High nitrates

[Leeh24]

I all I have a problem that my river reef 94l tank has high nitrates they was up at 60 but I Can not get them any lower than 40. I placed a few snails in a couple of weeks ago, which i believed had died in transit and did not realise until a day or so later when they had not moved would this of caused my nitrates to increase ?? As there after i lost the rest of my snails. I have lr in main tank and also live rock in 2 of the back chambers of tank as advised from local store I also placed a purigen bag by intake at back last week. I have done a couple of 10/15% water changes over last two weeks but to no avail.other params are
Ph 8.0
No2 0
Amm 0
Calc 400
Sg 1.025
I have a skimmer running in tank and my stock is two percula clowns
One flame back angel
One striped blenny
And some hermits crabs and couple of shrimps
I was feedin twice daily now cut this too once a day and removing any in eaten flakes.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated I need to get snails back in there as algae is building up with out them.
I have no issues with fish.

Thanks

Lee

 

[J33ps]

I've been told to feed every other day and try throwing hair algae in one of the back chambers if it gets light it thrives on nitrates

 

[Leeh24]

Hi

Does the hair algae not grow rapidly? I would be concerned with it in back chamber.

Lee

 

[J33ps]

It does you just have to cut it every once in a while

 

[bavass]

if you have nitrates at 60ppm and do a 10% water change you would then have about 55ppm and then they climbed back up. If you wanna get them down do 40-50% water chnages every other day till they are gone. Hair algae is a bad idea unless you are talking about cheato but they wont bring them down to accepitable levels only help keep them there once you get the down. I would feed every other day or every 3days.

 

[J33ps]

That's cheato and you are wrong they took mine from 80 to 10 in two weeks almost 3 where water changes for me were doing nothing

 

[J33ps]

At least for me

 

[J33ps]

But I also went with a fuge and got rid of the sump

 

[bavass]

That's cheato and you are wrong they took mine from 80 to 10 in two weeks almost 3 where water changes for me were doing nothing

I have never seen cheato drop nitrates 70ppm in 2 weeks. Not saying they can't if you use enough. I am gald it worked for you. Didn't work for me when i had a FOWLR and trates hit 160+ big frequent water changes helped me get them to 20ppm once I hit 20ppm I started adding cheato, mangroves, halmida, and some other macro's to my sump, along with vodka dosing got them down and now they are at less than 1ppm.

 

[J33ps]

Worked for me but I have a lot and in mine fuge it grows quick I have to cut it in half once every two weeks or so

 

[J33ps]

I have a ten gal half full of cheato tho with a 30 gal display tank above