Need help with nitrates

#1
I had not been testing my water but things. were going well. All of a sudden I had coral bleaching. I ran tests and nitrates were at the top of the color range. Over the past three weeks I have done several water changes. The total water amount is slightly greater than the tank volume. Any ideas?
 
#3
the tank is 135 and the water changes have been 25 gallons each time. Not sure what you mean by nutrient export. Is that a skimmer?
 

SynDen

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#4
nutrient export would be skimmer, gfo, algae scrubber, macros ect..
Are you using RO water for the water? How much do you feed the tank? Anything else die recently?
I would be doing 25g everyday or every other day at least until the number came back down into exceptable ranges. But need to figure exactly what is causing the spike in the first place or the problem wont go away, so some more info on your tank would be helpful. Like livestock in the tank, your daily and weekly routines for maintenance and feeding would also be helpful.
 

jda123

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#5
How old is the tank? Do you have a sandbed? If so, what kind and how deep? Do you have live rock? If so, what kind is it (ocean, dry or man made)?

Most tanks can handle nitrate pretty well as long as the sand and rock are actually alive and not all junked up. Phosphates are usually what people struggle with, so you are probably high here as well.

My first suggestion is to get another test kit just to make sure. Also, an actual number might be a good place to start.
 

Munch

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#7
Hey DrD, how's the nitrates issue coming?

We got a lil sidetracked with a cross-thread, and wanted to make sure you made some progress with your problem.
 
#9
Help. Nitrate trouble!

My nitrates are the top of the chart and have been for a month. I made the mistake of thinking if things look good they are. All of a sudden I had coral bleaching. I tested and the nitrTes a high.

the tank is 135 gal. I run a protein skimmer. I have four chromis a small tang, a copper banded and a mandarin. Over the last four week I have changed at least 200 gallons. I did 25 last night and nothing changed.

I will do another tomorrow but it does not move. I have a 2 inch sand bed and the tanks is a year and a half old.

I may may either need to dose vodka or drink it myself.

Can an anyone help?
 

Dr.DiSilicate

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#10
Someone smarter than me may know more but... I'd get some microbe lift nite out for the short term! Then, look at your feeding schedule and nutrient removal schedule... What skimmer do you have? Have you had anyone else check the h20 yet? Sand beds can be refreshed but that's not that old a bed. Did you start with new or used sand? What is your normal water change schedule?

Absolutely drink some vodka! Don't jump into the dosing thing without a lot of research 1st! Not as simple as it may sound at first.

Good luck man.
 

SynDen

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#11
DoctorD;315760 said:
My nitrates are the top of the chart and have been for a month. I made the mistake of thinking if things look good they are. All of a sudden I had coral bleaching. I tested and the nitrTes a high.

the tank is 135 gal. I run a protein skimmer. I have four chromis a small tang, a copper banded and a mandarin. Over the last four week I have changed at least 200 gallons. I did 25 last night and nothing changed.

I will do another tomorrow but it does not move. I have a 2 inch sand bed and the tanks is a year and a half old.

I may may either need to dose vodka or drink it myself.

Can an anyone help?

I merged your two threads for the same issue. No need to make additional thread for the same issue. Thanks


Well what and how often do you feed the fish and the rest of the tank? If its not coming down after water changes something you are doing, like feeding the fish to much, would be the next likely suspect. You have to figure out what you are doing or where the nitrates are coming from.
 
#12
What is microbe lift nite out. I had a spell when water changes were not as often as they should have been. Every thing was good until all of a sudden. I have lost probable 300 in corals so far. What is the h20?

i have seen treatments you can by but do they work?
 

Dr.DiSilicate

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#14
DoctorD;315774 said:
What is microbe lift nite out. I had a spell when water changes were not as often as they should have been. Every thing was good until all of a sudden. I have lost probable 300 in corals so far. What is the h20?

i have seen treatments you can by but do they work?
Nite out is a product that helps to neutralize the nitrate in your system until you find the root cause.

H20 is water. I'd take a sample into a local fish store to have it checked. If you have done 200 gallons of water changes with no change maybe your test is incorrect. They may also take some time to discuss your system and it's needs with you. Get a game plan so to speak.

These things don't just pop up over night... They cheap put on you and then boom.... They reach a tipping point. It took a while to get here and now it'll take a while to get things back on track. I know this from 1st hand experience! NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS FAST!
 

ThatsDeep!

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#18
DoctorD;315916 said:
I bought a new test kit and ........that is not the problem.
Well our tank is much younger, but I can sympathize. We did mega water changes too. Things have turned around, but I am thinking it was a combination of adding a nitrate reducing filter pad, feeding very little and adding doing no dosing of any kind and probably the biggest thing was adding some mangroves and add'l chaeto in fuge and some live macro in tank. We are seeing some pretty happy corals at this point. We also bought a new kit, but that was because ours read very differently than 3 LFS!

I hope you get it turned around soon.
 
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