Nitrate Spike

[icliao]

Several friends and I have experience sudden Nitrate spike without apparent lost of any coral or fish in the aquarium.

The Nitrate would spike from 6 to 12 ppm in some case from 15 to 30 ppm within a week and last for 2 weeks then start to fall without major change.

Does anyone has the same experience?

What could be the possible cause?

 

[icliao]

BUMP

 

[kirstenk]

Possible Causes?

Something Died
Over Feeding
Lack of Water Change
New Addition increasing Bioload

Acropora can live with higher Nitrates, sometimes with no consequences. Extended periods may prove differently.

 

[DitchPlains2]

DSB? lol

tee hee hee
David:lol:

 

[beeker]

my nitrates were at about 50-250 ppm for about a month...no losses and the problem has now been corrected and my nitrates are now at 15ppm which is good IMO corals look great and since the change growth has improved, but still observing since it's only been 3 weeks since the nitrate drop.

 

[dreaminmel]

When you state this is happening to you AND your friends... what do you all have in common? Same water supply or did you all recently try adding something new all at the same time?

 

[icliao]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7669682#post7669682 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dreaminmel
When you state this is happening to you AND your friends... what do you all have in common? Same water supply or did you all recently try adding something new all at the same time?

The weird thing is the NO3 hike took place independently and no change was taking place during the spike.
That is, no new addition of animals, no water change, nothing appeared dead. No over feeding either.

I initially thought it was my DSB but now the Nitrate has fallen and stablized at 0.3 ~ 0.5 ppm (with a small sulfur reactor.)
Without the reactor it generally stays around 4 ~ 6 ppm and not over. My tank is pushing 4 years now but no clog on my DSB.