Nitrates won't Budge!

[SemperReef]

Hey guys, got a question. Got a 24g nano with plenty of rock, three small fish, CB Shrimp, 2 Mex Turbos, 5 Astrea, 10 hermits.

I can't get my Nitrates to budge from 20ppm. I ve done several 2 - 3 gallon water changes over a several day period and no movement.

Should I increase the volume of the changes? What in your opinion is safe for this small a system 10%, 20%, 30%.

All other parameters are rock solid and I am removing the small ammount of bioballs used to cycle the tank a little each time I do a water change.

I just don't want to remove to much water a cause the system to crash.

 

[demonsp]

Whats the water source?

 

[sharuq1]

How long has the tank been setup?

 

[SemperReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11899171#post11899171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
Whats the water source?

I have a RO/DI unit set up in my laundry room for my larger set up.

 

[SemperReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11899183#post11899183 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sharuq1
How long has the tank been setup?

This Nano is new. About a month and 1 week old. Trying to reduce nitrates from the cycle that ended 3 weeks ago.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Lowering nitrates requires larger water changes. On such a small volume of water it should be very easy to do 3 50% changes, which is what I would recommend.

 

[MCary]

Nitrates can stay elevated in a new system for 6 months to a year. You are not going to reduce nitrates long term through water changes. Nitrates are being produces as fast as you take them out.

 

[mr336]

could you please explain for educational purposes?

thanks

ma

 

[fishfanatic06]

Add Sugar. 1/8 teaspoon per 25 gallon of water daily. Your nitrates will drop like you wont believe!

 

[dabears1983]

I have to agree with fishfanatic, I had a nitrate level of 75 in my 150 gal total reef, I added 5 teaspoons of sugar diluted in ro water, and in 1 day , the nitrates drop to 25, water was cloudy for a day , but the corals didn`t seem to mind at all, I will be adding sugar again tonight, to see if I can bring nitrates to zero, and one other thing, I had a nitrate reactor for over a month, and the sugar addition blew it away ,,just my opinion..

 

[staci]

your really serious about the sugar??
Never heard of such a thing..hmm interesting

 

[dabears1983]

staci

do a search, there is a huge thread about here on RC, I just tested again, and my nitrates levels are 10, one more treatment should doooooer. and yes my corals couldn`t look any happier.

p.s.
make sure you keep an eye on your skimmer, my cup filled 3 times as fast as normal, with some really dark stuff.

 

[sk8rreefgeek]

I heard those bio-balls that come with the filter can build up Nitrates. are you using those?

just a thought

 

[cardgenius]

Add a RDSB. I would work on finding out why you have high nitrates and getting rid of them instead of masking them.

Do you have a Fuge? How much flow do you have? How much do you feed? What kind of skimmer do you have? RDSB? I think those are your basics for getting your nitrates down.

 

[SemperReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11900502#post11900502 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishfanatic06
Add Sugar. 1/8 teaspoon per 25 gallon of water daily. Your nitrates will drop like you wont believe!

How does that process work?

 

[SemperReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11905233#post11905233 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sk8rreefgeek
I heard those bio-balls that come with the filter can build up Nitrates. are you using those?

just a thought

No i used some seeded ones from my larger, established setup. I am removing them as I do water changes.

 

[SemperReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11905412#post11905412 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cardgenius
Add a RDSB. I would work on finding out why you have high nitrates and getting rid of them instead of masking them.

Do you have a Fuge? How much flow do you have? How much do you feed? What kind of skimmer do you have? RDSB? I think those are your basics for getting your nitrates down.

No fuge. 290g per hr on main return. Hagen 201 PH in the tank with a Hdro-flo head.(plenty of water movement I think). No skimmer yet. Wanted to try using water changes only. Most people say that is possible with these Nano's. Sand bed is about 2.5"

 

[sk8rreefgeek]

so you DO have some balls in there?

maybe that has something to do with it. I've just heard they are junk, I've never used them

 

[SemperReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11906181#post11906181 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sk8rreefgeek
so you DO have some balls in there?

maybe that has something to do with it. I've just heard they are junk, I've never used them

Yeah, very few and every time I do a WC I remove 4-5 untill all gone

 

[sk8rreefgeek]

if it was me (based on what I've heard about the bio-balls) I'd probably replace them with those ceramic things (established), or small pcs of live rock. Get another opinion on that tho, I'm no expert

I run my 55 on a canister filter with carbon and those ceramic things. never had any problems, nitrates stay at 0