Help Nitrates at 80ppm

[renato120]

Can someone help me with nitrates at 80ppm.
Its a 30g NPS, with 30g sump (around 15g of water in the sump)
I have a pair of clowns, and a coral beauty.
I feed the corals and fish every other day.
I dose phytoplankton every other day as well.
My skimmer is rated for a 100g + it doesnt pull much. I guess with only 3 fishes it shouldnt anyway.
Weekly water changes of 10g its not helping at all.
What can I do to lower the nitrates?
Tank is 2 months old.

 

[Oscar47f]

You can always do larger volume water changes and your skimmer should be pulling stuff out so that your nitrates don't get too out of control, try setting it to a wet skim? and you might be able to use carbon but i would rely on larger water changes or more frequent ones and figure out the source of the nitrates before using anything else.

 

[renato120]

You can always do larger volume water changes and your skimmer should be pulling stuff out so that your nitrates don't get too out of control, try setting it to a wet skim? and you might be able to use carbon but i would rely on larger water changes or more frequent ones and figure out the source of the nitrates before using anything else.

Carbon dose would it help?

 

[TRPlacek]

Can someone help me with nitrates at 80ppm.
Its a 30g NPS, with 30g sump (around 15g of water in the sump)
I have a pair of clowns, and a coral beauty.
I feed the corals and fish every other day.
I dose phytoplankton every other day as well.
My skimmer is rated for a 100g + it doesnt pull much. I guess with only 3 fishes it shouldnt anyway.
Weekly water changes of 10g its not helping at all.
What can I do to lower the nitrates?
Tank is 2 months old.

What test kit are you using? Are you absolutely sure they are that high? we often make mistakes with our testing and/ or test kit isn't sufficient.

 

[sneub]

Carbon dose would it help?

Yep, something like Red Sea NO3: PO4-X

 

[TRPlacek]

Purigen worked well for me. Actually too well.

 

[JOKER]

Large water change.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Its a 30g NPS

NPS? as in Non Photo Synth?

 

[Oscar47f]

I wouldn't start carbon dosing in my opinion if i don't need it i won't do it, but if you really want to carbon dose just make sure you are positive there are 80 ppm nitrates and you can't find a problem leading to those high readings because if you dose the wrong amount stuff can go wrong quickly...

 

[Sabellafella]

Can someone help me with nitrates at 80ppm.
Its a 30g NPS, with 30g sump (around 15g of water in the sump)
I have a pair of clowns, and a coral beauty.
I feed the corals and fish every other day.
I dose phytoplankton every other day as well.
My skimmer is rated for a 100g + it doesnt pull much. I guess with only 3 fishes it shouldnt anyway.
Weekly water changes of 10g its not helping at all.
What can I do to lower the nitrates?
Tank is 2 months old.

I would do a water change first before you consider carbon dosing. Also maybe get a second opinion on the test result just incase.

 

[AcroNem]

Seriously don't get so complicated, do water changes.

 

[TNT32D]

I just did a 50% water change. Went from above 20 down to about 5

 

[renato120]

What test kit are you using? Are you absolutely sure they are that high? we often make mistakes with our testing and/ or test kit isn't sufficient.

I test with API. My 120g its at 10ppm.

 

[renato120]

I will buy a red sea test kit today. To make sure its that high.

 

[slipknotgrrl83]

Mine was 80 about a month ago. Started doing 15 percent water changes instead of 10 and fed a bit less. I'm down to about 35 now. Water changes definitely help and vacuum the sand bed to help get the gunk out that settled

 

[slipknotgrrl83]

Oh and skim wet! :D

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You have a nitrate source somewhere. I do 5g WC in a 30g every other or so and feed hard daily have terrible skimming sometimes over the last few months and no is stupid low.
My tank is sump less too.

Something ain't right.

 

[slipknotgrrl83]

My source I believe was built up gunk in my sump as it dropped a lot after cleaning. I would check/clean there too

 

[psirex]

Seriously don't get so complicated, do water changes.

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[psirex]

Do 75-80% WC and make sure parameters are close......