Water change question

[tanyamikephil]

Our tanks has been up and running for 5-6 months now and we have been battling high nitrate for about the past 4 of those months. It consistently stays at 20ppm. I took everyones advice and reduced feeding, we change and clean filters and do 20% water changes every 2 weeks religiously. After the water change it goes down to 10ppm but 2 weeks later its back up to 20 again.

What I wanted to know was would it be to much to do a water change weekly until we got the nitrates under control?

 

[mcgyvr]

Sure you could do a more frequent water change if you wanted.. weekly is ok..
20ppm really isn't that bad IMO.. Whats in the tank as far as corals/fish?
Fish and most soft corals,etc.. can deal with 20ppm easily and many would be "happier" with nitrate levels like that.. SPS..not so much..

 

[jml1149]

To get my nitrates under control I did a 10% water change every other day for a week. As long as you match temp and salinity I don't see anybissues

 

[cloak]

When your doing these water changes are you blasting the rocks with a power head and/or vacuuming your sand bed? If not, these might help. When Nitrates are high it's usually because the tank is struggling to process all the "crap" within it. Remove this and you'll lower that. Simple. GL.

 

[Capt.Nemo]

I do 10% every week. I fluff up my sand with vacuum. Solid Zeros every week

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[jraker]

Do you have a skimmer?

 

[gallegos]

Give us more details about your set up, equipment, livestock etc

 

[Tisbe]

Are you nitrates causing algae problems or do you just feel the number is high?

 

[tanyamikephil]

We did have some brown algae but with treatment it has gone now and stayed gone. we have a 55gal tank with a sump, protein skimmer and we also have a RO/DI system. we have 9 fish, 2 shrimp, 3 anemones and some coral and zoanthid frags.

 

[Brieninsac]

You might want to consider getting a GEO/Carbon reactor. I got one from BRS a couple months ago for less than a $100 and I really like it. I never go above 5ppm.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-deluxe1.html

 

[tanyamikephil]

You might want to consider getting a GEO/Carbon reactor. I got one from BRS a couple months ago for less than a $100 and I really like it. I never go above 5ppm.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-deluxe1.html

What exactly does it do?

 

[mcgyvr]

What exactly does it do?

Its not for you
GFO is for phosphate control..
Carbon for "toxins/chemical" control..
You don't need it now IMO.. Don't go crazy yet..

Carbon dosing (vodka or vinegar) is for nitrate control but again..
20ppm is not that bad and nothing to over react about yet unless you have SPS corals..