Biocube 29: Struggling With Nitrates

In my experience, API kits do not work, unless you're estimating from a test strip. I have 4 sets of API Nitrate tests, none of which would detect any nitrate.

I'm using a Red Sea Algae Control and Reef Foundation kit currently, and havn't seen better results beyond a Hanna Checker...

Be careful if you're adding a lot of vinegar to your little biocube, that does lower PH a bit temporarily.
 
I usually add vinegar in 2 5ml amounts midday and evening. I will try a new test today. Both API tests I have read 80 or higher. Didn't think both would malfunction

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Perhaps, but as I said, I have 4 test kits of which all malfunction.

I also find it odd that you are doing abrupt water changes without seeing the levels go away. Half you water removed, drops your concentration to half, and so on. If you're vacuuming gravel and what not, you're removing and replacing water as you do it. Going from 100 to 40 in 3 days of water changes alone is easy. You should measure before a change and after a change to see.
 
Occasionally I will see a dip but nothing substantial. Even days where I do back to back water changes night drop into the 80 range. I'm convinced the tests have to had gone bad in shipping or something. Especially since ammonia and nitrite consistently test at 0 and all other levels are great. Additionally my frogspawn and zoas are consistently open wide and growing significantly. Salifert will give me a more accurate idea tonight.

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Salifert test shows 100+ as well, still seemingly 100 after a 50% water change yesterday. Am probably going to do yet another 50% change today. Or should I do the opposite and do no water changes. Are the changes just removing beneficial bacteria too?

Would it be harmful to do 3-4 50% water changes within a few days?

Perhaps my tank hit a snowball effect and is so high in nitrates that nothing will help it without taking drastic measures? Can't afford to buy a pricey denitrator.
 
Most of the bacteria is going to be in your live rock so changing out the water won't decimate them. Did you try the vodka or vinegar dosing and nothing helped?
 
farfromsea said:
Most of the bacteria is going to be in your live rock so changing out the water won't decimate them. Did you try the vodka or vinegar dosing and nothing helped?
Click to expand...
Nothing noticeable as of yet. Just upped to 15ml per day vinegar.

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Where did this rock originate from?

-edit- It makes no sense to me that if you have 100 ppm of Nitrate in your water, and you drain and replace half of it, that the concentration remains at 100.

Is your chaeto healthy and tumbling, or is it rotting?

Is 100 the maximum scale for that test?

Test your freshly mixed water...
 
Rock came straight from a LFS directly into my tank. Store is highly regarded in Phoenix. I'll remove the Chaeto (since it hasnt made any positive difference so far) to see if anything changes.

The adventure continues....

I will do a test to see if the Chaeto has any effect. I'll throw it in fresh saltwater with a powerhead and see what happens.
 
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Removed Chaeto, added it to fresh saltwater and tested it 2 hours later. Already detectable nitrates. It's green but perhaps starting to die.

Additionally did another 50% WC. Knocked nitrates down to 50-80ppm. Better. Going to wait a few days and see if it maintains or decreases without another WC.



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That's good news.

I'd expect if you remove the sponge, fuge light, any macroalgae you have back there, and stick with just a skimmer and media basket, you'll have much better, easier success with that tank.

inTank makes a nice basket that will allow a skimmer to fit next to it. I run a 9001 and inTank basket in mine have no issues. Vinegar and Vodka isn't something you'll need to maintain that tank, ever.

If you one day have issues with some phosphate in the tank, just keep some phosphate removing media in the media basket... same with nitrates, silicates, etc.

You've just removed a bacteria haven from the tank, and more than likely improved the flow through the rear mounted sump. Keep in mind that any green algae that has grown back there will die and release nutrients back into the system so don't be alarmed.
 
I have two small clowns, a bi-color blenny, a royal gramma, coral beauty and small arrangement of corals and anemones. They get fed every couple days with frozen food and I'm away fromthe tank 3 weeks at a time... g/f sent me this at lunch time. Time to do some coralline cleanup, but there is never a concern of nitrates, ever.

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Nitrates have seemed to stabilize around 50ppm. Exciting for me since I haven't done any more water changes in 3 days. Long story short, seems like in an attempt to lower nitrates (chaeto) I was in fact exacerbating the problem. I am officially sold that macro is all but useless in a small tank because it can't properly tumble as it should.

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What better results can you have than finding the source of nitrate, removing it, and having your levels stabilize? Water changes will reduce nitrates far faster than vodka can ever hope to, especially in 2 and 3 digit concentrations.
 
chaeto grows in biocubes, just not as quickly. I have a the same tank with a ball of chaeto in the back, and pods/brine shrimp. I never have detritus build-up; I siphon the sand or inject jets of water into it to get stuff into the water column so the filter pad can get it out. The pad I have has pretty small pores so it catches quite a bit; I replace that every time it clogs significantly.

also, you might benefit from feeding less. I over fed when I first started my tank and my nitrates crept up to 80ish. Now they are back down.
 
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