highergroove
New member
I cannot figure out where my nitrates are coming from. I noticed they were about 80, did a water change and they came back down to 40. Just did another water change and they went back up to 80 after 5 days.
300 gallon tank - < 6 mos old (rock is 15 years old/established). I removed the filter socks awhile ago. I have a 3" sandbed and do monthly water changes. I have a skimmer - feed once per day very hungry fish - 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" Rod's Reef. And I feed 1/2 sheet of Nori (2 large australian stripeys, kole tang, yellow tang, 2 blennies, coral beauty, 3 cardinal fish, 2 firefish).
Could it be the Nori? I did buy some organic for the last 3 weeks and just went back to the plain old toasted Nori (no additives). I would think 1/2 sheet is not too much and the fish eat it right away
Also, I suspected that it may have been coming from Calcium Reactor - I was running it with no CO2 for a few weeks. But this weekend - I started it back up and topped off with some fresh media thinking any denitrifying bacteria would be killed off with the 6.5 pH. However, with a 10% water change and the startup of the reactor, I find it hard to believe it jumped up 40ppm in 5 days. The pH is indeed 6.5 inside as I have a probe.
I checked the source water and the nitrates are 0.
What do you think I should eliminate first as the likeliest culprit? If I move away from the regular Nori and go to organic Nori? Change the media in the calcium reactor?
What should I do to remove them now? Do any of the products out there work? I'd rather not buy another reactor if I can get away with a filter sock for now or a liquid supplement. Which ones work best? I heard some tend to kill clams...
Thanks in advance for all your help. So frustrating.
300 gallon tank - < 6 mos old (rock is 15 years old/established). I removed the filter socks awhile ago. I have a 3" sandbed and do monthly water changes. I have a skimmer - feed once per day very hungry fish - 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" Rod's Reef. And I feed 1/2 sheet of Nori (2 large australian stripeys, kole tang, yellow tang, 2 blennies, coral beauty, 3 cardinal fish, 2 firefish).
Could it be the Nori? I did buy some organic for the last 3 weeks and just went back to the plain old toasted Nori (no additives). I would think 1/2 sheet is not too much and the fish eat it right away
Also, I suspected that it may have been coming from Calcium Reactor - I was running it with no CO2 for a few weeks. But this weekend - I started it back up and topped off with some fresh media thinking any denitrifying bacteria would be killed off with the 6.5 pH. However, with a 10% water change and the startup of the reactor, I find it hard to believe it jumped up 40ppm in 5 days. The pH is indeed 6.5 inside as I have a probe.
I checked the source water and the nitrates are 0.
What do you think I should eliminate first as the likeliest culprit? If I move away from the regular Nori and go to organic Nori? Change the media in the calcium reactor?
What should I do to remove them now? Do any of the products out there work? I'd rather not buy another reactor if I can get away with a filter sock for now or a liquid supplement. Which ones work best? I heard some tend to kill clams...
Thanks in advance for all your help. So frustrating.