Nitrate Consistently Above 100ppm HELP

E

ElectricShadow

Reefing newb
Hi everyone,

I have had my tank for 4 months and it has cycled (so far as I can tell... Amonia is 0, Nitrite is 0), but the Nitrate has been at 100ppm the entire time! I have bioballs in my spill-over filter which I have heard add to the growth of Nitrate.

One issue also is that the tap water here in China is testing at 25ppm of Nitrate straight out, making it a problem to start. I investigated an RO filter, but that had to be put away - no space and lack of authorisation from landlord.

I have heard Nitrate filters are complicated to maintain correct levels, and it is very expensive here. I have also read there is a nitrate removing additive from Tetra that might help. I have also heard about Vodka dosing (mixed reviews). But at the moment I am desperate! Everything else reads fine... pH is 8.0, Salinity 1.024, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.

Please help :^:
 
I would either figure out a way to install an RO/DI unit or start hauling water. I wouldn't use that tap water. Using chemicals is usually a bad idea. I would avoid it.
I don't know a whole lot about vodka dosing.
 
Until you can get more pure make up water, it will be hard to get your nitrates down. Do any stores sell RO water or distilled water around you?

There are also adapters that attach an RO unit directly to the faucet on the sink instead if to the pipes. You might want to look into that.
 
Or you could distill water yourself via boiling and catching/collecting the steam somehow. I dont think most on here are fond of dosing vodka, but that is a possibility.
 
@bjohanson Unfortunately no, the only supply is Beijing tap water. All the fish stores around use the tap water and their systems seem perfect. Crystal clear and abundant life... I have suspicions though because they say they never test the water, and I think that given the short time most products are in the tank they don't have time to show signs of Nitrate exposure.

As for the RO filter. I searched high and low for 3 weeks in Beijing and they only have 1 brand of filter. It requires holes drilled in walls, units mounted on walls and then under the sink, and a hole drilled in the sink. Hence the landlord said heck no. (also not very aesthetic here in China). Also, the waste water produced by the filter would then be tossed making it very expensive (16l water a day to get my 8l pure water and then have to throw another 8l away... cost of water in a water starved country = problem).

I am really stuck! Everybody in Beijing (that has an aquarium) says tap water is fine, but I don't think so. They also never do tests.
 
ElectricShadow said:
I am really stuck! Everybody in Beijing (that has an aquarium) says tap water is fine, but I don't think so. They also never do tests.
Click to expand...

Yikes!

This video shows a few different ways you can install a unit. You don't have to drill through permanent lines. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTONjczeGGY]How to install a RO/DI system? EP: 2 Aquarium Reverse Osmosis - YouTube[/ame]
 
Wow! Thanks for the link. Watched it and got depressed though... they definitely don't have a system like that in Beijing. The Beijing one has two elements and the hoses have to be plugged in to all sorts. They also require a constant power supply which doesn't seem the case with the video here.

I tried to buy one off Amazon and have it shipped to China but they said NO! Hehe.

Wow, living in a third world country is tough!
 
I would suggest installing an algae scrubber on your tank, i think that will be your best bet to combat the nitrates already present in the water plus what the fish add.

Other things I high suggest you do: dont keep very many fish and feed absolute minimum that can.
 
+1 little_fish. With your current options a turf scrubber (algae scrubber) is probably going to be your quickest, cheapest, and best bet. They are fairly easily made, installed, and work well.
 
+1 fish...Glad you're being a conscientious reefer, electric!! Ditch the bioballs now since you'll already be dealing with enough nitrate issues. If you haven't added fish, you can just remove it all now. Otherwise, you'll have to remove a cup at a time/week so your bacteria can populate elsewhere. Keep us posted :D
 
What about looking to buy an RO/DI off of ebay? Or maybe some other reef forums have classified ads where someone is looking to sell one? Sounds like buying one new in Bejing isn't an option, but if you could find a decent one from a private seller here in the states, maybe that would be an option instead? Or, do you have any friends here in the US that could buy one for you and ship it to you, and you could pay them via paypal? Just a thought! I think many of the ones here you can hook up to your kitchen sink with an adapter, and then disconnect it when you don't need to have it in use.

Also, I'd recommend slowly removing your bioballs and replacing them with live rock instead. You can remove some every time you do a water change. This should help get nitrates down at least a little bit!
 
You might want to think about removing the Bio-balls as well, they really have no value in a reef system and tend to be more harmful than helpful as they collect all the crap that makes it through your system.
 
Tap water will always cause problems with nitrates and possibly phosphates.
Hauling distilled water could be a lot of work especially for a tank your size.
Try this, it seems perfect for your situation:
I've used this filter and to worked very well.

p_148750_28586D.jpg


Aquarium Water Quality: Tap Water Filter
 
FishyReef said:
What about looking to buy an RO/DI off of ebay? Or maybe some other reef forums have classified ads where someone is looking to sell one? Sounds like buying one new in Bejing isn't an option, but if you could find a decent one from a private seller here in the states, maybe that would be an option instead? Or, do you have any friends here in the US that could buy one for you and ship it to you, and you could pay them via paypal? Just a thought! I think many of the ones here you can hook up to your kitchen sink with an adapter, and then disconnect it when you don't need to have it in use.

Also, I'd recommend slowly removing your bioballs and replacing them with live rock instead. You can remove some every time you do a water change. This should help get nitrates down at least a little bit!
Click to expand...

Yea, I'm trying to find something off a website somewhere, or getting a company to source it something. It is such a mission! I am originally from South Africa, so don't have many US contacts, but I'll keep up the search for a friendly website! :)

RE Bioballs, I've heard they do more harm than good, so I think I will follow your suggestion and get them out gradually. Thanks!
 
wontonflip said:
+1 fish...Glad you're being a conscientious reefer, electric!! Ditch the bioballs now since you'll already be dealing with enough nitrate issues. If you haven't added fish, you can just remove it all now. Otherwise, you'll have to remove a cup at a time/week so your bacteria can populate elsewhere. Keep us posted :D
Click to expand...

I have a few fish in the tank, not many. As per your advice I will slowly take out the bioballs and see what happens with the tank. Anxious to get this thing right! I will give an update soon!:helm2:
 

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