high nitrates

[wesly2006]

well iv done everything I can think of to solve this problem. from adding chaeto, to doing weekly water changes nothing is working I need help.

 

[glaspie69]

what are you running for equipment/tank specs

 

[leeweber85]

Is your chaeto growing well?
How many fish, what do you feed, how much do you feed, what do you have for a skimmer, how big of waterchanges are you doing, do you use RO/DI, If you do have you tested the TDS of it?

 

[Fig]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...=PROD&Product_Code=M3-AZ-NO3&Category_Code=M3


Try it. It really works. But first find out where they are coming from. Overfeeding,water, ect.

 

[wesly2006]

its a 70 gallon with 105-115lbs live rock. I dond have a sump and I have a penguin hang on back filter with a bak pak 2 skimmer with a rio 800.

I have a pair of gsm clowns. yellow tang 5 damsels fire fish royal gramma and coral beauty. Im thinking this may be a little excessive. but I put the damsels in to cycle the tank but once I put the rock in there is no way of getting them out without taking all the rockout.

I feed flake food once a day, brine shrimp once everyother day. Nori algae for the yellow tang and the coral beauty every other day. and silversides for the two anem every two days. this too may be excessive.

please help

 

[leeweber85]

I would say that is a lot of fish for a 70gallon running a bak-pak. I think the bak-baks are only rated to 55-60gallons.

Does your HOB filter have filterpads/floss in it. That could also be part of the problem.

 

[wesly2006]

it does have filter pads and it also has cartridges for carbon or anything else but I dont have the cartridges in. the pads are in though do you think I should put some carbon in the cartridges or what.

 

[wesly2006]

I will be trying to take the damsels out as soon as I get my othe tank cycling do you think this would help?

 

[glaspie69]

I would say you should probably look into getting a larger skimmer. The excess food and fish waste is probably where your getting the higher nitrates. You might need to up your water changes to a larger amount for a few weeks to see if thst brings them down. 5 or 10 gallons on a 70 probably isn't doing much if they are fairly high.

 

[musty baby]

I'd say too many fish, too much food, not enough skimming.

Get some fishing line, small hooks and get the damsels out with some mysis shrimp bait. flatten the barb on the hooks if you don't want to tear jaws off.

I've also heard it mentioned before that silversides can be too big for anemones to fully digest, they usually end up regurgitating leftover chunks of dead fish. Try blowing some mysis at them instead.

 

[wesly2006]

ive been changing 15-20 gallon every time I change it. I think I may have to go with a bigger skimmer. to go with a bigger skimmer I would have to set up a sump I dont have the money for that right now. I have been trying to find a skimmer and someone was suppose to sell me one but never got back to me.

any ways anymore suggestions would help

 

[got2lb]

Take the filter pads out of the HOB overflow! More than likely they're caked full of crap and causing TONS of nitrates! Put the other cartriges in it full of carbon.

Cut way back on the feedings for a while as well. Just feed some flake every other day or something and do some big water changes. Blow all the rocks off with a turkey baster or something as well.

 

[got2lb]

also maybe if it's going to be a long time before you get your sump setup maybe try and pickup another used hob skimmer.

 

[glaspie69]

if it turns into an emergency I have a canaster filter that I fill with carbon and run.....you could borrow it.......after you plow a gallon of carbon the nitrates seem to go away for a minute

 

[leeweber85]

Lose the pads/floss and just run the cartridges filled with carbon.

You can run pads every once in awhile just to polish the water but they are known to be 'nitrate factories'

I have a prizm pro HOB you can try out if you want. It's rated up to 300g (yeah right!). It worked pretty well on my 75 gallon but you have to tinker with it sometimes.

 

[wesly2006]

thanks guys im going to try everything you all suggested and if it doesnt work I take you guys up on your offers until I get the sump running.

 

[lllosingit]

Maybe I missed your answer but the question was asked, Do you have an RO/DI unit? Tap water can be a huge source of nitrates and by doing water changes your not helping anything if your replacing nitrates with nitrates.

 

[wesly2006]

I have been using RO/DI water

 

[wesly2006]

im glad to report that everything is getting back to normal in the tank relating to nitrate. I took the floss out and put carbon in. Iv stoped feeding so much and. and I just did a water change im going to check again in the next couple of hours. It seems like it may take a while but its getting there.

just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the advise.

thanks
wes