High nitrates

[keatonmjenkins]

I have a yellow tang, purple tang, and a hippo tang. So in total 3 tangs

So what you can do is increase your filtration. I would buy a bunch of bio balls or blocks to increase bacteria and add a refugium with a strong light and run it at night for 16 hours everyday. Keep feeding the same for the next couple weeks and with the added bacteria and fuge it should start bringing things down slowly. Buy a nice chunk of cheato though.

 

[gabriel21946]

So what you can do is increase your filtration. I would buy a bunch of bio balls or blocks to increase bacteria and add a refugium with a strong light and run it at night for 16 hours everyday. Keep feeding the same for the next couple weeks and with the added bacteria and fuge it should start bringing things down slowly. Buy a nice chunk of cheato though.

Would the refugium fight for nutrients with the bio pellet reactor? I am going to add another block. I have one already

 

[hellenkellerisafake]

Hi all, I am almost about to give up on the hobby. I have tried everything possible to get nitrates low and just cannot. I have spent a lot just buying pax bellum, to clearwater algae scrubber to now running a bio pellet reactor and no luck. I've been running it for over 2 months now letting it settle in and still cannot get it lowered. I don't even know the reading on nitrates. My hanna checker doesn't read above 75 ppm so it's Definitely higher than that. As for fish I don't think it can be this. I have 12 fish and I have a 91 gallon tank. I feed 2 cubes in the morning and 2 cubes in the afternoon and nori twice a day for the tangs. I don't do frequent water changes but have, I have done 30-40% water changes and I don't see it lower it. My last water changes was 3 weeks ago and was around 30% and no change. As for mechanicals I have a reefmat 500 and I run a great white skimmer, I have a uv and use a kalkwasser for alk and cal. Any help would be desperately appreciated before I throw more money down the drain.

have u tried denitrate by seachem or no3 p04 x by redsea

 

[gabriel21946]

have u tried denitrate by seachem or no3 p04 x by redsea

Yes tried nopox before and had a bad outbreak of weird things growing on the rocks

 

[hellenkellerisafake]

It’s not 3 tangs it’s 3 tanks and a fox face. The fox face has a worse bio load than the tangs. And YES. None of those fish should be in such a small tank. Maybe 1 by itself, like the purple.

If I had a penny for every noob that said they are upgrading in 6 months I’d be a millionaire lol

It’s not 3 tangs it’s 3 tanks and a fox face. The fox face has a worse bio load than the tangs. And YES. None of those fish should be in such a small tank. Maybe 1 by itself, like the purple.

If I had a penny for every noob that said they are upgrading in 6 months I’d be a millionaire lol

we were all noobs once.. u sound interesting:/

 

[hellenkellerisafake]

Yes tried nopox before and had a bad outbreak of weird things growing on the rocks

i would recommend doing it really really slowly and maybe even adding only half the recommended dose? it’s scary to use a lot of that stuff.

 

[muggle0981]

In my 180 I only have
Foxface
Blue yellow belly regal
Scopas tang
Blue eye bristletooth
Chromis
2 clown
2 wrasses

And I get Leary with the blue tang-

Water changes to help reduce nitrates

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hi all, I am almost about to give up on the hobby. I have tried everything possible to get nitrates low and just cannot. I have spent a lot just buying pax bellum, to clearwater algae scrubber to now running a bio pellet reactor and no luck. I've been running it for over 2 months now letting it settle in and still cannot get it lowered. I don't even know the reading on nitrates. My hanna checker doesn't read above 75 ppm so it's Definitely higher than that. As for fish I don't think it can be this. I have 12 fish and I have a 91 gallon tank. I feed 2 cubes in the morning and 2 cubes in the afternoon and nori twice a day for the tangs. I don't do frequent water changes but have, I have done 30-40% water changes and I don't see it lower it. My last water changes was 3 weeks ago and was around 30% and no change. As for mechanicals I have a reefmat 500 and I run a great white skimmer, I have a uv and use a kalkwasser for alk and cal. Any help would be desperately appreciated before I throw more money down the drain.

