Nitrate Please help.

Jdeleon · Aug 3, 2016

Ive read several threads on this, however I think my scenario is a little different. Reefer 525XL so about 140 Gallon system. has been cycling for 5 weeks. 2 weeks ago Nitrite was 0 and Nitrate off the charts. Continued testing regularly these 2 weeks and nothing has changed. as of now Nitrite is 0 Nitrate still off the charts. Protein skimmer has been running for 2 weeks. everything came from an established tank that I transferred over to a new Reefer. There are 2 clown 2 small tangs in the tank and one larger one. everything seems very healthy and happy. I have done 2 20 gallon water changes. and nitrates didn't budge one bit. I do have about 80 Lbs of rock, 50 on display and about 30 in the sump. half this rock also came from an established tank about 30 lbs of it was actually completely cured dried for about 3 weeks and then placed back into the new tank for a cycle. Any ideas on what is driving the nitrates so high and if this is normal? Im considering doing a 40 gallon water change this weekend, please advise.

mcarroll · Aug 3, 2016

If you moved the old sand bed to your tank, then I would point to that as your culprit. Remove it as soon as possible.

Almost everything that lives in a sand bed will be killed by the move and then will be in breaking down in your tank.

Jdeleon · Aug 3, 2016

mcarroll said:
If you moved the old sand bed to your tank, then I would point to that as your culprit. Remove it as soon as possible.

Almost everything that lives in a sand bed will be killed by the move and then will be in breaking down in your tank.

Sorry forgot to mention I did buy new pink Fiji live sand

Zoarium · Aug 3, 2016

Faulty test maybe? is your test kit expired?

Jdeleon · Aug 3, 2016

Zoarium said:
Faulty test maybe? is your test kit expired?

I purchased it new like 2 months ago but will go buy another one today after work.

joaocdestro · Aug 3, 2016

Dose vodka, yes the vodka for drinks, to add carbon source... Carbon + Nitrate + Phosphate = Bacterial Biomass -> this biomass will be exported by your skimmer. If you have NO life in your aqua, you can dose 10ml day until you get rid nitrate problem. If you have life, fish and corals you need to go slow like 0,5ml, because high biomass will consume oxygen and kill everyone.

Jdeleon · Aug 3, 2016

joaocdestro said:
Dose vodka, yes the vodka for drinks, to add carbon source... Carbon + Nitrate + Phosphate = Bacterial Biomass -> this biomass will be exported by your skimmer. If you have NO life in your aqua, you can dose 10ml day until you get rid nitrate problem. If you have life, fish and corals you need to go slow like 0,5ml, because high biomass will consume oxygen and kill everyone.

Do I simply just drip it in the sump? I do have life. Would you recommend doing a large water change first? or not at all

joaocdestro · Aug 3, 2016

Use like recommended:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/

I have a 240 Galons aquarium, I have to supply Nitrate (dosing nitrate), because I dose every day 4ml o vodka and get zero nitrates very fast, the advatage in supply nitrate is exporting phosfate... we expect theoricaly export 16 nitrates go out with 1 phosphate in biomass.

jsker · Aug 3, 2016

I use a small reactor and run bio pellets, I took a month for the pellets to kick in but my nitrates have slowly drown to 4ppm. I also vacuum the sand when I do my 10% water change. I was at a weekly water change but now going to bi monthly water changes

twilliard · Aug 3, 2016

If you want to knock down your no3 than a 50 to 75% water change may be in order.
Yes that is a large amount but before adding anything to "control" it there must reason to.

joaocdestro · Aug 3, 2016

jsker said:
I use a small reactor and run bio pellets, I took a month for the pellets to kick in but my nitrates have slowly drown to 4ppm. I also vacuum the sand when I do my 10% water change. I was at a weekly water change but now going to bi monthly water changes

The biopellets are safe, because are gradual and slow, corals and their collors NEED slow changes

Jdeleon · Aug 3, 2016

Thanks everyone for the advice. Next steps for me is going to do a 50 gallon water change give it 2 days and see where im at. from there I may move onto doing light vodka dosing. again thanks guys

FishLover01 · Aug 3, 2016

Just curious, what kind of protein skimmer are you running? Is it pulling out wet or more dryer and thicker proteins? Also, do you have a lot of dead spots in the tank? Do you have good flow?

Brian Treadwell · Aug 3, 2016

What is your Po4 level , I had the same problem with purchasing used tank with established rock and live stock , the carbon dosing does work but take it slow , I use VSV and a GFO reactor phosphate and Nitrate have drop, plus also do weekly 10 to 15% water change.

mcarroll · Aug 4, 2016

Jdeleon said:
half this rock also came from an established tank

I know it's been a long time already, but I would suggest continued patience.

If any of the rock was populated, living in an established tank, and then exposed to air, that's another shoo-in for your culprit. (Even if it was then dehydrated....like your dry rock.)

Eventually your live rock and portions of your sand bed will denitrify your tank, but (N-out) has to be greater than (N-in) before you'll see it on a test kit. (The denitrifiers breathe nitrate, so no special phosphate requirements.)

Is there an expiration date on your test kit? (There should be.)

Try diluting your test sample by 50% with RODI water and retesting to see if you can get a useful reading on how much nitrate is really in there. Double whatever test result you get.

If it's still off the chart, dilute by 50% again and retest.

sricorals · Sep 20, 2017

Jdeleon said:
Ive read several threads on this, however I think my scenario is a little different. Reefer 525XL so about 140 Gallon system. has been cycling for 5 weeks. 2 weeks ago Nitrite was 0 and Nitrate off the charts. Continued testing regularly these 2 weeks and nothing has changed. as of now Nitrite is 0 Nitrate still off the charts. Protein skimmer has been running for 2 weeks. everything came from an established tank that I transferred over to a new Reefer. There are 2 clown 2 small tangs in the tank and one larger one. everything seems very healthy and happy. I have done 2 20 gallon water changes. and nitrates didn't budge one bit. I do have about 80 Lbs of rock, 50 on display and about 30 in the sump. half this rock also came from an established tank about 30 lbs of it was actually completely cured dried for about 3 weeks and then placed back into the new tank for a cycle. Any ideas on what is driving the nitrates so high and if this is normal? Im considering doing a 40 gallon water change this weekend, please advise.

I am facing the same issue with high nitrate, did you dose with vodka to bring it down and how much did you dose? Thanks