High Nitrates

[marine430]

I was wondering what is my best way to go and lower my nitrates? Nitrates are around the 80+ range. I think its the way I have my rocks laid out in my reef. I just don't think I get enough flow in and around my rocks.



plan 1 was to take everything out and stir up the sand real good and then redo my aqua-scape.



Plan 2 just do a large water change and try and blow off anything on the rocks



Plan 3 take out a few gal of water and add it back to the tank a few times.



I don't want to do any vodka method and the chemicals I have don't seem the help much. I tried the instant ocean nitrate reducer, I added prime to the tank and also used Kent nitrate sponge along with a few water changes.



My tank is a 37gal reef with mushrooms, star polyps, some lps and 1 sps.



If anyone has a better way please let me know!!!

 

[BL1]

What's your maintenance routine currently? Stocking and feedings?

 

[marine430]

I have 3 fish I feed a few times a week with some pellets. I have aqueon power filters and I change my filter cartridge every few weeks to a month. and 5-10% water changes every week.

 

[Civicdemon]

The problem is more than likely your filter. If you dont havea sump most fikter just become nitrate factories. If your going to use that fikter you shoukd be changing the media every 3 to 4 days.

 

[marine430]

why would my filter be a nitrate factory? don't media in the sump get just as much nitrates as a HOB filter?

 

[Civicdemon]

The reason is the media. The fikter floss stores.the food and all that stuff thatgets sucked.up. all that turens into nitrates. In a sump u usually jave a skimmer wich.removes all that into a collection cup.

 

[reefnoob]

Maybe up your water changes for a few times. Maybe try frozen food instead? And when I added macroalgae to my refugium it cut my nitrates in half.

 

[marine430]

ok so I will change out the filter floss more often and do a bigger water change and try that.

 

[d2mini]

+1 to the above.

I would ditch the filter all together.
Try a sump (with protein skimmer) with a hang-on-back overflow or at least get a hang-on-back protein skimmer if a sump is truly not an option.
IMHO, no saltwater tank should be set up with a filter like that.

 

[marine430]

what kind of HOB skimmer should I get?? one that will actually work? all the HOB I saw have bad things about them. so I don't know what to think.

 

[ErinCahir]

Reef Octopus is a great brand.

 

[BL1]

For smaller nano-sized tanks like yours, Hydor slim-skim and Tunze 9002 are great skimmers.

 

[2XAl]

I had a remora C hob on my corner and it was awesome. I was fighting a nitrate problem for years as almost gave up, ditched my mechanical filter and nitrates plummeted.