Nitrate off the charts HELP!!!

[wardragonet]

Ok gang my nitrate has been a issue since I started my tanks months back, its never got below 80ppm, I've never lost a fish but not that I've added a anemone I think its struggling. I started out with tap but have done a few changes with distilled and it stays high. What can I do cause I'm getting the red slim algae all on rock & sand

 

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[smallreef]

Feed less...

do more and frequent larger water changes..

check the TDs of the distilled water you using

[camelcruiser]

You should invest in a ro/di, do a few larger water changes that should get them down some. What size tank do you have? How much rock? What do you use for filtration? Also after you get the nitrates down a couple small water changes a week always worked better for me instead of large ones.

[wardragonet]

I have a 20g long, with 15-20 of LR I have a HOB filter with carbon &cheato, would me doing 5g of Ro/Di from the lps help

 

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[camelcruiser]

That's kind of a toss up I know some people that have used tds meters on some lfs clean water and had high results. Maybe a member close to you could help you out with some water until you get a ro/di.

[davelin315]

How old is the tank? Has it fully matured yet? Months back could mean you simply haven't run it long enough or you could have other issues as well.

[howaboutme]

I would also check it against another test or at your lfs to make sure it's correct .

 

If you have algae then there are nutrients in the water like phosphates. At 20g you don't want to do a huge water change. 10% more often is better.

 

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[hypertech]

When I ran a bc29, I used to do water changes that were nearly 100%. I'd get a new test kit and start doing doing big changes with good source water.

 

If you don't already have an rodi, make that your next purchase.

[wardragonet]

Ok until then I'll test some distilled and mix it and do a 50% change and turn lights off for a day. Thanks I appreciate it

 

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[wardragonet]

The tank cycled on Dec 6th, i'll invest in the Ro/Di since I'm starting to really add corals i'll step my game up, poor Condy looks like it needs a V8, my zoas in my 5.5g seem fine and are adjusting well

 

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[Jan]

Distilled water still has high TDS. As long as your TDS is high you will have these issues.

[wardragonet]

Ok what about purified salt water bought some from petsmart I'll test it before I do a change

 

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[howaboutme]

Distilled water still has high TDS. As long as your TDS is high you will have these issues.

 

Really?

 

I have tested distilled water and it read 0.

 

There was was recent thread about many that use distilled water to calibrate their tds meters.

 

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[Jan]

I purchased distilled water last year and I had TDS of 12. It was store brand and didn't smell so great. Can you post that thread here? Thanks!

 

Really?

 

I have tested distilled water and it read 0.

 

There was was recent thread about many that use distilled water to calibrate their tds meters.

 

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[Jan]

That should be ok. You will have a read on your TDS because of the salt.

 

Ok what about purified salt water bought some from petsmart I'll test it before I do a change

 

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[YHSublime]

I used distilled water for my top offs when I was buying saltwater from a LFS. Did that for about 4 months, and never had any real problems.

 

Truth be told, I know some folks who use tapwater, and their tanks thus far are some of the most beautiful I've seen. Would I do it? Nope.

 

If your tank has been cycled since December, somethings obviously wrong. You say you have fish and an anemone, and you've never had your nitrates below 80?

 

I would buy your saltwater from petsmart like mentioned, until you can get an RO/DI. What is your location, most LFS will sell it as well, BYOB (bring your own bucket.) I would suggest, and I could be completely off base here... but I would suggest a 50% water change. What kind of lights are you running? How many hours? How frequently do you do a water change, and what kind of salt are you using? What kind of food are you using, and how often do you feed? Do you have some pictures of your setup?

[howaboutme]

I purchased distilled water last year and I had TDS of 12. It was store brand and didn't smell so great. Can you post that thread here? Thanks!

 

Here's the thread:

 

http://wamas.org/for...-fluid-locally/

 

I was asking about calibrating a TDS meter, that's how it came up.

 

I used Glacier Lakes, from Wegman's Fairfax, distilled and it read 0. I have read people have used Walmart and have had 0 too. I have gathered that 0 in distilled is more the norm but I don't doubt your experience, which is why the OP's own due diligence is important.

[davelin315]

If your tank has been cycled since December, somethings obviously wrong. You say you have fish and an anemone, and you've never had your nitrates below 80?

 

Not true. A tank takes months to fully cycle, could be up to a year before it is fully ready. It all depends on how you start the system and what bacteria colonies exist already and which need to establish a foothold. Tanks will go through many different cycles before they reach the balance we strive for and the more you rush it the longer it takes. Cyano, diatoms, etc are all different cycles you may experience as your tank matures. Nothing substitutes for patience when it comes to a successful reef. A tank that is only 4 months old is still cycling in my book.

[pizzaguy]

 

 

Not true. A tank takes months to fully cycle, could be up to a year before it is fully ready. It all depends on how you start the system and what bacteria colonies exist already and which need to establish a foothold. Tanks will go through many different cycles before they reach the balance we strive for and the more you rush it the longer it takes. Cyano, diatoms, etc are all different cycles you may experience as your tank matures. Nothing substitutes for patience when it comes to a successful reef. A tank that is only 4 months old is still cycling in my book.

