Nitrates too High

[emeushaw]

I have two FOWLR tanks, one is 120 gallon and the other is a 29 gallon. Both have have high Nitrate readings of 160 mg/l.
How harmful is this? The water in the 120 has turned green overnight.
What should be done? The Nitrites, Ammonia, and pH is all the same.
Any thoughts would be very helpful.
-E

 

[xhaust50]

What do you mean the nitrates, ammonia and pH is all the same? What test kits are you using? How old are they? What fish are in the tank?

Post back specific parameters. In the mean time I would do a large water change (30-40g) and retest. Anything new in the tank?

 

[xhaust50]

Also, do you have caulerpa in the tank?

 

[emeushaw]

I meant to state that the Nitrites and Ammonia are at about zero and the pH is 8.0. The fish in the larger tank are a snow flake eel and toadfish. The test kits are a few months old, I couldn't tell you the brand right now as I am away from the tanks.
After posting this thread, I noticed that the UV light was burnt out in the 120, so I will replace that.
The 29 only has a snowflake eel in it.
What is caulerpa?

 

[xhaust50]

Caulerpa is a type of macroalgae that often goes asexual when the lights on the tank are turned off and in doing so it turns the entire tank green. This is why most people choose chaeto instead of caulerpa in a refugium. If you don't have it then this won't apply to you.

How long have the tanks been set up for? Have you tested nitrates before? How often do you perform water changes and how large are they?

 

[emeushaw]

The green in the 120 went away when the light was turned on for awhile.
Water changes take place in both tanks between every 7-10 days. These spikes are taking place in both tanks and I'm not really sure why. We check the water whenever we do water changess.
Both tanks have been set up for about a year and a half

 

[luke33]

What kind of skimmer, filtration do you have in the tanks, and what kind of water are you using? RODI or tap?

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

What kind of water?
How much water are you replacing during water changes?
Protien skimmer? What kind?
Filtration? Using Bioballs or anything?
How much and how often do you feed?
Any live rock? How much?
Need lots more info

 

[emeushaw]

The 120 FOWLR has about 200 pounds of live rock, a Skilter filter 400, Fluval canister 304 canister filter (containing foam filters, ceramic balls, ammonia and charcoal pads), Sea Clone 150 Protein Skimmer, and a UV Filter. The water changes are between 10-15 gallons. Right now they are fed brine shrimp, about 1 ounce, once a day. There was a picasso trigger, pufferfish, maroon clown, and foxface. All of which have died over the past few months. The water always tested fine for Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Ammonia, salinity, and temp.

The 29 has about 75 pounds of live rock, and Eheim 2213 canister filter with 2 types of ceramic filters, a foam filter, and a zeo carb filter. There is a Sea clone100 protein skimmer and a fluval2 powerhead filter. There is only the eel and a few crabs in it right now.

Hope this helps

 

[luke33]

WOW, thats alot of bioload. The seaclone's are junk in my opinion. They won't do much, if anything when it comes to skimming. Make sure you replace or rinse the filter pad's alot, once every week or so. They can build up nitrate fast. You have a good amount of rock. Unfortunately, the skilter isn't much of a skimmer as well. I hate to say it but you need a serious upgrade in skimmers. So you will need a HOB skimmer, no sump?

 

[emeushaw]

I wish that there was a sump on the 120. Can you be a little more descriptive on the HOB skimmer? Should I upgrade the skimmers in both tanks, or can I get away with the Sea Clone in the 29?

From a processing standpoint, how do nitrates get worked through the system?

 

[luke33]

Nitrates are taken out with water changes and protein skimmers along with LR. Nitrates are also used by plants as food. So if you have alot of algae growing more than likely you have high nitrates. This is the problem algae kind, red slime, hair algae. Generally the sea clone's are sold at stores who kinda have saltwater but not really, like petco, or stores just in it for profit. They are unefectiv unfortunately. I had one for my first skimmer as well. HOB just means hang on back, or hang on tank. You could leave the seaclone on the 29 but as for teh 120....no chance. Unfortunately its supposedly rated up to 150g. Maybe 30 at the most IMO(in my opinion). There's ton's of people talking about HOB skimmers all teh time and rate them and this and that. There's a few different kinds, i'll explain them all breifly. These are the only one's worth a crap imo. For a tank that large you will need (in no specific order) either a Aqua c remora pro(what i have) works well, not the best skimmer ever but good for HOB skimmer. Many will agree or disagree. I'd say its a 85% agree and 15% disagree...maybe. Turbofloater 1000, can be used in sump, or hang on tank. Supose to be good skimmers as well. The hob octopus. Coralife superskimmer 220. Deltec(very expensive) or thats pretty much it for HOB. That are good. Do your research and any of the above will work for you. My personal opinions are the aqua c remora pro with mag 7 and large skimmer cup from premium aquatics. Round $300. Very good skimmer, plug and play, no matenence. The turbofloater is also a great skimmer $230, the coralife SS www.bigalsonline.com for $142, the deltec 400-500, great but not for that much IMO. But you definately need a new skimmer. If your tight on money, try the coralife, heard nothin but good things about it. And i'll be around, feel free to pm me. Many people are tired of this HOB skimmer questions. Good luck!

 

[luke33]

To answer your question fully. Refuge's are getting popular because they are one of the only efficient ways of ridding your tank of nitrate. You put LR, LS and chaeto, good algae into the fuge and it filters it out and adds oxygen. So thats whats goin on with the fuge's. Hope i helped a bit and didn't confuse.

 

[emeushaw]

I've been looking at the Coralife skimmers. Would I really need the 220 for my 29 gallon tank? would the 125 or 65 work?

 

[ClarksZ06]

I would agree that the turbo floater is a great skimmer. I use it on my 180 FOWLR. It does a good job.

Rule of thumb for skimmers is, buy the best one you can afford.
As far as nitrates go, I keep mine at 60 ppm or under. Its impossilbe to keep them lower than that with the fish load I have and the amount I feed them. I like fat fish.

 

[ralphie16]

I highly recommend you purchase a Tunze in-tank skimmer for your 29 gallon since you have no sump. I have one, it skims like a champ, is relatively small (4X5 or 2X5 depending on model), and I have mine very well hidden with live rock.

 

[FTony]

I used a Remora C hang on the back skimmer for my 1st tank...It was a 26 gallon with about 1 lb live rock per gallon. The skimmer pulled out alot of gunk and was pretty quiet. True, it was no where near as effective as my in sump skimmer but it worked, nitrates stayed low, and I didn't have to loose any tank space. Also, pretty sure you could use the coralife 129 or 65 for your 29 gallon. Folks like to "up size" skimmers for better water quality.