really need help with nitrates, getting serious

[PatMayo]

I had a 46 gallon bowfront with a crushed coral sandbed. I never had any nitrates but then again I had a very low bio load. 2 clowns and 2 blue damsels. If I did not have some experience with this hobby I would not have used the crushed coral. I took the tank down after 5 months because I got a 90 with a sand substrate. I feel I did an excellent job with the husbandry on the 46 but when I ripped it down I was very surprised the junk it collected. I did vacuum it from the get go. All the spots I could reach I used a gravel siphon when I did water changes.

If you have never cleaned the gravel at all that probably is causing the nitrate spike.

You can take the gravel out but it is a lot of work.

Regards,

Pat

 

[sidd129]

Look for something dead also

 

[TOURKID]

nothing dead, i only have 1 fish to begin with

my c.coral was super dirty. i could understand that spiking nitrates

i was mixing my salt two days before... but now im just buying r/o salt water from my lfs, makes things super simple for me and theyre salinity is always on point (so far)