Nitrates nitrates nitrates

[Gdbyrd]

Darn it, don't know what else I can do. When my tank had its initial cycle, my nitrates were close to 80. I used tap to cycle. Bad, I know.

I did a 50 percent water change, then 25, followed by weekly 10 percent. All with the good stuff of course.

I feed three times a week, I strain the food, a mix of krill and marine cuisine.

I modded my bak pak skimmer to increase flow and bubbles. Its impossible to see through the bubble chamber now. Hell, I even stuffed some cheato in the overflow.

But with all that, my nitrates are still at 20 every week. I'm using an api test kit, not sure how accurate it can be but I do my part with consistency in testing.

Should I do 20 percent changes weekly? I know part of it is the skimmer, but it just feels like they should be getting lower each week instead of staying the same. I do plan on upgrading the skimmer as soon as possible so ilm sure that wil help some.

What do you guys think? Livestock is a 20 man clean up crew and 2 clowns.

Typing this out on my phone so sorry for anything that doesn't make sense. Hate that, get to bed and get something stuck in my head and can't sleep lol.

 

[dcantucson]

What do you have in your sump other than your skimmer? Any bio balls, filter media, etc...

 

[yote]

The thing about water changes,is there slow at dropping nitrates.When your only dropping them by say 20%.You take 20% away and your still left with 16ppm.
You could however up the changes to 30% twice a week and drop them quicker.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Plus, they build up over the week because you have living creatures in there and their :pooh: breaks eventually into nitrates. This is a normal battle for many reefers.

Brian

 

[Gdbyrd]

David, not using a sump. Only have a HOB skimmer and my 2lbs/gallon of LR.

Would you recommend then that I do water changes that frequently to drop it then just keep it up with the 10% weekly? Or should I just change it to 20% weekly and just wait?

I guess I was figuring that my two little clowns wouldn't make that much waste.

 

[Wes888]

None of those stuff are good for the health of the live stock. I would do 20-30% water change twice a week to get the level down faster.

 

[dcantucson]

Could you be over feeding some?
Your right 2 little clowns shouldn't be a problem in a 47g. I am alway struggling with nitrates as well. It sucks. I would increase the frequency of your water changes until you get it where you want it.
Of course they will probably get high again until you find the source of the problem.

 

[Melosu58]

Try making a batch of SW and do your water test on the new batch of SW. You might be adding them in yourself. Check and see

 

[dcantucson]

That's a very good point Melosu58

 

[Gdbyrd]

Try making a batch of SW and do your water test on the new batch of SW. You might be adding them in yourself. Check and see

Good call. I mixed up a little and tested it. Nitrates reading 0.

So should I just do 20% changes twice weekly for about a month and then do the 10% changes weekly like I had been? Or is it necessary to continue doing twice weekly changes?

I'm getting plenty of skimmate off my skimmer. Like a tea green, about a half cup every other day. Not sure how much of my problem is coming from my skimmer, I know a lot of people knock the BakPak.

 

[yote]

If it was me.I'd do the 20% twice a week.

 

[Gdbyrd]

Should I do that regularly or just for a little while to get it down? Another quick question, how do I know how much water I have in my tank. Its a 47 gallon, but my sand bed is 5 inches deep and I have a lot of rock. I have been doing 5 gallons weekly, do I just step it up to 10? I can't really overdo it can I?

 

[yote]

Just bump em to 10 gallons twice a week.
I usually guestimate it:D

 

[Melosu58]

Just bump em to 10 gallons twice a week.

I agree

 

[dcantucson]

Try making a batch of SW and do your water test on the new batch of SW. You might be adding them in yourself. Check and see

Well I was having some problems myself so I got my TDS reader from Marine Depot on Friday and after your comment I thought I'd test my RODI water from my two units.

My kitchen sink unit read about 35, but my tank ATO unit reads 367-405. Yikes! I gotta a problem. I measured the regular tap water and it reads around 450. Wow.

I'm thinking maybe I don't have the ATO unit plumbed right. I'll get the directions out and work on it tomorrow. So Melosu58 thanks for your post.

 

[Ted]

So you have a bak pak also. I just about went postal on mine tonight. Dang thing stated leaking on the inlet pipe, Cant get it to stop. So now its in the junk box in the closet. Oh another thing I took it apart and the accela power head has rust on the "stainless" post for the impeller. I was running the bak pak and a hob fuge so I had two skimmers going. The fuge one aint that great kinda like the bak pak. However its one of the odyssea ones and the power head shaft on it is ceramic and it is much more quiet. My cheato in the fuge is more then twice the size of when i bought it (about 3 weeks ago) Anyway Be wary of the "stainless" shaft on that thing.

 

[Gdbyrd]

I put a maxi 1200 on mine and trimmed a bio ball to fit on the impeller. That did the trick for me. Lots of bubbles, at least over stock. But overall I don't like it. I'm only using it because I got it for free. It'll work until I buy a remora or octopus.

 

[sen5241b]

I had the same problem --nitrates always between 10 and 20. I improved flow by making sure it pushed water everywhere even under the rock. Then I added a refugium with plenty of chaeto and a strong plant light. Nitrates now consistently at zero.

 

[Ted]

I put a maxi 1200 on mine and trimmed a bio ball to fit on the impeller. That did the trick for me. Lots of bubbles, at least over stock. But overall I don't like it. I'm only using it because I got it for free. It'll work until I buy a remora or octopus.

ya i hear ya i really like the Reef Octopus BH 800S but for now im just gonna run the hob fuge with its skimmer.

 

[Melosu58]

Well I was having some problems myself so I got my TDS reader from Marine Depot on Friday and after your comment I thought I'd test my RODI water from my two units.

My kitchen sink unit read about 35, but my tank ATO unit reads 367-405. Yikes! I gotta a problem. I measured the regular tap water and it reads around 450. Wow.

I'm thinking maybe I don't have the ATO unit plumbed right. I'll get the directions out and work on it tomorrow. So Melosu58 thanks for your post.

No problem. Glad I could help.