GRRR POS Nitrates !@#$!%!@ (1 Viewer)

[HolyBanana]

Darn nitrates have been measuring between 50-80 lately and they wont go down. I've never had this problem before, and I'm wondering what the heck I'm doing wrong. I will be doing a 5% water change tonight and hopefully it will lower it a bit.

My tank has been setup for 4 weeks, as most of you already know that previous two tanks leaked on me and this is why on on round 3 of tank setup. The rock , sandbed and refugium should have been matured from previous setups, but the tank went through a mini-cycle after I set this one up. My ammonia measures 0, nitrites = 0 and yet my nitrates are 50-80

All my critters (inverts) and corals are doing fine. They are thriving and all seemed happy (except for me with this nitrate problem). Yet I having a problem keeping grape culerpa alive. It dies on me. Now from what I read the culepra absorbs the nitrates. And thsi should have worked. However its not.
I dont even feed anyone. No bioballs (well I just removed them last week), and no filters.

The only difference that I can tell that I have been doing from previous, is that im not putting my MH lights on for too long. (only 4 hours a day for right now) I'm slowly trying to get my LR and corals used to the MH intensity after not having it for 4 - 5 weeks. I do keep 240 VHO atenic lights on for 10 hours a day.

Does lighting have anything to do with the denitrification process?

I do keep my fuge ligh on 24 hours a day. Its a coralife 20 watt bulb that is specially made for plant growth (well, at least that is what it said on the label).

Anyone, can help me out here? This is irritating.

 

[Guest]

I can't remember which bioballs is the culprit of, either nitrites or nitrates, but if you jst removed the bio-balls last week, you might still need some time to get rid of them. 5% water change might not be sufficient to remove a significant amount. IMO I would do something closer to 20%. 4 weeks is still a young tank, so I wouldn't fret over it yet. How deep is your sand bed. If you are doing a DSB method, it is always advisable to have a depth of more than 4 inches, and something closer to 6" if possible.

 

[HolyBanana]

My display tank is about 3-4 inches deep
my fuge has it about 6 inches deep.

However I thought since everything else in my tank was old (from my tank that was setup previously) that the cycle would have been done faster. However These nitrates are the pits.

20% water change? wouldnt that shock my inverts and corals with such a drastic nitrate lvl change?

 

[Guest]

That's why I've never removed the bioballs from my wet/dry.
I'm afraid what kind of temporary negative impact it will have.

I'm going with the, if it's not broke, don't fix it approach in regards to them.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't think so if you water parameters are similar to your display tank. I am not sure what others opinions on this are though.

 

[Guest]

Clams are good at sucking up nitrates. You may want to let your tank get more established, but at some point a clam might help. I keep my grape caulpera under pretty intense lighting, 3-4 inches from 110w of pc plus some T5s. most of the light is actinic and it grows like a weed from hell. I would add more light to your fuge, another 20w actinic or 50/50. I can give you more caulerpa if you want.

 

[HolyBanana]

So, more lighting in my fuge eh?
Do I have to buy another ballast? or one of those hoods you can buy at Petsmart will do?

I also have like 25 clams in my tank (from my TBS rock) and those suckers are not doing their jobs. :twisted:

 

[Guest]

If your ammonia and nitrite are both zero, then your tank should be done cycling. Nitrates have to be removed via water changes. If it were me, I'd do a 25-30% water change and start stocking my tank(slowly). Add a fish or 2, wait about 3 days, then test ammonia and nitrite again. If they are still zero, your good to go. But I would still stock the tank slowly for the 1st month or 2. HTH

 

[Guest]

a petsmart light will do but I bet someone here has one or something for less $$.

 

[Guest]

In the short run, start doing water changes to get them down while you figure out how to control them in the long run (i.e. how to get your refugium kick started).

And do larger water changes like Josh said - 5% changes won't make a dent in it. If your nitrates are at 50, it would take 14 5% water changes to cut them in half. If you do 20% water changes instead, it would only take 3.

 

[HolyBanana]

has anyone purchased mature water from the lfs, if so. How much is it?

 

[ScubaMedic]

Here is a little information on lowering nitrates.
http://www.melevsreef.com/reducing_nitrates.html

 

[Guest]

Holybana,
You have nitrate problem do to moving live rock and sand to the new tank. You been doing 5% water change wouldn't help try to incease to 15% every other day to reduce it and give it some time it will lower the nitrate. Some species of corals will be fine when they expose to 50 ppm nitrate for a short period of time but for long term it is not good.