Way too many fish for that size tank, and you're feeding too much.

And you need to be changing 10-15% water each and every week to have any hope.

Get rid of some of the tangs until you upgrade the tank.

 

[gabriel21946]

i would recommend doing it really really slowly and maybe even adding only half the recommended dose? it’s scary to use a lot of that stuff.

I may have to reconsider. Should I power down the bio pellet. The nopox did bring down my nitrates, fyi I just stopped because of all the side effects I saw

 

[keatonmjenkins]

Would the refugium fight for nutrients with the bio pellet reactor? I am going to add another block. I have one already

No you have enough nutrients in your tank if you’re at 75ppm.

 

[gabriel21946]

Way too many fish for that size tank, and you're feeding too much.

And you need to be changing 10-15% water each and every week to have any hope.

Get rid of some of the tangs until you upgrade the tank.

Even if they are juveniles

 

[keatonmjenkins]

How new is your tank?

 

[muggle0981]

Even if they are juveniles

Yes even if juveniles-eat and poop machines-

And agree feeding too much-I feed every other day-and maybe feeding too little but it’s either 2 cubes, or flakes, or pellets, mix up the diet

 

[hellenkellerisafake]

i would recommend doing it really really slowly and maybe even adding only half the recommended dose? it’s scary to use a lot of that stuf

I may have to reconsider. Should I power down the bio pellet. The nopox did bring down my nitrates, fyi I just stopped because of all the side effects I saw

no i wouldn’t power down the bio pellet. if they are scarily high… maybe just a large water change, a lot of ur important minerals are kept in ur live rock so don’t worry too much. and yeah reconsider the nopox.. using too much wipes out entire tanks i heard. be careful! and do not quit.

 

[gabriel21946]

Yes even if juveniles-eat and poop machines-

And agree feeding too much-I feed every other day-and maybe feeding too little but it’s either 2 cubes, or flakes, or pellets, mix up the diet

Should I be feeding nori twice a day

 

[gabriel21946]

Should I be feeding nori twice a day

I mainly feed like this to keep them healthy. They have survived several ich outbreaks in the past.

 

[To(meany)Tang]

All of the aforementioned advice above is great. My input on this is different and may or may not be applicable in your situation. There was a great PowerPoint on nitrates at aquashella recently by Sanjay and he mentioned an excellent example of exporting nitrates. We have our filters and our tech and aerobic bacteria does excellent but there's also anaerobic bacteria that could help. Essentially you'll need a very deep sand bed of at least 8 to 10 inches minimum and then alot more nitrates are removed by the anaerobic bacteria in the deep anoxic region of the sand bed. If a deep sand bed isn't possible then you can set up a separate system tied into your sump or a canister filter. Anything that'll hold the height you need to create a deep bed. Flow water through it and you'll have great results . Hope this helps I'm still a noob as well. But don't be scared to ask questions all the great r2r family have taught me so much in such a short time. Keep up the work and hope you find a solution

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Even if they are juveniles

YES!!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Should I be feeding nori twice a day

Nope, not with all the other food you're tossing in there!

 

[hellenkellerisafake]

I may have to reconsider. Should I power down the bio pellet. The nopox did bring down my nitrates, fyi I just stopped because of all the side effects I saw

All of the aforementioned advice above is great. My input on this is different and may or may not be applicable in your situation. There was a great PowerPoint on nitrates at aquashella recently by Sanjay and he mentioned an excellent example of exporting nitrates. We have our filters and our tech and aerobic bacteria does excellent but there's also anaerobic bacteria that could help. Essentially you'll need a very deep sand bed of at least 8 to 10 inches minimum and then alot more nitrates are removed by the anaerobic bacteria in the deep anoxic region of the sand bed. If a deep sand bed isn't possible then you can set up a separate system tied into your sump or a canister filter. Anything that'll hold the height you need to create a deep bed. Flow water through it and you'll have great results . Hope this helps I'm still a noob as well. But don't be scared to ask questions all the great r2r family have taught me so much in such a short time. Keep up the work and hope you find a solution

amazing advice!!!!!!