High nitrates

[BLUEaquarium06]

This is killing me, I had rally high nitrates my last test and I have no idea why, now I'm trying to get them down and they will not go down, can anyone help? I cleaned the filter yesterday, and did a water change and got it down to 40, I just did another water change and it's still at 40

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[SeanMonster]

Did you check the water you use to make up your new salt water?


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[CCXGT]

What water are you using to make up the new mix?


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[BLUEaquarium06]

I'm using distilled, and I did test it, that's 0

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[SeanMonster]

Could the test kit be suspect?


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[BLUEaquarium06]

I would assume no, because I just bought a new one, it doesn't expire until 2019, and it is reading the new mix at 0

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[jeffaquarius]

How old is your tank, what size, how many fish and how often do you feed?

[54seaweed]

when high phosphates and nitrates are present I always do back to back 50% water changes than 50% daily water change till its all gone usually takes like 3 days

[BLUEaquarium06]

It's a 20 gal, it's been running for about 9 months, I feed about every other day or more, it has 2 ocellaris clowns and an orchid dottyback


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[BLUEaquarium06]

My test is reading phosphates just about 0

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[jeffaquarius]

You might just be over feeding and the kind of food you feed. If it's frozen do you rinse and how much do you feed?

[BLUEaquarium06]

I feed live brine shrimp once a week and the rest is pellets

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[CCXGT]

Originally Posted by BLUEaquarium06

My test is reading phosphates just about 0

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What test kit are you using to test for PO4 and do you have any algae issues?


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[jeffaquarius]

What substrate and do you vacuum?

[BLUEaquarium06]

I used argonite sand and I vacuum about half an inch down. I did have a little bit of algae problems about 4 months ago, but I switched to distilled and it's been good ever since

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[jeffaquarius]

Disturbing your substrate will create problems. Do not vacuum cause it interrupts the denitrification process. That's the reason of your high nitrate.

[BLUEaquarium06]

ah okay, that makes sense then, thanks for the help

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[CCXGT]

Originally Posted by BLUEaquarium06

ah okay, that makes sense then, thanks for the help

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I'd try and blow off your rockwork before a water change and siphoning out any gunk which comes off.

A lot of things can go wrong if you disturb a sandbed which hasn't been touched in a while, so just a light skimming over its surface will do fine.

Detritus build up will wreak havoc on any nano.


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[jeffaquarius]

Get some CUCs so you don't have to vacuum substrate.

[CCXGT]

Originally Posted by jeffaquarius

Get some CUCs so you don't have to vacuum substrate.

How is adding more bioload to a tank with Nitrate issues going to solve anything?

Sand skimming is all that's required.


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