Nitrates causing problems, looking for some help.

[DragonForce]

I have been having some nitrate problems as of late. Today my hagen powerfilter broke so I put all my rubble into the display. I plan on not using the mini hagen fuge anymore. I had some calupra in the fuge and I stuck it into the display spread all over different areas on the tank. I understand calupra can go sexual but do you think I will have any problems if I keep it trimmed back enough? This is giving me a huge headache, I already lost my tuxedo urchin and a clam, plus my other clam is on its way out and my red open brain is fading. Any advice or help would be great.

salinity 1.025
nitrates ~15
nitrites 0
calcium 480
PH 8

Oh I also cut my feedings back to every 3 days and I'm not dosing any phytomax or marine snow until I get this all figured out.

[seaham358]

what type of water do you use.?
what type of caluerpa?

[melosu58]

I have a fuge full of grape calerpa and have never had this problem of going sexual. I keep my lights on 24/7 which is supposed to keep it from happening.

[DragonForce]

Grape calupra. I buy my water from a LFS, both fresh and salt, they change their RO/DI filters 2x a week.

[seaham358]

If you have grape I would think twice about keeping it in the tank. You will not be able to keep the lights on 24/7 which seems to keep it from going sexual.
Change there di filters 2x a week seems like a lot.. That must cost them some $$$ over a years time.
Have you tested their water and your water for phosphates and silicates? If there going through that much resin I bet they have high PO4 and Nitrates in there water. Just a thought..
Water changes will help bring it down, but I would check there water and the top off before making any big water changes.

[DragonForce]

The water they have Is fine, I think the problem was my HOB fuge, I think a lot of food was getting trapped inside there in the rubble and such where it could not be eaten.

[AquaReefer]

Have you tried any nitrate absorbing media It could be a quick fix so you dont lose the other clam

[natman2]

If you can afford it /have room I would set up a larger fuge. 30 gallon tanks work good. Forget the calurpa, especially in the main tank as it will attach itself and grow rapidly and become a problem especially when you want to remove it from your DT. The expanded water volume will dilute down your nitrates right off the bat.

Now for some pure speculation. I use cheato which does not have to be kept lighted 24/7 and Xenia in the fuge. I have two different test kits for nitrates. My red sea kit which detects free nitrates always test around 2.5. My AP kit which detects total nitrates was reading just under 10 before adding the Xenia to the fuge.

Since adding the Xenia to the fuge my AP kit will actually fluctuate in its reading at the start and end of my photo period like a test for PH would. Just under ten at lights on in the morning and back down to 5 at the end of the photo period. Photo period is 12 hours a day

Before keeping Xenia in my main tank and fuge I had calurpa and cheato in my fuge and the AP test regardless of what time I took the test always gave me a reading of around 10. At that time my fuge was lit 18 hours a day.

Is the Xenia using nutrients/nitrates during the photo period? It does not seem like a likely scenario but my test results seem to indicate this. At any rate a 30 gallon fuge with some PC lighting for the Xenia, leaving the cheato and nixing the calurpa have seem to yield better results for me. Your mileage may vary.

[DragonForce]

I took out the other clam this morning. This is very sad, I hate losing my friends.

[melosu58]

Sorry