Well said. My tank is at the 4 month mark. Loaded with corals and 8 fish. Everything is happy so far and my nitrates are higher then 80. I'm not gonna worry myself to death with it. I'll do one big water change every 7 ro 10 days about 40 gallons. It will eventually come down. I learned patience very quick with nitrates. In my opinion the hardest thing for me to get down thus far.

[YHSublime]

Not true. A tank takes months to fully cycle, could be up to a year before it is fully ready. It all depends on how you start the system and what bacteria colonies exist already and which need to establish a foothold. Tanks will go through many different cycles before they reach the balance we strive for and the more you rush it the longer it takes. Cyano, diatoms, etc are all different cycles you may experience as your tank matures. Nothing substitutes for patience when it comes to a successful reef. A tank that is only 4 months old is still cycling in my book.

Well said. My tank is at the 4 month mark. Loaded with corals and 8 fish. Everything is happy so far and my nitrates are higher then 80. I'm not gonna worry myself to death with it. I'll do one big water change every 7 ro 10 days about 40 gallons. It will eventually come down. I learned patience very quick with nitrates. In my opinion the hardest thing for me to get down thus far.

 

Well, I guess I learned something new (I do everyday with WAMAS, sometimes right, sometimes wrong.) I've never had my nitrates above 20, sans a cycle, so I can imagine I would panic if I did. Admittedly, I'm quick on the draw, and fuss when I shouldn't. I also lack patience I know I should have.

 

My apologies for possibly leading the OP astray, I presumed that with nitrates at 80, there was an issue we were unaware of. However, all that being said, I can't imagine having my nitrates that high, and still adding fish, corals, and an anemone. Just my 2 cents.

[wardragonet]

I used distilled water for my top offs when I was buying saltwater from a LFS. Did that for about 4 months, and never had any real problems.

 

Truth be told, I know some folks who use tapwater, and their tanks thus far are some of the most beautiful I've seen. Would I do it? Nope.

 

If your tank has been cycled since December, somethings obviously wrong. You say you have fish and an anemone, and you've never had your nitrates below 80?

 

I would buy your saltwater from petsmart like mentioned, until you can get an RO/DI. What is your location, most LFS will sell it as well, BYOB (bring your own bucket.) I would suggest, and I could be completely off base here... but I would suggest a 50% water change. What kind of lights are you running? How many hours? How frequently do you do a water change, and what kind of salt are you using? What kind of food are you using, and how often do you feed? Do you have some pictures of your setup?

 

No your not of base at all i need help and i know its something im doing wrong im just glad to be getting help

 

I use:

 

Salt: IO

 

Lights: T5 & Marineland LEDs

I admit I leave my 20 on to long that's why I have the red slime but I don't get that in the 5.5g and the nitrate is the same

 

Food: ocean nutrition from reef flakes

San Francisco Bay Brand frozen

Feed: 3x a day as much as they can eat

 

 

 

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[wardragonet]

Ok I think I know why they anemone was doing bad....my salinity was terribly low I did a 60% water change in my 5.5 with the seawater and its doing fine......I tested the sea water before I used it and it came back at 0 ppm but now after the change it's around 40 ppm so I'm going to do another big water change Friday. My tap water tested at 10 ppm so I'm going to you 2.5 gallons of seawater and 5 gallons tapwater in that and see how it goes

 

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[hypertech]

80 nitrates is an issue. It's pushing it for fish and way high for corals.

 

You are feeding a lot for a tank with limited filtration. Cut back the feeding and up the water changes.

 

You could also consider a bacteria jump starter. A lot of them are snake oil but I did have some luck with seachem stability, which I think petsmart carries.

[hypertech]

Also, you are going to quickly spend more money on purchasing water than an rodi will cost you. If you have phosphates, etc in your tap water, every time you top up or water change you could actually be making the problem a little worse.

[zygote2k]

Contrary to popular belief, Nitrate does not have to be at zero in a healthy reef tank. Many of the LPS, mushroom, leather, and other softies can tolerate levels of N03 above 100ppm and will do fine. People around these forums tend to over do it about removal of nitrate because they are trying to achieve an ULN tank type water chemistry even though they might never have SPS.

Certain types of SPS can tolerate high levels of nitrate too.

 

If you look at your tank and all appears to be doing well and corals are inflating/deflating according to the light, you have zero visible algae issues, you do regular water changes, you don't overfeed, and coralline algae is growing, fish are happy and thriving then your tank is probably doing well and you shouldn't worry too much about test results.

 

Water testing is great if you are going to test and record the results on a weekly basis for the life of your tank. If you take random tests here and there, it's hard to pinpoint a problem based upon a water test.

 

Another easy test for dissolved organics (excess food,algae, waste products) in the water- look through the tank at a window and see if there's a noticeable color change in the water. If it's yellow, green, or brown, it's time for a water change and time to modify your techniques. Clear water is the desired color. Put water in a white bucket next to the freshly mixed saltwatwer for a good comparison.

 

A protein skimmer is almost a mandatory item to keep SW.