Cannot keep my nitrates down!!

[Ukreeferguy2020]

Hi. I cannot keep my nitrates down and wondered if anyone could suggest something that I haven't done.

They constantly sit at about 30ppm. Nitrites, ammonia and phosphate all 0. Salinity about 34 and temp between 26-27 (can't seem to get it much cooler, even with a chiller)

Not too badly socked for a 400l. Even when there was only two clowns and a coral beauty they were the same. I feed once a day and only enough that they eat.

I'm running the following filtration...

-Curve 7 skimmer (producing half a cup of skimmate every 3-4 days)
-Rowaphos in reactor
-VOX activated carbon in a reactor
-Nitrate reliving poly filter sponge
-Vector 600 UV steriliser
-Bio pellets (started 44 days ago) in a bio pellets reactor
-I have some cheato in the sump but the light ain't working at the moment so it's kinda withering away into nothing.

There isn't much more algae than the normal buildup so don't know what's going on!


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[gavinbree]

Deep or shallow sand bed, what kind of sand, do you have sand sifters ?

Im willing to bet its your sand where the nitrates will be leeching from ?

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[wij]

If the cheato is withering away it would be releasing the nitrates back into your system I believe I may be wrong I would remove dead cheato and get a light on any you can salvage and keep up water changes hope that helps?it does take time my nitrates took 5 month to get a grip on good luck[emoji6]


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[JustinM]

What is your water source? You didn't mention an RO/DI. Tap water has nitrates in it and could likely be the culprit if you're not using one.

 

[2una]

take the rowa offline for a while so you have some po4....you need some po4 for the bacteria to bring the no3 down

 

[Ukreeferguy2020]

Deep or shallow sand bed, what kind of sand, do you have sand sifters ?

Im willing to bet its your sand where the nitrates will be leeching from ?

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Sand bed is about 1.5" deep. Lots of critters. About 30 hermits, 2 cleaner 2 fire and 2 peppermint shrimp. An emerald crab. Two starfish and a big hair spider thing. 6 Austrian snails (or similar spelling) and 3 conks.


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[Ukreeferguy2020]

What is your water source? You didn't mention an RO/DI. Tap water has nitrates in it and could likely be the culprit if you're not using one.

sorry, I have a 4 stage RO with DI system. TDS is between 1-5 and nitrates of fresh RO read about 2. (I know it's not ideal and contacted the RO company but I must have high nitrates from standard tap water.)


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[Ukreeferguy2020]

take the rowa offline for a while so you have some po4....you need some po4 for the bacteria to bring the no3 down

Good point. Will do.


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[gavinbree]

Sand bed is about 1.5" deep. Lots of critters. About 30 hermits, 2 cleaner 2 fire and 2 peppermint shrimp. An emerald crab. Two starfish and a big hair spider thing. 6 Austrian snails (or similar spelling) and 3 conks.


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Most cuc only eat uneaten food they wont go after silt and fine detritus, try siphoning out a part of the sand next time you do a water change and see the crap that comes out of it.

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[Ukreeferguy2020]

Most cuc only eat uneaten food they wont go after silt and fine detritus, try siphoning out a part of the sand next time you do a water change and see the crap that comes out of it.

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I do that already. I really give the gravel a good going over and get it all out.


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[vhuang168]

What is your tap TDS? Water from RO/DI should be 0 TDS if straight from the exit hose.


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[Ukreeferguy2020]

What is your tap TDS? Water from RO/DI should be 0 TDS if straight from the exit hose.


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275. I was on the phone to the manufacturer for ages and he worked out the effectiveness was about 99% and their suggested changing the membrane when it drops to 95%. I changed all filters about 3 months ago so not had much through it.


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