"Sudden" high nitrates

[EDJFA]

Someone help me understand where nitrates come from.

I've never had nitrate problems. Until recently. I haven't changed anything, added anything, dosed anything, or fed anything that I haven't been for quite a while. With the exception of Doc's Eco Eggs that I got at PN a few months ago.

I've started vodka dosing and will be changing 5g of water daily until my nitrates are back to what they used to be.

But I'm still curious where all the excess nitrates came from and why did tney show up fairly suddenly.

Any thoughts?

 

[Scubareefman]

Maybe a dead CuC member?

 

[oshanickreef]

Someone help me understand where nitrates come from.

I've never had nitrate problems. Until recently. I haven't changed anything, added anything, dosed anything, or fed anything that I haven't been for quite a while. With the exception of Doc's Eco Eggs that I got at PN a few months ago.

I've started vodka dosing and will be changing 5g of water daily until my nitrates are back to what they used to be.

But I'm still curious where all the excess nitrates came from and why did tney show up fairly suddenly.

Any thoughts?

overfeeding, sudden mixing of detritus in sump/tank, skimmer overflowing, TDS may be high in Ro/Di, something big dying......

these are what i have had experience with. i would def check your nitrates/phosphates coming out of your ro/di unit though for sure!

 

[EDJFA]

I had a chromis die, but that shouldn't have caused such a big spike. Didn't think about checking my rodi output. Going to do that now...

OK, wow. I was expecting to see a nice bright yellow on the API test which would mean 0ppm. However, I have a nice pretty orange color instead, which indicates I have nitrates in my top off water. Easily 10ppm.

Guess it's time to change those filters. I guess doing a big water change isn't really going to help in this case, huh.

Good call Nick.

 

[oshanickreef]

I had a chromis die, but that shouldn't have caused such a big spike. Didn't think about checking my rodi output. Going to do that now...

OK, wow. I was expecting to see a nice bright yellow on the API test which would mean 0ppm. However, I have a nice pretty orange color instead, which indicates I have nitrates in my top off water. Easily 10ppm.

Guess it's time to change those filters. I guess doing a big water change isn't really going to help in this case, huh.

Good call Nick.

glad i could help!:wavehand: I just went through this with my phosphates. i changed out all of my ro/di filters and the dropped from .06 to .009

 

[Aqua Man 07]

I had the same issue with my rodi as well

 

[kegogut]

I just changed all my ro/di filters,including my membrane.

 

[Mr D smack]

With all the RO filter changes here I learned to changed the restrictor out when I change the membrane

 

[Pife]

I just had nitrates in my Rodi as well. I changed the filters and membrane and it's all better meow

 

[chucklez]

Just finished running some checks. I am experiencing the same things myself meow. Turned on the RODI unit this morning and have about 50g of water for a change. Now I am wondering if I need to hold off mixing until I get a new filter. Dont have a Nitrate freshwater test kit.

 

[u4ick]

Just finished running some checks. I am experiencing the same things myself meow. Turned on the RODI unit this morning and have about 50g of water for a change. Now I am wondering if I need to hold off mixing until I get a new filter. Dont have a Nitrate freshwater test kit.

API nitrate test does both

 

[Pife]

Don't forget to flush your filters each time and dispose of the first five gallons of water or so from start up.

 

[chucklez]

Mixed up a ltr or so of water with salt and checked it. Nitrates at or near 0. So something in the tank just leached out a metric shitload of it recently. Ammonia and Nitrite are 0, so either something died and im catching it at the tail of the cycle or I introduced it somehow. Only thing I have done different recently in the past few months is changed salt to Reef Crystals from Red Sea, added the CA Reactor, and dosed some PH up stuff. No idea. But 45g WC is going to be done tomorrow. Followed by another probably Sunday.

 

[EDJFA]

Don't forget to flush your filters each time and dispose of the first five gallons of water or so from start up.

I've never heard this piece of advice before. What's the reason for dumping the first 5 gallons?

 

[chucklez]

Due to any residual chemicals/glue resin/etc on the filters from production.

Actually, i have heard you replace the sediment filter first, run it for a bit, then put in new carbon, run it for a bit, then replace DI resin. That way any contaminant from the sediment doesent get washed downstream to the carbon and the DI, etc. etc.

 

[Pife]

I've never heard this piece of advice before. What's the reason for dumping the first 5 gallons?

I have read that it is because of the bacteria that could be living in your ro system. Tds also spikes in the beginning.

I flush my system till I have zero tds and then run it until zero tds.