Need help with nitrate levels

[tanyamikephil]

We have had our tanks now for several months and the nitrate level has been steadily climbing. We had done water changes, cleaned filters, but the levels still will not come down. Can anyone please give us any advice with this.
Thanks

 

[Luke Schnabel]

10% water changes every week and cut back feeding will help keep them low. If you don't have one already, get a refigium sump and put some macro algae to suck up nitrates. Change out your filters every week will keep anything it catches from turning into nitrate and phosphates.

 

[thegrun]

You need to clean/replace your mechanical filters every three days or they will start to produce nitrates. As posted above feed lees and make bigger more frequent water changes. We need to know a lot more about your tank, the size and frequency of your water changes and the bio-load to give you more specific advice.

 

[tanyamikephil]

We have a 55 gallon tank, with protein skimmer, another highly recommended filter, and a RO/DI system for the water. In the tank we have a cleaner shrimp, clown, 2 fire fish, grouper, and an angel fish. We have been doing weekly 20% water changes and filter cleaning, cleaned the substrate in sections, and i feed the fish once a day but only enough that they eat it all. I have been careful to not overfeed. We do plan to have a refigium but really can't afford to do that just yet. I forgot to mention that we have a couple of anemone's too.

 

[RedRubyDragon]

Get rid of mechanical filtration so particles don't get stuck on anything and can degrade freely. Get some biodigest and nopox. (check out carbon dosing; biodigest helps break particulates down)

 

[CStrickland]

I wouldn't feed less than that. Waste accumulation is two parts: food in and waste out. I'd look at waste out.
The filter can do more harm than good, as others said.
IMO carbon dosing is better for more settled tanks, I like it for just polishing out the last N, not as something the tank relies on.
Do you have some powerheads in the tank to keep the water moving?
What are your nitrates at?
What kind of grouper?
What skimmer model?

 

[JammyBirch]

Get rid of mechanical filtration so particles don't get stuck on anything and can degrade freely. Get some biodigest and nopox. (check out carbon dosing; biodigest helps break particulates down)

My opinion is yes get rid of any mechanical filtration, i personally don't use chemicals for anything though so i don't know about that. Mechanical filtration like sponges and socks is usually bad business unless you're cleaning them out and replacing them regularly.

Nitrate can be a tough one, you need to remove more nitrate with your water changes than you can produce in the time between water changes. Nitrate build up is simple math, it's additive...if you're not removing enough of it it will gradually keep increasing.

I guess my question is what is the high nitrate level doing to your system that makes you want to remove it?

 

[ScienceRulez]

Nitrates for my tank was a constant battle for over two years. What did it for me was
1) adding filter socks that get changed every day and
2) adding a refugium and macro algae.
3) twice a week water changes, since brought down to one a week since for the size of my tank, salt can get pricey.

I will add like others that any filtration needs to be changed regularly. for my setup it needs to be daily.

Good luck!

 

[CStrickland]

I forgot to add another Q to my post
How much live rock so you have?

 

[scooter31707]

I agree