eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
abrahamavelar said:My bad I forgot to put the.filter its a canister fluval 404 that runs like a champ, I use ro due that I bought it for my reef n since I have it ive been using it for all my tanks and I dont mix it our tap water its hard or ive been told
A canister can become a monster source of nitrAtes if it's not cleaned often. I would give the hoses and insides of the filter (not counting the media) a thorough scrubbing. You can clean it in the bath tub with an algae sponge and tap water if you'd like. A ton of debris builds up in the hoses as well, so try to find a good brush which will let you scrub it out. I can almost guarantee the canister is where the nitrAtes are coming from.
Are you mixing the RO water with any additives to restore the minerals that are stripped? I know in SW the salt you buy already contains that stuff...but you've got to have a special additive like Seachem Replenish or Kent's R/O Right for freshwater. Pure RO water isn't usable without it.