high nitrates what to do?
- Thread starter beeker
- Start date
well i have used my normal tap water for every water change since the start of my tank. dumb me never tested the water before i put it into the tank....my tank at the begining had no nitrates....so if i had no nitrates from the begining and i was testing tank water then...then i'm not sure my exchange water is an issue.
but i thought there was a de clor type of chemical you could use to remove it from the exchange water.
i don't use RO/DI water....but i might be real soon if this doesen't get solved.
but i thought there was a de clor type of chemical you could use to remove it from the exchange water.
i don't use RO/DI water....but i might be real soon if this doesen't get solved.
rutz81
New member
I'm not too sure what exactly is in those chemicals, I also used to use them, but, wouldn't even consider adding them into my reef tank now.(knowing how sensitive SPS) I would really look into an RO/DI unit. Look around, I'm sure someone is selling one in the Used Equipment Forum. That is a definite start to finding out where those nitrates are coming from.
rutz81
New member
Like I said, I wouldn't add it(would save your money for the RO unit), but, it is your preference and your tank, of course. If you use this at all, it should defintely only be a short-term fix. And, I wouldn't spend money on adding any new corals until, you stopped using it. Also, I think that they might be BS'ing with their claim to have no ill effects.
Horace
New member
Beeker, you didnt show any Nitrates in the tank because your sand bed was filling up with them and thus taking them out of the water column. Now I am almost certain that your sandbed is saturated and can no longer absorb any more.
IMO you are crazy not to be using RO/DI water.....That is probably the most fundemental thing needed for reef keeping. I would bet you are also adding tons of phoshates and metals to the tank as well. NOT GOOD!
At this point you might be better off removing all your sand and putting new sand in, or just going bare bottom....
IMO you are crazy not to be using RO/DI water.....That is probably the most fundemental thing needed for reef keeping. I would bet you are also adding tons of phoshates and metals to the tank as well. NOT GOOD!
At this point you might be better off removing all your sand and putting new sand in, or just going bare bottom....
well i will be doing everything i can to make my tank 100% but i didn't have the cash for an RO/DI unit at the begining of this setup. I have the money now but my dad informed me he doesen't know how to hook one up and well neither do i. i don't want to spend 300 dollars to fix a nitrate problem...
i'm only 21 and trying this for the first time, i used to use de-clor everytime for my tank changes, i ran out of it so i have been letting the water sit for 3 days and then i use it for my exchange water, thinking that letting it sit for that long distilling would make the water 100% for using.
i'm only 21 and trying this for the first time, i used to use de-clor everytime for my tank changes, i ran out of it so i have been letting the water sit for 3 days and then i use it for my exchange water, thinking that letting it sit for that long distilling would make the water 100% for using.
DrBDC
Active member
I got my ro/di on eBay from FilterDirect's store for 125 including shipping. 6 stage RO6100+DI Water General unit.
Letting the water sit will remove the chlorine but that's about it. If you go online and search for your local water dept. water quality reports you will be shocked at what they allow the water to be.
As far as hooking it up you can either use a piercing valve from your local home depot/lowes and connect right up to any pipe running in the house OR it comes with an inline adapter that just connects under any sink with not much required than a couple wrenches/pliers/channel locks. They come with directions and literally anyone who can read could follow the directions and hook it up. Very very easy.
Another option is to buy the ro/di at your local fish store but if you do a good 30-35% monthly change, this will add up to the 125 in short order.
Letting the water sit will remove the chlorine but that's about it. If you go online and search for your local water dept. water quality reports you will be shocked at what they allow the water to be.
As far as hooking it up you can either use a piercing valve from your local home depot/lowes and connect right up to any pipe running in the house OR it comes with an inline adapter that just connects under any sink with not much required than a couple wrenches/pliers/channel locks. They come with directions and literally anyone who can read could follow the directions and hook it up. Very very easy.
Another option is to buy the ro/di at your local fish store but if you do a good 30-35% monthly change, this will add up to the 125 in short order.
My lfs here in Spokane has to use ro/di on everything because our tap water is way bad in that department. And after asking for a full and detailed report on the content of Oklahoma City water, when I lived there, I decided major filtration was the only way to go. We didn't have ro/di back then, but I built my own ro filtration, equal to what the zoo was using, and it eliminated mysterious dieoffs--it wasn't so much nitrates that were getting me, but all the other stuff that was getting past the water conditioners.
rutz81
New member
RO/DI on Ebay
Some of them even have free shipping, they are very easy to hook up. I was 22 when I hooked mine up, it is very basic plumbing, if you want to call it that at all.
Some of them even have free shipping, they are very easy to hook up. I was 22 when I hooked mine up, it is very basic plumbing, if you want to call it that at all.
RichConley
New member
Are you sure theres not something wrong with your backpack? Mine was pretty silent.
still doinh water changes, but my tank is still high in nitrates (around 50 ppm)
The funny thing is though after all these water changes my corals don't look much better than they did before(the PE is less than what it was last week before i started what i'm doing now) i started trying to get rid of these nitrates. wouldn't have all my fish/inverts and coral have died by now if my nitrates had been this high for lets say a month?
The funny thing is though after all these water changes my corals don't look much better than they did before(the PE is less than what it was last week before i started what i'm doing now) i started trying to get rid of these nitrates. wouldn't have all my fish/inverts and coral have died by now if my nitrates had been this high for lets say a month?
Horace
New member
Nope....
How exactly do you know how well your skimmer is skimming anyway? Are you getting LOTs of dark skimmate per day? If so, how much? The CPR is not known to be a top quality skimmer, so I doubt its doing as great of a job as you think. Though as I said, you need to start at square one with your RO/DI.
Horace
New member
Oh and installing an RO/DI is about as easy as anything. There really is no plumbing. All you need to do is drill a hole and installe a saddle valve and a piercing valve, both of which come with the unit. It takes all of 30 mins to install them. They DO come with directions you know 
I think mine was $125 shipped
I think mine was $125 shipped
well in the next few weeks i will order the Ro/Di unit, when more funds become available to me.
Well my tank looked better a few weeks ago(before i even checked my nitrates and reduced my feeding regime)
My tank looks good now but not great like it was before Polyp extension is still there but now the polyps aren't extended as far as they were last week(before i started my rapid changing of water(id have to say my nitrates were probably this high for a month or two before i noticed them and everything seemed 100% ok, no die offs or coral loss in the last 2-3 monthes of running the tank)
Well my tank looked better a few weeks ago(before i even checked my nitrates and reduced my feeding regime)
My tank looks good now but not great like it was before Polyp extension is still there but now the polyps aren't extended as far as they were last week(before i started my rapid changing of water(id have to say my nitrates were probably this high for a month or two before i noticed them and everything seemed 100% ok, no die offs or coral loss in the last 2-3 monthes of running the tank)
