Very high nitrates

[hounddog01]

I have a huge nitrate issue. I have no idea how high nitrates can get in a tank. Or how saturated the water can get. I am using 200 lbs Carib sea reef floor substrate that has been in there for close to 4 years.

First can sand absorb nitrate and release it back into the water?

Second my nitrates are way over 100. How much I don't know. I took 1/2 cup or 4oz of tank water and mixed it with 2 cups of new mixed salt water with 5 nitrates (I need to change my ro filters and need to order do resin). It was still over 100. I mixed in 5 more cups of water (7 total now) and nitrates droped to 30. Added 2 more cups of water (9 total now) nitrates droped to 20. This is using a salfert test kit that is not expired.

Now how high are my nitrates. Anyone who is good with math can help me out some I would appreciate it. I am thinkin around 360. Is that possible?

Any help is greatly appreciate. Any suggestions on the best way to get them to a reasonable level isalso appreciated.

Thanks.

Brad

 

[bertoni]

With that kind of dilution, I'm not sure how accurate the measurement will be. I think I get around 450 ppm, which might start to be a problem for fish, although likely not. Have you tested the tank for nitrite? Nitrite will confuse nitrate test kits.

Calculation:
(56/60)*.05 + (4/60)*x = 30 ppm

This equation is for 7 cups (56 oz) of fresh water at 5 ppm was added to 4 oz of tank water. I wouldn't count on the number being good with more than a factor of three, at best.

Sand cannot adsorb and release nitrate. Any organic debris in the sand can release nitrate.

 

[hounddog01]

Ammonia and nitrite are both at 0

 

[bertoni]

If the tank's substrate is coarse and has a lot of debris in it, replacing it can help a lot, in my experience. Other than that, if the test kit is correct, reducing feeding, better skimming, and carbon dosing are the more common approaches to this type of problem. I'd probably get a second opinion before spending a lot of money.

 

[hounddog01]

Thanks for your suggestions. Sand is 1-3 mm. Fairly fine. Is Carib sea reef floor. My thoughts are to drain the tank while using my tunze 6080 blasting the sand. Drain as much water as possible. Add 30-40 gallons of fresh saltwater. Blast it with the tunze while it drains. Repeat. Then add 20 gallons and test. If it's still high I will repeat the drain a couple more times. If after using the 120 gallons of saltwater I have made and it still test high I am going to trash the sand and replace it. I have a sulfer nitrate reactor and bio pellet reactor running. The effluent out of the sulfer reactor is around 10-15. So it is working just dripping could take years to get it down.

Thanks for your comments. Anyone else have ideas I'm all ears. Just don't hAve tons of money and want to do this as economical as possible.

 

[bertoni]

I would count 1-3mm as coarse, in this instance. You could try cleaning the substrate. I'd be careful with the large water changes. They can cause a lot of problems, and the nitrate level tends to bounce back up rapidly if there's an underlying problem.

 

[xsean911x]

Instant Ocean's natural nitrate reducer is an amazing product. I have used it with great success and since have had a level of 0 and never more than 5. I have recommended it to others and have been thanked greatly for the advice. The only trick is it does not work instantly but with some good water changes once it takes effect with maintenance dosing it can keep you free and clear of nitrates as long as there are no major problems with your tank and is much safer then vodka dosing.

 

[tmz]

You mentioned you needed di resin. How high was the tds coming out of di? It could have dumped some significant amounts of ammonia which would produce the nitrate?

The sulfur reactor should help. I'd probably not run the biopellets or other organic carbon dosing like" naurual nitrate reducer "while using the sulfur dentirator since the sulfur bacteria will reduce nitrate very well without competition .Also, bacterrial mass from the organic carbon dosing might clog up the denitrator.

 

[hounddog01]

i took the DI reactor off line so no water is going thru it.

 

[tmz]

Does your tap water have chloramine,btw?