High Nitrates..

[LakeEd]

I only feed frozen Mysis, Formula1 and Formula2 and Sea Weed Selects. I feed the sea weed selects 2 times day and it's only 1/4 of a sheet. In the evening (daily) I feed 1 cube of 1 of the frozen foods mentioned above.

Also as a FYI: I do weekly WC changes of 10 to 15Gals per week.

Any ideas what might be causing this..

James,

I used to battle higher nitrates also. Clean as I would, nothing seemed to help my situation. I could do every-other day, 15% water changes... and it only seemed to keep my nitrates in-check, not reduce them. Like you, I was feeding twice daily, small amounts (I thought).

I took my feeding down to just once a day... for about two weeks... then finally down to just once every other day. My nitrates are now running at about 2.5... and after my fish initially pouting, they are still fat and healthy! This has been running like this now for me for the last 3 months.

Just a thought for you to conceder.

 

[Krish]

I really doubt with a young high flow bb tank that is likely

I thought of that as well, but could still be possible. The tank may be young, but the rock may not be. It could have come from an aged tank (which I don't know), but in any event, just tossing out some ideas. Kinda hard to think of what it could be when the tank is being maintained and run to what sounds like great stadards (except that overflow )

 

[james734]

Well I got the overflow cleaned out. It was couple gallons of water and some junk. It wasn't like I hit the jackpot, but there was a considerable amount of stuff in there. More than I would of thought. I also just blew my rocks off again to get some more stuff up into the water column. Got to make up enough water to do another WC and let it mix over night. So hopefully tomorrow I'll get another 10-15G water done.

I wish someone could look at my tank to see if they can help find the source though. I've been fighting this for a while and cleaning, cleaning. I have my fingers crossed it was the overflow.

 

[Krish]

I'll cross my fingers for you as well James, but I'll have to un-do them time to time to type I hope you hit jackpot man...Let us know

 

[james734]

Here was one weeks cleaning of my sump when I had my 90gal! Just imagine a few months worth which some things go for before they get cleaned

Yep, That's about what my first bucket looks like when I vaccum the sump and tank. The second and sometimes third is cleaner. I find it amazing how much crap accumulates over a week.

Even my LFS has commented on how much I'm clean my tank. I know there's a source some place. Just finding it seems to be the issue. I'm hoping it was the overflow.

 

[shallowreef]

I keep wanting to spray down my overflows. I can that there is crap sitting down there i just gotta remember to do it.

 

[james734]

yeah, I guess I never really gave it much though about it. It's just one of those area's that i didn't think about. I'm almost considering placing a MJ down in the bottom to just keep stuff from settling down there.

 

[shallowreef]

I have double durso standpipes in each of my overflows so getting a MJ in there is going to be impossible for me. I can however get a tube down there to blow everything around.

 

[james734]

Yeah and I might just make that a normal procces also. First I'm going to see if this resolves my issue, Then figure out a way to prevent it in the future or remember to clean it.

 

[DonW]

Yeah and I might just make that a normal procces also. First I'm going to see if this resolves my issue, Then figure out a way to prevent it in the future or remember to clean it.

I let mine get 4" deep that was a pain to get out. Now I just pull the stand pipe for a few minutes once a month, just like flushing a toilet.

Don

 

[shallowreef]

Mine are glued in so that won't be happening

 

[james734]

I let mine get 4" deep that was a pain to get out.
Don

So was this affecting your levels? Mines not/wasn't 4" deep?

 

[DonW]

So was this affecting your levels? Mines not/wasn't 4" deep?

No but where I messed up was blasting it and trying to catch it in a filter sock. There was just to much for to long and cost me alot of corals.

Don

 

[james734]

Just did a 15 g water change this morning. Retested a couple hours later and my nitrates took a small drop. It's hard to tell exactly since the Salifert test jumps from 10 to 25. I was some where in between, but if I had to guess I would say it was around 15 or so. Not prefect, but at least it looks like it's taken a turn down for now anyway. Now I'll just have to see if I can continue this downward cycle.

Ed, you might of found the culprit in my overflow.

 

[Krish]

Sounds great!!! Continue to let us know how it goes. This should be very helpful for someone else as well

 

[james734]

I well, Hopefully I have it licked now.

 

[james734]

Well things are looking up.:razz: I did another WC on Friday and tested at 10PPM. I tested again today just to see where it's at and it was still at 10ppm. So it looks like with a couple more WC I should be down to 0PPM or very close. It seems to drop about 5ppm for each WC or pretty close to that.

So it looks like it was the overflow accumilation of junk in the bottom that was killing me.. I owe you one Ed...

 

[Krish]

I owe you one Ed

He'll send you his bank account number so you can thank him generously Sounds great man...I hope they drop off to zero for you real soon

 

[james734]

Thanks Man, It's been a battle. One of those frustrating problems you want to go away quickly.

Speaking of issues, any update on you cube? I read your thread lastnight.

 

[Krish]

Yeah... I'm looking at Boomer and Bomber's discussion now to figure out how to make a bomb (LOL) Not too sure yet, but we'll see. In any event, I will still be here on RF and should still have a tank