Very high nitrates

[bianca90]

I have a huge problem with nitrates, I want to have corals, but my water is just to messed up.

55 g tank
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates above 80!

I had a snowflake eel, which was eating my snails and crabs. I Rehomed the eel.
Yesterday, I vacuumed my sand and cleaned the live rock. I did a 25g water change. I am using tap water with tap water conditioner and I tested my tap water. Nitrates are 0. Before the clean up, my nitrates were 40ppm.

How can I fix this problem?

 

[carey]

If you are gonna start with corals I would really reccomend not using tap water anymore. You can usually buy ro/di water for 30-50 cents a gallon.

Are you running a protein skimmer?

 

[bianca90]

Ok, yes, I am. Also a canister and a regular hang on filter.

I have a question for you. You seem to always answer my questions so first off thank you!

I don't know how many filters I should be running on my tank. I have the canister (which is a pain on the butt to clean). The hang on and a skimmer.
I am planning on getting this sump (link) And create a refigum (excuse my spelling)

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18367

What do you recommend?
And the could I get rid of the canister or hang on?

Thanks

 

[carey]

For example, I am running a fluval canister and a skimmer on my 55g with no nitrates.

It's entirely up to you. If you have room and the money for a sump then I'd say go for it. The one you linked looked like small models though. Usually you need room for your skimmer, heater and whatever else you wanna put in it.

I've been researching sumps myself but I don't have the room for it underneath for the one I would want. :-(

I would think you can get away with just one of the filters, maybe bail on the hob one. Unless you can't keep up the maintenance on the canister, they can be nitrate factories if not maintained just so.

Hope that helped some

 

[bianca90]

Thank you!

 

[Gti_Leo]

have you ever rinsed off your filter pads?

 

[jsmith]

Im going with the filter.. i know alot of poeple disagree with tap but its really dependent on you location no one i know in my area uses anything other then tap and we are talking 10 year old plus tanks. I don't know anyone that uses canisters because of them being nitrate factories. I would switch to a hob and check it again of course after making sure u check ur test kit as well purchase another that wil confirm your results.

 

[bianca90]

U
Yes, I clean my filter media. Never gets too dirty

 

[Gti_Leo]

Im going with the filter.. i know alot of poeple disagree with tap but its really dependent on you location no one i know in my area uses anything other then tap and we are talking 10 year old plus tanks. I don't know anyone that uses canisters because of them being nitrate factories. I would switch to a hob and check it again of course after making sure u check ur test kit as well purchase another that wil confirm your results.

fish only or reef?


the main concern is not the media but the mechanical filters, sponges and filter floss

 

[jsmith]

Leo, not my tank. I was assumming. Its a fish only since gr can't even keep fish alive... no offence bianca we we're all impatient when we first start including myself..i made the same mistake u did the only differnce between the ideas i gave u was the fishless cycle not because its better but will save youmoney in the long run. I did 4 blue damsels...

 

[Gti_Leo]

Leo, not my tank. I was assumming. Its a fish only since gr can't even keep fish alive... no offence bianca we we're all impatient when we first start including myself..i made the same mistake u did the only differnce between the ideas i gave u was the fishless cycle not because its better but will save youmoney in the long run. I did 4 blue damsels...

i know you were talkig nabout you, but you said you use tap water and i asked if its FO

 

[bianca90]

My tank had already been set up. Running for 5 months. My problem as the eel killing everything including my cleaning crew. No corals yet.

 

[bianca90]

I was only keeping the damsel till I learned the basics. my parameters were fine for 4 months. I bought some live rock and the eel came with it. It killed my cleaning crew and did not eat them. Some shells were behind huge rocks. I do a 10g water change every 2 weeks. I Rehomed the eel (very hard to catch) and added a few snails. Yesterday I did a 25g water changed and no difference on the nitrate. I clean my filter pads, empty my collection cup, and clean my canister. I have 55g tank and 100lbs of live rock.

 

[carey]

Not sure if I missed it above, but are you using tap water? Have you tested your water source whether it be tap or ro/di water from a lfs? One lfs was trying to sell me ro water with trates and phosphates. :-(

If those tests show no trates i would try another water change. You will get them down it's just a matter of time and pwcs'

 

[Gti_Leo]

i pre mix my water i na 20g rubbermaid bin, and i had a filter on the power head which apparently had some bacteria on it and caused nitrates in my fresh water

 

[bianca90]

i did test it. water tap with water conditioner. no trace. i will by ro/di water and try that. any reason why my feather duster is doing this??? is he dying?

 

[jsmith]

Yes it is dying. Bianca i know its been up but id get rid of the eel they arnt reef safe plus the your size of setup feeding it of cource that's why ur u getting high reading. Leo water FO?

 

[Gti_Leo]

fish only sorry

 

[carey]

Yes it is dying. Bianca i know its been up but id get rid of the eel they arnt reef safe plus the your size of setup feeding it of cource that's why ur u getting high reading. Leo water FO?

She re-homed the eel she said

 

[bavass]

start with RO/DI like this one from bulkreefsupply. Nitrates are not the only thing in tap water you need to keep out, also need to keep out phosphates, TDS. I have Nitrates at 160ppm. They stay at 5ppm and I am trying to get them down to 0. Its possible you released nitrates from your sand bed when you cleaned it.

canister filters can become nitrate factories if not cleaned weakly. the one I had was more problems that it was worth. Phosban Reactors I think are better for media and easier to clean.