Very high nitrates

Brian wea · May 23, 2016

So my nitrates are through the roof batman! What's a couple safe, and fast ways to bring my nitrates down. Please help I have a tank full of bounce mushrooms that may be in danger

nitrodude · May 23, 2016

How high?
Water changes are your best bet 50% at a time.

Wilsoni · May 23, 2016

Your tank full of bounces are about to bounce on out... ;)

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 23, 2016

Aside from big water changes, there is no fast way that I would recommend.

How much you should rush depends on the value, but rarely is nitrate an emergency. :)

Brian wea · May 23, 2016

The value is upwards of 50

Drauka99 · May 23, 2016

Mine was over 80 and while sps was browning some i do not attribute it to any loses.

a few 50% changes over the next week or 2 and you should be good to go. During that time you should probably read up on different forms of carbon dosing

zemuss · May 23, 2016

What is the source of the high nitrates?

WC is best export method short term. Long term figure out why it happened. Learn from it.

jsker · May 23, 2016

+1 @zemuss I run my nitrates high, for the reason I feed my tank well, maybe two well:) but by doing my weekly WC and vacuuming the sand, clean of the debris off the rock I have brought the No3 down

zemuss · May 24, 2016

I see but i am wondering if the same is true for the OPT or he has a leaching issue from rock.

jsker · May 24, 2016

zemuss said:
I see but i am wondering if the same is true for the OPT or he has a leaching issue from rock.

Lets wait and see, I think with a little more info we can help the OP out or put the OP in the right direction

Justin D · May 24, 2016

My nitrates was 160 ppm a friend told me about no3 po4- from red sea best stuff ever now it's 50 PPM I have 32 fish in a 350 gallon aquarium

FishLover01 · May 24, 2016

zemuss said:
What is the source of the high nitrates?

WC is best export method short term. Long term figure out why it happened. Learn from it.

Very well said-I totally agree.

beadlocked450r · May 24, 2016

Are you using ro water? Whats the tds?

Justin D · May 24, 2016

Beadlocked 450 r/o water tds why does that matter?

beadlocked450r · May 25, 2016

Well of his di resin is exhausted it will be putting that crap back into the tank. If he isnt using ro water i would be worried about whats in the tap water

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 25, 2016

zemuss said:
I see but i am wondering if the same is true for the OPT or he has a leaching issue from rock.

Unlike phosphate, nitrate doesn't bind to and later leach back from from rock, unless there is decaying organic matter on it. :)

zemuss · May 25, 2016

Yes true.. But where there is nitrates phosphates follows right?

Brian wea · May 26, 2016

I've got the red Sea nopox and brightwell micro bac. Can I use these in a combo attck

beaslbob · May 26, 2016

IMHO the best method of reducing nitrates (and phosphates, and co2, and others) is to use algae like macro algaes in a refugium. the refugium can be nothing more then a simple partition to keep the macro algae separated from the fish and cleaner crews.

my .02