Nitrate still high after 80% water change, seeking some ideas!!

[vrod2169]

Ok so here is the scoop. I have a 300 gallon FOLR tank with a 50 gal wet/dry. Tank has been running for over 13 years and had great success with fish. Most live well past 5 years and had a purple go 12 years.

PH=8.4
temp=79
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
salinity-1.023
Phosphate=.5 to 1 according to LFS
Nitrate was over 100 :frustrat:on tuesday so I had 80% changed (felt my fish would be strong enough to handle). Nitrate dropped to about 25 the next day.:^: I just checked and it's creeping back up between 50-100 :frustrat:according to new purchased salifert kit. Will go shortly to LFS to have them check.:helm2:

Algae all over back glass and rocks :frustrat: so this week received CUC from reefcleaners:bounce: and did half of their recommendation to start. I use RO and the TBS meter based on their formula is rejecting 80%. Intake is 122 and output is 25.

Lighting-(4) 96 watt powercompacts 2-actinic and 2 daylight all new in Jan 2011.
ETSS protein skimmer,Iwaki 70RLT, Iwaki 55RLT, quietone 3000, maxijet 1200

Fish all doing great :sfish:and stocked as follows:

5"magnificant foxface Placed in tank one month ago
12" vlaminjii tang -5 years old
(3) Royal gramma's-5 years old
(1) Small 1" cardinal-4 years old
(1)lawnmower blenny-Placed in tank 3 weeks ago
(1)longnose hawk fish Placed in tank 2 weeks ago
(1)Bicolor angel-5 years old
(2) searpeant starfish-10 years old
5" Majestic angel placed in tank yesterday.


Plan to add:sfish: Flame, blond naso, emperor, blue tang within the next 4-6 months

After reading through all the threads I realize I have a "nitrate factory" with all the bio cubes in my system. Since I have a plenum bed with about 5 inches of sand i was doing water changes once a year but with this weeks water change I now am doing it every 6 months. The water change in January was a small one (30%) since I had been a bad and waited two years due to some family emergency that pulled me away from staying on top of it.

The plan was to now add a GFO reactor (Like the Bulk reef supply so far) by end of July :^:since I do use chemi pure (4 months old)as a carbon source. I don't want to dismantle the plenum since that would be a nightmare and the fish have never been a problem keeping and water is crystal clear:mrgreen:. I want to do better and start getting coralline to grow so I have more of that look and less of the algae look. Is it possible in a FOWL system? Do I start taking out 25% of bio cubes every 6 months and replace with base rock to have this all replaced within one year? Probably will not switch to reefs as you can see I like fish but would like to add maybe mushrooms and similar type corals if possible. Please chime in so I can go to a coralline looking tank if possible with fish and add more stock over the coming months!!!!!:Cheers:

 

[x19]

I'm guessing the plenum and the bio-balls are the cause here. Your plenum is likely full of waste and leaking.

 

[bjohanson1234]

How much do you feed?

I would guess that it is a combination of over feeding, lack of water changes, and accumulated waste.

I would recommend doing even more frequent water changes than every 6 months. Since it is a FOWLR, you can probably get away with 15-20% per month.

 

[vrod2169]

Well in the last month I definately have fed more due to the addition of the foxface and now the majestic. I started using frozen mysis shrimp but was not straining so I was getting all the defrosted juices"! I did this at least every other day and fed large pellets for my large tang and small pellets every day. In the past week I have been placing romaine lettuce in at least every three days.

 

[Smitty]

+1 x19 and bj...good idea to slowly remove the bio balls and replace with rock rubble, and start doing more frequent water changes.

 

[vrod2169]

Since i just did water change and added new fish should I wait a few weeks before I replace let's say 20%? Since my wet dry has about 6-8 inches of space below the egg crate that holds the bio cubes would I place the rock rubble there on the bottom which would be submerged? Appreciate responses!!!

 

[Smitty]

Yes...you'd want your rock to be completely submerged. And you don't have to wait to start removing a lil at a time.

 

[little_fish]

I would not add any more fish until you get your nitrates under control, although not immediately deadly it will effect their lifespan.

I would start doing regular water changes, get rid of the bioballs and clean out your plenum.

Also you should be feeding dried algae sheets, the composition of marine plants is different from land plants and marine fish evolved to survive on marine plants.

 

[Northstar24]

Stepping up water changes would help. Aim for 10-15% every week, or every two weeks minimum. I would also remove bio balls slowly and replace with rock. I would not add more fish until nitrates are under control

Romaine is better than nothing, but the herbivores should really be getting seaweed or nori

 

[x19]

Is it possible to vacuum the plenum? That might help.

 

[sen5241b]

If you did a 80% and still have high trates then a water change isn't the issue. You just need t o look at all of the classic trate reducing methods.

 

[vrod2169]

ok just got back from LFS and they tested totally different using API kit.
PH=8.3
Ammonia and Nitrite =0
The big shocker was nitrate =0!!!!! I checked with my test kit again and it shows between the 50 and 100 color range? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? It has a little syringe and says to only pull 1 ml and place in a vial which I then add the two part chemicals. Seems like a tiny bit of water going into the vial? Does anyone use this test kit and give me some guidance. That's now two LFS that said nitrates low and at home with my new salifert kit I'm way off.

 

[little_fish]

test kits can go bad or just come bad. You are probably in that situation.

 

[vrod2169]

Yea that stinks because I just saw on line they go for about $20 and this LFS charged me $30. I'm taking a sample to them tomorrow and their test kit back to compare with their test kits. Hopefully they will give me a credit if they read differently since it was purchased three days ago! Will order the GFO reactor this week see what tomorrow's reading is from LFS. Won't be adding fish for a few weeks until we get to the bottom of this nitrate test kits.

 

[bjohanson1234]

That is very common that test kits and other supplies are alot cheaper online than in a store. The online storefronts dont have nearly as much over head and are able to buy in bulk.

 

[vrod2169]

Hey since I have 2 cucumbers (5 yrs old), 4 fighting conch snails (2 wks), a coral banded shrimp (5 yrs old) and a CUC (4 days ago) if the nitrates were that high would they not be dying or are they like fish that can withstand the higher nitrates?

 

[bjohanson1234]

Inverts tend to be more suceptable to bad water params than fish, but they might be able to adjust when the nitrates slowly creep up like fish do. Not sure though.

 

[Smitty]

You're right...With nitrates as high as 50-100, your inverts would have started to perish.

 

[little_fish]

Not always, bifferwine got her nitrates up to 300 and and everything was fine. It just happened so slowly that everything was able to adjust.

 

[vrod2169]

ok just went to LFS and we ran two nitrates test with salirfert kits. we used my kit and theirs and the readings were the same. Nitrates at around 50 on both kits. My kit is good. Just removed 16% of the bio cubes! Will take out after checking water another 16% in one month is the plan. The plan will be to be 100% removed from sump by Christmas since this has been in existance for 13 years and rather go very slow! On the reactor system the LFS tried to convince me to do a nitrate reactor of some sort versus the GFO reactor. Thoughts please? Remember my plan is to get those nitrates and phosphate down so I can have my rock start growing coralline big time. Appreciate all your help!