Input on Nitrates

reefermadness21

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I have a 22 gallon mixed tank with a ten gallon sump, sump has a protein skimmer , chaeto, and return pump. I have 2 clowns, a canary blenny and a goby, along with 3 hermits, and some snails. I have six groups of zoa's, an anemone, favia, acan, a war coral, a lepto, and a cyphastrea (all small and new). I checked my water specs and constantly get 40 ppm on nitrates even on the day after a water change, salinity is 1.025, coral pro salt and RO water used. Am I worrying to much about nitrates? My Ph is 8.0, ammonia .5 ppm, nitrites 0 ppm, tests done using API test kit. TIA
 
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reefermadness21

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So I am still getting 40’s for nitrate, did a water change toDay, ph was 8.5, I only have 3 fish, hermit crabs, and a few snails. Could a dead fish keep the levels elevated? Also I have a protein skimmer, and chaeto, I don’t have an actual filter, just biocubes, and I have been replenishing copepods.
 

Greg P

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WCs won't remove what's trapped in your system. You're seeing what your system is putting back into the water column.

What do you have in your DT for LR?
Regardless, detritus/mulm builds up and instead of being removed through mechanical filtration causes NO3 to rise.

Keep your filtration/rocks/sand clear of buildup you can see. Daily or weekly, whatever you need to do.
Rinsing biocubes, cleaning socks, turkey basting live rock. Keep the 'mulm' from building up.

Dead/decaying stuff is eventually broken down, but is a big source of NO3
 

Lavey29

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You dont have a lot of corals yet so they are not using up your nitrates, feed fish less maybe only once a day. Dont feed the corals at all, What is your phosphate number? Your nitrates are elevated but not high in a dangerous sense to anything.
 

Greg P

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Just to elaborate a bit ...
When I mentioned 'rinse' your biocubes, I mean you could do a WC and save some water in a bucket, then swish the cubes in that old water to remove the 'sludge/mulm/sediment', then place them back.
The bacteria will stay stuck to the cubes so no worry about losing them
 
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reefermadness21

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You dont have a lot of corals yet so they are not using up your nitrates, feed fish less maybe only once a day. Dont feed the corals at all, What is your phosphate number? Your nitrates are elevated but not high in a dangerous sense to anything.
Phosphate is 32 ppb
 
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reefermadness21

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I started the tank the first of October, I used nitrifying bacteria from algae barn, along with copepods after the cycle. Would adding more nitrifying bacteria cause it to cycle again? I started with a piece of live rock about the size of a salad plate, the rest was dry rock. The bio cubes look clean. The corals look happy, some of the zoas (smaller ones) don’t open up. The chaeto looks good also. I have read so many different things, thanks in advance
 

Lavey29

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Phosphate is 32 ppb
That's elevated also but makes sense for a newer tank. Feed a little less, no coral food right now, water changes and both numbers will come down to reasonable levels. You can try a bag of chemipure blue in your sump to. It reduces both of these areas but doesn't bottom them out fast like other chemicals do.
 

Greg P

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IMO, nitrifying bacteria only convert/process NH3 to NO2, which then is converted to NO3. You will always end up with elevated NO3 until you or your critters remove it.

Until your corals grow large enough to remove NO3 for you, you'll need do it yourself.
Frequent weekly sock changes/utilize nitrate removers/water changes/sand cleaning
 

Harold999

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What's the nitrate level of your freshly made new saltwater? Ever tested that?
If that's close to zero, which it should, then 40ppm nitrates should decrease to 32ppm after a 20% waterchange.
Nitrates aren't hidden under a rock or something, all is in the water column. Waterchanges - with water that has zero nitrates - always work.
 

Greg P

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What's the nitrate level of your freshly made new saltwater? Ever tested that?
If that's close to zero, which it should, then 40ppm nitrates should decrease to 32ppm after a 20% waterchange.
Nitrates aren't hidden under a rock or something, all is in the water column. Waterchanges - with water that has zero nitrates - always work.
Except if the OP is not keeping detritus cleaned up
 

Harold999

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Except if the OP is not keeping detritus cleaned up
Yeah, but decaying matter is a source for nitrate built up over a longer period of time. A waterchange should immediately lower nitrates if you test right after that and even then the OP doesn't see any change?
In this case i suspect the freshly new made water containing nitrates.
 

Greg P

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Yeah, but decaying matter is a source for nitrate built up over a longer period of time. A waterchange should immediately lower nitrates if you test right after that and even then the OP doesn't see any change?
In this case i suspect the freshly new made water containing nitrates.
I agree, as long as detritus is being kept to a minimum.
There's been no mention yet or pictures showing how the tank is being kept clean.
It only takes a trapped/swirling pile of old fish food under a rock to keep NO3 levels up.
Just exploring all options.
 

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