High Nitrate

[fastrd400]

I've been struggling to get my nitrates below 20ppm. I have no idea why they stay right at 20, but they do. I just did a 30gallon water change yesterday, I'm running a skimmer and it is working properly. I've added some of Biff's super magic chaeto. I have maybe 10 hermits, 10 Nass, a handful of assorted others, as well as 2 Conches. What gives? I just tested again maybe 28 hours after the water change and still the Nitrates are at 20.

Oh, and before anyone asks, I just bought a new test kit tonight thinking that maybe my old one was bad or going bad. Same results from both tests tonight.:frustrat:

All my other water perams are perfect and zero'd out as well. No tap water, only RO/DI.

 

[Bluespace]

How long has the chaeto been in your fuge?

Only reason I ask is I had nitrates until my chaeto really started to grow. Once it did the Nitrates slowly dropped off. Now it's been at zero for some time.

Just my experience with my own tank.

 

[dcantucson]

Have you tested your RODI water lately with a TDS meter?

 

[fastrd400]

How long has the chaeto been in your fuge?

Only reason I ask is I had nitrates until my chaeto really started to grow. Once it did the Nitrates slowly dropped off. Now it's been at zero for some time.

Just my experience with my own tank.

Hmmmmm, gonna say a couple weeks I guess.

 

[fastrd400]

Have you tested your RODI water lately with a TDS meter?

Well, that would have to be a negative. Was actually thinking about running the same nitrate test on the RO/DI water before it goes in the DT.

 

[Bluespace]

How much would you say it's grown?

My nitrates dropped off when my chaeto about doubled in size. Around two weeks I would guess.

 

[fastrd400]

Honestly, I have not even seen a change in it's size.

 

[dcantucson]

Well, that would have to be a negative. Was actually thinking about running the same nitrate test on the RO/DI water before it goes in the DT.

My system got screwed up once and it lead to major problems.

 

[Bluespace]

I haven't tested mine and now I'm going to. Never even crossed my mind since it's new.

 

[Cathic]

Old testing reagents? Double check with an alternative test kit? TDS measure before DT sounded good, try that or those, see if you get anything positive or negative.

 

[fastrd400]

Old testing reagents? Double check with an alternative test kit? TDS measure before DT sounded good, try that or those, see if you get anything positive or negative.

I bought a new test kit tonight and tested with both the old one and the new one. Same result. I just tested some water I had left over from my WC yesterday and it is testing clean. Tested my DT water for Phos. and it is testing clean.

 

[tankedchemist]

Do you have any filter media, sponges, carbon, or filter socks in your system?

also, what kind of lighting do you have on the chaeto?

 

[daugherty]

cheto is good how often do you feed your tank? try putting more light on your cheto. and have you ever thought about a DSB i have a plenum and about 7in of sand in my sump and my nitrates stay at 0

 

[Chris_150G]

What light do you have over the macro? My chaeto didn't start to grow and pull out nitrates until I stepped up the lighting to 23W of CFL. I started out with a 13W CFL. The macro was just slowly withering and not pulling out any nitrates.

With the proper light you should see growth in 1-2 weeks. You may need more than 23W depending on depth and distance to the light. My chaeto is at the surface of the water since its sitting on a deep sand bed and my light is 6 inches above it.

 

[fastrd400]

It is a little clamp on LED that I picked up from Drs Foster & Smith.Aquarium Lights & Decorative Lunar Lights: Hydor Multi Light LED Aquarium Light

 

[Chris_150G]

If your chaeto doesn't start growing you may want to try a CFL.

 

[dcantucson]

Do you have any filter media, sponges, carbon, or filter socks in your system?

also, what kind of lighting do you have on the chaeto?

Very good thing to bring up. A lot of us do and that could certainly be the cause.

 

[daugherty]

i dont think that you led light is going to be enough for the cheto to grow

 

[fastrd400]

Tanked, I do have filter socks, though didn't change them out the other day as I did a crap load of stuff at the same time and forgot. No carbon, just GFO in a reactor.James, I was thinking the same thing about this light. But I thought, hey, for 9.99 I'll give it a shot and see. Maybe run out to HD today while I'm out and pick up something different.

 

[U4BOYZ]

I've been struggling to get my nitrates below 20ppm. I have no idea why they stay right at 20, but they do. I just did a 30gallon water change yesterday, I'm running a skimmer and it is working properly. I've added some of Biff's super magic chaeto. I have maybe 10 hermits, 10 Nass, a handful of assorted others, as well as 2 Conches. What gives? I just tested again maybe 28 hours after the water change and still the Nitrates are at 20.

Oh, and before anyone asks, I just bought a new test kit tonight thinking that maybe my old one was bad or going bad. Same results from both tests tonight.:frustrat:

All my other water perams are perfect and zero'd out as well. No tap water, only RO/DI.

Okay...so I'm a little wigged out...I feel like you copied some of my recent threads. I am in EXACTLY THE SAME BOAT. I too got chaet a couple of weeks ago. I can't get my nitrates below 15 to save my life!!! I was using filter sponges and took them out (per advice on this site)....I did my regular weekly 33% water change and they go down to 10 for a day....but then right back up to 15. I also cut back on my feedings from 3x a day to a smaller meals once a day. What gives?! It makes me batty! Good luck to you....if you find something that works for you, please let me know. :frustrat: