Question - Nitrate Level

[ktkreegs]

The best week or two I've been trying to control my Nitrate Level but can't seem to fix it.

What can I do? All other parameters are good.

Sal: 1.026
Amm: 0
Nitrite: 0
PH: 8.0-8.2

Nitrate 80 a week ago.
Then did two water changes and it went up to 100.

Then did another water change and got rid of my sandbed and completely cleaned out the tank and it dropped to 80.

What else should I do? Just do daily water changes or something else?

thanks,

kevin

 

[techigirl78]

Are you using RO/DI water? How much are you feeding the tank? Do you have a refugium?

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

need a little more info on your tank please.
what type of water you using for water changes?
what test kits you using?
what and how many fish, inverts, ect.?
how much LR?
what other kind of filtration?
any bio balls?
anything about the tank will help alot.

 

[ktkreegs]

The tank is a 30 gal.

I'm using RO water.

No refugium.

I started to battle a algae problem, then some what took care of it with a clean up crew and water changes.
Then the next day I had a bad diatom problem, took care of that by getting rid of the sandbed, and cleaning the tank.

I'm thinking of making one of those DIY hang on refugiums with my old hang on filters (AC 100 or something like that)

 

[ktkreegs]

Test kits: Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit
Filtration: seaclone (that is basically my own design, fixed it up and is producing good gunk)
Live Rock: ~~ not to sure, possibly 20 to 30 lbs
Fish: 0...I have a scooter blenny that I'm thinking of selling to a LFS because I don't want him to die because I got rid of my sandbed

Here is a pic of my skimmer cup

Here is tank before, with diatom problem

tank bare bottom after

 

[a4twenty]

if you did a water change ( or two ) and your nitrates went up, i'd suspect its your water. are us useing RO or city water? city water sometimes contain nitrates. either way test the water your using.

next how many fish ( waste creators ) are in your tank and how much do you feed them? do you clean your filter media often? socks and filters have a nasty habit of catching food and waste then releasing nitrates back into the tank.

Do you have a sump/refugium? a refugium with macro is a great way to help reduce nitrates

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

i would be guessing your test kit is bad. have you ever had a LFS or other reefer test your water for you? i don't see anything that would cause you to keep that much nitrate in your tank after water changes. i am guessing the tank is cycled sence you have a blenny. also i am guessing you did a water change after the sand bed was taken out?

 

[techigirl78]

I'd agree, get some other test kits. The ones you have are not very reliable. Also, do you have a TDS meter?

 

[ktkreegs]

The water I use comes from a water filtration store. $0.25 to the gallon. I have a TDS meter and will test tonight.

The tank has been up and running for years. The thing is I was a horrible reefer and never did much with the tank. I had a horrible light, no skimmer (well the hang on the back kind, ac 100). I was able to keep fish for years, actually the same fish for three years.
I found reef central and realized I sucked and was a bad parent to my fish. I bought an aqua medic after a lot of research, and because i wanted to start buying corals.

Since I bought the light, my fish died that I had for three years ( i think it was the first time he has seen the light, literally he did then)

I've had algae problems. And it seems to be a battle. I'll get a local reefer to test my water tomorrow with his salifert test kits.

Anything else?

 

[Therbligs]

Did you try cleaning your sand during the water changes? Disturbing your sand would push up your levels by pushing decomposing matter into the water column.

 

[ktkreegs]

I may have. But that's why I got rid of the sandbed. I'm going bare bottom for now on. Anyone against the bare bottom?