Nitrates

[johnsonj]

Why is it so hard to keep my nitrates down low on my 47gallon tank. I have 3 hang on the back filters on it. Is half a cube of frozen shrimp a day to much for 4 fish. Any help would be great.

 

[gbru316]

More info is needed.

Stock list, additional filtration, amount of live rock, frequency and amount of water changes, type of water used for water changes, etc.

 

[johnsonj]

One clown, 3 blue-green chromis, clean-up crew, 50 lbs live rock. A double and 2 single hang on back filter and I just did a 20 gallon water change 2 weeks ago and I use water from Bill.

 

[ghellin]

Could be the rock leaching into the tank as well, is it from a dirty tank? Make sure you have no dead flow areas and stay on water Changes.

 

[johnsonj]

The rock is from someone on here can't remember. And I have one power head. I guess will will check nitrates weekly

 

[gbru316]

One clown, 3 blue-green chromis, clean-up crew, 50 lbs live rock. A double and 2 single hang on back filter and I just did a 20 gallon water change 2 weeks ago and I use water from Bill.

Is it RO/DI? How long has the tank been set up? Do you vacuum your substrate to remove detritus?

 

[cjilge]

HOB filters can create problems, what media do you have in them? are you using biowheels or floss in them? Are you using a skimmer? What is your Water change schedule? Most that run a hob on a SW system fill them with LR and or make a small fuge with a light and run a little cheato in them. Just a thought I had.

 

[Jedidad]

what are your nitrates reading? i would recommend 10% water change weekly. also when you thaw the frozen shrimp rinse it out in a net or something before adding it to the tank. frozen foods often contain a lot of nitrates and phosphates in the juices that they are frozen in.

 

[johnsonj]

Gbru I run ro/di water he says it is 0tds. And my tank has been set up about 6 months. My rock is from a group buy y'all did last year and madkat has 50 lbs of the same rock and no problem. I am not running any bio-wheels madkat said my rock shOuld be filtering now. Chris I don't understand that last of your message. And yes I do rinse my shrimp off. I think I was just over feeding my fish. It was a new shrimp than my last batch. Much bigger

 

[bobkill]

Try some brine shrimp or flakes? What are your Nitrates at? Do u have coral

 

[gbru316]

What type of substrate are you using? Crushes coral? Sand?

If crushed coral, do you vacuum it to remove detritus?

If sand, do you remove the pockets of detritus that build up on the surface?

 

[johnsonj]

Yes I have coral and the only one not opening up is my star polyps. I have an armor of god and a leather toadstool. I run sand and crushed coral. And no I don't vacuum my floor

 

[johnsonj]

I am going to get my water tested tomorrow and I will post the results tomorrow. And I am going to start running chaeto in my HOB filters and see what that does.