High nitrates after tank upgrade

[Leeland]

Hi i have been having crazy high nitrates recently. Last year i transferred all my sand , equipment, lighting, filtration from my 90 gallon system that was over 9 years old to a 180 reef ready 24 x 24 x 72 aquarium. My equipment is a trigger systems 39 roller fleece sump a recirculating deltec skimmer 2 800 watt titanium heaters a lifegard 55 watt uv sterilizer a cor 20 return pump 4 stage rodi and a apex with trident and other automation equipment. During the swap over i filled the tank with 90 pounds of marco rock and did a fishless cycle everything went smoothly with the cycle i took my time because i still had all my fish in the old aquarium i double checked the cycle was done using ammonia and it all tested good. I drained 80 gallons of water and transferred 60 pounds of my old rock from my old tank and the water and fish. Fast forward 8 months and i noticed a spike in nitrate so high it maxed out my api test kit phosphate is .25 i have tried gfo vodka dosing 50% water changes it goes right back up what is the deal?

 

[MnFish1]

1. Doublecheck your test.
2. Change water

 

[Leeland]

I have since done 5 50% water changes and took my water to my local pet store and i purchased another brand test kit and even tried test strips all show over 160?

 

[acro.jordan]

It’s the sand. I would consider bare bottom at this point

 

[blaxsun]

It’s the sand. I would consider bare bottom at this point

I'm also inclined to think it could be the sand. I'm guessing you used it "as is" without thoroughly rinsing it?

 

[Leeland]

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[Leeland]

I forgot to mention i purchased 5 bags of new sand i only used 5 gallons of my old sand only to hopefully seed the new tank could 5 gallons of sand really do all that? It wasn't off the bottom of the old tank i skimmed the top 1/2" to use

 

[blaxsun]

I forgot to mention i purchased 5 bags of new sand i only used 5 gallons of my old sand only to hopefully seed the new tank could 5 gallons of sand really do all that? It wasn't off the bottom of the old tank i skimmed the top 1/2" to use

Assuming it wasn't a testing error, yes - it can certainly be a contributing factor.

 

[Leeland]

I was planning on doing a test with new water in 3 buckets 1 with a piece of marco rock 1 with my old rock and 1 with some sand and see if nitrate rises in just 1 of them to narrow it down. My rodi i have tested along with my mixed saltwater after 24 hours that also came up with nothing.is it worth me doing this?

 

[blaxsun]

I would first get a reputable test kit like Salifert (etc.) and confirm your nitrate levels, per the suggestion of @MnFish1.

 

[MnFish1]

This is not humanly possibly unless you have a huge ammonia load - producing nitrite producing Nitrate - or something in your tank contains a lot of nitrate thats leaching out

 

[Leeland]

I cut down on feeding to 1 time a day i feed tdo and algae sheets i have 3 tangs 5 chromas 1 blue devil 1 watchman goby with a pistol shrimp 2 Anthias 1 sand sifting goby and a pencil urchin some bumblebee snails and other snails. I would love to feed them more i feel soo bad but i am worried about the nitrates killing my fish.

 

[blaxsun]

I cut down on feeding to 1 time a day i feed tdo and algae sheets i have 3 tangs 5 chromas 1 blue devil 1 watchman goby with a pistol shrimp 2 Anthias 1 sand sifting goby and a pencil urchin some bumblebee snails and other snails. I would love to feed them more i feel soo bad but i am worried about the nitrates killing my fish.

Reliable test kit - first rule out testing error. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Hi i have been having crazy high nitrates recently. Last year i transferred all my sand , equipment, lighting, filtration from my 90 gallon system that was over 9 years old to a 180 reef ready 24 x 24 x 72 aquarium. My equipment is a trigger systems 39 roller fleece sump a recirculating deltec skimmer 2 800 watt titanium heaters a lifegard 55 watt uv sterilizer a cor 20 return pump 4 stage rodi and a apex with trident and other automation equipment. During the swap over i filled the tank with 90 pounds of marco rock and did a fishless cycle everything went smoothly with the cycle i took my time because i still had all my fish in the old aquarium i double checked the cycle was done using ammonia and it all tested good. I drained 80 gallons of water and transferred 60 pounds of my old rock from my old tank and the water and fish. Fast forward 8 months and i noticed a spike in nitrate so high it maxed out my api test kit phosphate is .25 i have tried gfo vodka dosing 50% water changes it goes right back up what is the deal?

I can only say somewhere in your system you have a nice biological filter and it has food.

Probably happens !

 

[JonoH]

Have you looked through this thread

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

Sounds like it could have been the sand, very interested in the outcome as i am doing a similar move soon!

 

[Garf]

I was planning on doing a test with new water in 3 buckets 1 with a piece of marco rock 1 with my old rock and 1 with some sand and see if nitrate rises in just 1 of them to narrow it down. My rodi i have tested along with my mixed saltwater after 24 hours that also came up with nothing.is it worth me doing this?

Sounds like you've got an old nitrite test kit knocking around? Just to make sure its not fiddling with your nitrate kit. But why you would have nitrite after this amount of time, Lord knows.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

I forgot to mention i purchased 5 bags of new sand i only used 5 gallons of my old sand only to hopefully seed the new tank could 5 gallons of sand really do all that? It wasn't off the bottom of the old tank i skimmed the top 1/2" to use

After eight months, I would not point a finger at the sand. The whole system that the water touches is a biological filter.

I would wash all filter material, socks, etc,. in tap water. Wash / remove all rubble in a sump, and even clean the piping if it comes to that.

What do you have in the system to help remove nitrates ?

Probably happens !

 

[Leeland]

I have a trigger systems rollermat sump i have turned it almost all the way down to remove as much waste as possible and not keep it in the tank and i have tried carbon dosing vodka to lower it and water changes and cleaning my sump and vacuuming the sand. I have a new bag of npx bio pellets but i have not tried them yet in fear of making all this worse. What other ways are there?

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

I have a trigger systems rollermat sump i have turned it almost all the way down to remove as much waste as possible and not keep it in the tank and i have tried carbon dosing vodka to lower it and water changes and cleaning my sump and vacuuming the sand. I have a new bag of npx bio pellets but i have not tried them yet in fear of making all this worse. What other ways are there?

Nothing quick but nitrate pads that I know of. Macro-Algae, clean ceramic media in the sump, and what you are already doing, feeding less and vodka dosing, roller, and skimming ( which also helps remove the bacteria you are growing ).


Probably happens !

 

[Leeland]

since the switch over of the tanks i had put my chaetomorpha in a brute trash can that i was cooking rock in but it didn't last long and i have to abandon it now i am just afraid of getting any other problems aka hitchhikers or ich or something from whatever supplier and add to all the mess i am in.. do the pads work?