pad looks like a filter pad. Go to Drsfosterandsmith.com, thatpetplace.com, marinedepot.com..any online vendor that sells aquarium supplies. You can also do a straight google or other type internet search for any of the products.

 

[craig_will2513]

well iv added live sand and more live rock and done a water chaange replaced the pre filter floss and changed my carbon but the nitrate isnt going down one bit and is still of the chart.. what the [moderator edit] is going on

 

[kurtyboh]

the only way nitrates comes down is with pwc's. its the end of the cycle and needs to be manually removed.