Emergency, Help!

F

fastzorro

Reefing newb
In 2 days my NO3 has gone up to 80 ppm, tank is NOT HAPPY!! Did a 25% water change, added StressZym, cleaned all filters, water stil at 80 to 160 PPM. WHAT SHOULD I DO!!
 
Something in that tank is causing the nitrates and it is most likley something dead.

How old is tank?
Did you put new rock or sand in?
Is a fish missing?
Did you stir up the sand bed?
Is there a ton of detritus trapped in the filtration system somewhere?
 
Look for dead critters, snails too. Are you testing the water you add in after the water change? You need a TDS metrer, cheap, and check the water from wherever you get it.
 
Until you figure out the cause, water changes and running nitrate reducing media thru a reactor or canister filter might help. Suggest you do a 50% change out. Also, make sure your test are accurate first thing.
 
Tank is 5 months old, there are no dead fish, filters came out with just alot of usual muck, no stir up of sand. Wife was over feeding though. Water parameters as follows after water change.

;
NO2 - 0
Ammonia - 0 to .25
pH - 8.2
PO - .25
KH - 8
CAL - 500
 
If you're sure nitrates are high then do a 50% change out BUT with a 50% make sure the salinity and temp match very close.

It is possible for over-feeding to cause a huge spike in nitrates. Children have dumped whole containers of flake food into tanks and wiped out everything.
 
Cheato is that green spaghetti looking alge that absorbs all that stuff you see in your tests. Nitrate, phosphate, stuff like that. Do you have hair algae in the tank? What you are seeing is waste products, like a sewer, poop, uneaten food, waste, dead critters. What kind of clean up crew do you have? When you do a water change do you suck the water off the bottom of the tank to try and remove the dirt? Do you have good water flow? Powerheads? You should drop those levels with a water change pretty fast. I would test the fresh water from your fish store. Where do you get your water?
 
I dont know how in danger you are. The clam would react and close, and the corals wouldnt open. I think you'll be ok, but you need to find the cause. Is your test kit ok?
 
Yes, I mix my salt, usually let it sit overnight but yesterday did it in 1 hour. Good idea to test the water, I will do that. When I changed the water yesterday it made NO difference....
 
Let us know what the test is on the fresh water. When you mix salt you need to let it mix for at least two hours, and open to the air to gas off, you can do this in a bucket and just stir it with a plstic spoon. MAKE SURE the bucket you mix with is dedicated to your fish and new and clean, very cheap at Lowes.
 

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