nitrates too high

The live rock can perform denitrification, that is, release nitrogen as a gas into the atmosphere. It should be able to help keep the nitrate level down, but the ceramic rings might be interfering with that process.

I think a skimmer would be a great investment. They aren't necessary, but they do help keep a tank stable and are a good safety net, IMO.
 
how do all you guys feel about another water change today? and how much should i do since i did 30% yesterday, 5% 2 days ago, i just want to lower them so they dont kill my coral, I will ad fish later....I mean later my nitrate is still 70.....BAD
 
my previous tank(s) fw was 6+ yrs 10 gal, then 20 fw, then made mistake of trying to make that a sw tank......no luck....dont ask.
started agian with new last year with a 46 gal tank with stand that has ample room for a sump
 
We also struggled with high nitrates. We were running a biowheel AND bioballs. Who knew? Anyway, we ditched the entire eclipse filtration system; pads, wheel...whole nine yards. Then we removed the bioballs a few at a time. (So as not to shock the system with a sudden change.) Then we started a refugium, in which we have MIRACLE MUD, and some macro algae. Worked like a charm. 2 weeks later, Nitrates = 0!
Oh, and I'd be careful putting macro algae directly in your display tank, because it spreads very quickly. It'll grow over your corals, strangling them.
Just my .02, fwiw.
-Penny
 
so you peeps think that if i slowly get rid of those balls/noodles/whatever they are it may help, once they are almost gone can i put some lr rubble and some macroalgae in there and maybe one of those things that have carbon in them? any thoughts?
 
you only need to run carbon 3 days during the month as long as you got a protein skimmer and do 20% monthly water changes. that could be 5% a week or 10% every two weeks or less preferably 20% once a month
 
I wish i knew what was causing this, soooo frustrating to see nitrates this high, i still dont know what to do with the area where these ammonia tubes are...can i put lr in there? should it be just ruble, and those nylon sacks that hold carbon, can they go there too??? and how about that macro...can it go there too as i dont want it running ammuck in my tank...haha
 
Okay, I replied to your double post (bad form) and I'll throw out a couple more bones. The "noodles" are a coarse mechanical filter that will trap food that you are feeding to your fish. That trapped food will produce significantly more nitrates than the poop that it would have produced from a fish. I personally think that you added the corals a bit quick, but make sure they are healthy, a dying coral will produce a huge bioload. Start feeded once daily, the same amount that you are now during a single feeding. Check the nitrates on the water that you are buying. Buy RO water from the grocery store or go to ebay and get yourself an RO/DI filter from filtersdirect. Only set you back $100 and work great. When you add tap water to replace evaporated water, all nutrients and minerals in the tap water will remain in the tank. Every time you top off you are increasing the concentrations.

An asside: Ca has a lot of environmentally conscience practices and one of them is taking sewerage and pumping it back in the ground. There are nitrates in that sewerage. I don't know if that is the case where you are, but I am guessing that your LFS is using tap water and you are pumping a lot of the nitrates in the tank along with your fish. RO/DI is the only way to go.

Anyways, remove the mechanical filtration, use filter floss for about 2 hours or so after you clean the tank and then remove it.

Test your tap water, test the LFS water.

Cut back feedings, at least for the time being.

I do weekly 5% water changes, you might want to do weekly 20% changes in order to bring the nitrates down. I would suggest making your own water with RO water purchased from a grocery store. You'll save money over what your LFS is charging you.

Oh, good luck catching that Damn-sel
 
Oh, relax...you'll sleep better at night. Jumping to anything will only make you do something more stupid. The slower you go, the happier you'll be.
 
Salt is all that you'll need until you have a tank full of corals, and I mean FULL. Just add salt, it has everything that the ocean does, and usually more.
 
$$$ I used to work for an LFS. All they see is sales and the bottom line. The only thing that I have added to my tank in the last 18 months is DIY Ca and Buffer solutions to keep my calcium high for SPS growth. That is it.

A good practice is to ask here before you go the your LFS and then ask them. You'll find out which ones are good and which ones only have $$$ in their eyes.
 
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