Need advise on nitrate issues

[bucksfan1976]

Got back last tuesday from a trip did all my testing and my nitrates were off the chart it was showing the dark pink. Which was 100 on my card. I checked my ro and some rock i had cooking for my brothers tank. Ro was 0 and my bros rock was 5 but rock is cycling so i understand it having some. Ive done 3 50 gallon changes and 2 40 gallon changes and its still showing 100 on my test and i cant figure it out. I cant think of anything that would cause it and nothing seems affected as far as corals.

Any help appreciated. Thanks

 

[ukguy]

borrow someone else's test kit? how old is the kit?

 

[bucksfan1976]

It was the 1st kit i bought aprox 18 months old.

 

[Baldwin]

Test kit may be bad, are you feeding your corals? May be overfeeding.

 

[hollback]

May be overfeeding.

If it's not coming in from your water, it's your feeding habits.

 

[lowscooby76]

If it's not coming in from your water, it's your feeding habits.

to add to the list. you could need a bigger Clean up crew.you have to many fish or if you have a lot of big fish.need a bigger protein skimmer or just need to clean it real good. you need to open up your rock work more to let more water flow throw so you don't have dead spots. that what i would look at.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Skimmer is a ASMG2 - Rated for 200 Gallons

I have 3 modded maxi jet 1200s 2 are placed in corners so that part of the flow bounces off a rock in front of it and bounce back and around. See Pic

Clean up Crew- This is a possibility I have a ton of snails but how many Hermits should I have. I only have aprox 20 and I have several emerald crabs and 2 fire shrimp.

Feeding - This spike happened after we were gone for 3 days with no feeding plus I only fed them once the day we left. However This is always a possibility. I introduced a blue hippo about a month prior and when I introduce a fish I try to feed a bit more to make sure they are fat and healthy just in case a fish gets stressed or something they are fat and it helps them get through any chance of disease.

Thanks for all the help guys. Ill keep looking into it.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Test kit may be bad, are you feeding your corals? May be overfeeding.

I swirl some cyclopeese once a week at night ...

 

[Baldwin]

Probably a bad test kit. Your corals would be extremely stressed at those levels if they are accurate.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Yea thats what I was thinking and you have seen them.... not stressed at all.

 

[lowscooby76]

sound good just do a count on your fish or look for anything that might had die and you don't know about it.just something else it could be if it not the test kit.

 

[ukguy]

Everything looks healthy in the pic...take some tank water to phishy

 

[bucksfan1976]

Yea im going to on Wednesday.

 

[Dedub]

If you still have no LR in your sump I would either add some LR to it, or get a good fuge going. Right now all your relying on for filtration is a filter sock, and skimmer right? If so that definatley wont do it for that much bioload. I think a good fuge would do you wonders.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Yea after seeing yours i think i might look into it. I did notice yesterday when I tested it looks like its clearing up.

 

[Dedub]

chaeto works wonders for me also

 

[bucksfan1976]

Well this is what i have done.

1. Completely went away from frozen food.
2. Went to pellets
3. Have done 20% water changes every night (my rodi hates me for it)

I have noticed a slow decrease in the nitrates. The water is getting less pink so looks like the test was good and I just had that much nitrates.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Well Ive hit a crossroad and I have absolutely 0 answer to and believe me I have tried everything to get this nitrate road figured out. As some of you know (mods do not earase this is not promoting my sale) I put my tank on a website for sale. This is how far at wits end that I am. Its making it not fun any longer and I feel that the only way to get it all under control is to empty the tank and just start over. Here is what I have done so far

1. Removed sump- washed all debris completely out of it with Rodi
2. Cleaned skimmer
3. Cleaned pump
4. Replaced drain with new (cleaned in rodi)
5. 300 Gallons of water changes in 2.5 weeks (roughly)
6. Bought a new test kits
7. I check nitrates of every bucket I dumped in the tank and they were 0.

This is what has died in my tank that Im aware of in the last month (not due to nitrates I hope)

Red Tail Tameron Wrasse and 3 emerald crabs

Its getting super expensive trying to fight this. 2 buckets of salt, 2 DI canisters and not to mention how much water ive wasted and hours of brain storming trying to get it figured out.

I do not know where to go except for trying to catch the fish , remove all the corals , empty all the water and see if RS can deliver me 150 gallons of water again. Any thing else you can think of?

 

[bill4t]

I wouldnt give up Donnie. I would get rid of some corals and fish to lighten the bio load and just let it ride and see where you are in a month. and if you notice things start going south like corals and sick fish. then I would start tearing down and going smaller. thats what I would do myself.

 

[bucksfan1976]

I might I dont wanna give up on this I dont. Maybe if I thinned out the corals and such that might help.