Nitrate high!

[i2go]

I have nitrate that 17! I know, im trying to get it down but hoW! I do like 2 gallon water changes everyweek. But i dont know! Please help. I have a 12nano dx, 1 cleaner shrimp, like 10 hermits, one clown, 7 small frags, 2 snails(turbo, just had babys), 4 astrea snaills. And like 13lbs of rock. and some LR in the back.

 

[jjirsa78]

Larger water changes with RO/DI or NSW will help.

How often are you feeding? I've got a 24G NanoCube DX, so I know that it's tough without a skimmer - generally just watch how much you feed, do water changes when it gets that high.

 

[bertoni]

Feeding is probably the issue. 2g changes are fine. Depending on what frags you have, 17 ppm nitrate might not be much of an issue. How long has the tank been set up? Are you using tapwater?

 

[old salty]

A 50% WC will only get you down to 8 or 9. I would do several large (75%) WC's combined with trying to figure out where they are coming from. If not, eventually, the nitrates will climb.

 

[bertoni]

I wouldn't do a water change over about 25% with a tank that's set up. I think that can be pretty hard on the organisms. 17ppm nitrate is not an emergency, IMO. A series of 20-25% changes would lower the levels, but if the problem is overfeeding or not enough live rock, the levels will pop back up quickly.

 

[XeniaMania]

But isn't live rock a source? Since it converts ammonia to nitrite then nitrates? I have a DeNitrate bottle trick that works really well for me. Ever since I got my nitrates down to 0 they've stayed 0 even with regular feeding. It requires gravity feeding though.

 

[bertoni]

Generally, live rock is considered to be a denitrifier, since it seems to convert nitrate into nitrogen gas.

 

[i2go]

I have zoos, one hairy mushroom, soft corals, i have 13lbs in main, and in chambers 4lbs. i am using water that i get from a LFS, thats already to go. wats RO/DI or NSW? Also, i had ich like 6 4 weeks ago, so i got another clown, and a cleaner shrimp(always hides in this rock) And i feed the clown to get him used to it... like 3 flakes or pellets everyday. Thanks guys

 

[bertoni]

NSW is natural sea water
RO-DI is reverse-osmosis deionization, which is a type of filter that converts a water source into very pure water.

 

[i2go]

So...can you get NSW from your ocean? Or is it a saltmix? I have a water filter for drinking water that i get from the kitch sink is that fine>?

 

[bertoni]

There are stores that sell NSW, and if you can collect away from shore in an unpolluted area, that should work as well.

The filter for the kitchen sink probably doesn't do much. I sprung for an RO-DI filter eventually. I got tired of tapwater problems.

 

[i2go]

ok thank you, but do you sujest anything else to do? The thin layer of algae is such a nusence. lol

 

[XeniaMania]

What about those Glacier vending machines? They claim to use RO/DI and UV sterilization plus 2 phases of Carbon.

 

[jay24k]

Have you tested your water from the store? I've seen several that have high nitrates from the store.

What color is the algae?

Red? Cyano, try to syphon that stuff out of use chemipure which I've heard of good results.

Brown? Diatoms, just keep on the water changes and possibly do 2 a week if you can till you beat it.

Hopefully that is the only 2 it could be. Snap a pic and it would be easier to tell.

In my wife's 12 gallon nano, I have a mexican turbo, 6 astreas, 2 ceriths and 2 nassarius. They tear that thing clean. I would suggest adding some more personally.

 

[XeniaMania]

One time I bought water from the store. When I opened up my canister, it smelled like tap water, bastage~!

 

[i2go]

Umm its a thin green algae

 

[bertoni]

How many and what type of snails do you have, if any?

 

[i2go]

2 turbo, 4 astrea

 

[i2go]

Im mainly trying to figure out whats wrong with my nirtrate..

 

[jjirsa78]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6914582#post6914582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by XeniaMania
One time I bought water from the store. When I opened up my canister, it smelled like tap water, bastage~!

You're in Irvine? Jeff's Exotic Fish in Orange (Tustin between Katella and Chapman) sells natural sea water for $0.35/gallon (give or take). I know they have a Costa Mesa (Harbor and Fair) store too, depending on how far west you are.

(In Aliso Viejo myself - wish I could find someone good down in south county).