Serious Nitrate Issues! - Frag Outpost Forums - Coral Propagation and Reef Aquarium Forums

EvilTwin · 06-07-2006, 09:27 PM

I have been trying to combat a serious rise in Nitrates over the past two days. I have only one thought of what may have caused it, but need some advice. Frag and I chatted about this last night but things aren't any better and are, in fact much worse today. Two days ago I started seeing elevated Nitrates, maybe 10-15. Yesterday that number had climbed to 20 so I did a 10g water change. I currently have about 90g of water volume between sump and tank. Tested again but saw no change. This evening I test again and the number has skyrocketed to 80! The one thing I can think of that may be causing this is I had a snail die on me the other day. Before I even knew it, my cleanup crew had it out of the shell and was picking every scrap clean that they could find. Could this be the reason for the extra bioload? I see no increase in ammonia or nitrites. I changed another 5g today and need to check levels again. I have tested my new water and it is zero on the nitrates. Anyone have any ideas here?

Teeka01 · 06-08-2006, 10:03 AM

Do you have any corals that are dieing? Maybe that is part of your reason. I am just grasping as I am very new. Is your clean up crew okay? If your Nitrates are up, how is your ammonia level? If I remember right that is what kills the inverts. I am sorry I am not much help.

EvilTwin · 06-08-2006, 12:59 PM

Ammonia and Nitrite are zero. I am sure that is good and it is all a sign that waste in my tank is being converted to nitrates. Better to have nitrate than ammonia. As I said, it may have come from the dead snail and associated bioload. I have also been battling a cyano problem which I seem to have a handle on now but perhaps decaying cyano is adding bioload as well. My fish are all fine. My cleanup crew appears fine (except for that one snail). My invers have been good for the most part. Funny how most people say anemones are so hard to keep but that is the one thing that is continuing to thrive in my tank. My clowns are in heaven! I seem to have lost my original green button polyp but only after it spawned two more which seem OK. I added the two mushroom polyps which were opened up nicely when I checked them a little while ago today. I also added a kenya tree which also seems to be doing well. I have a xenia frag that has been withering over the past few months but is still alive. I'm still just as new at this so I take all the suggestions I can get. I'm wondering if I had been measuring nitrates wrong all along or something.

D12monkey · 06-08-2006, 02:12 PM

Well Evil Nitrates are the last of on the chain of decomposition. Meaning that you will first see Ammonia, then Nitrite, then Nitrate.

If you are see increase in nitrate levels after water changes check your water.

If you are running an R/O unit and do not keep it pressurized then that is your problem. R/O unit only work effectively if it is maintained under pressure. And what I mean about effectively is that they not add Nitrates when used.

EvilTwin · 06-08-2006, 02:24 PM

My water purification unit is not RO, only DI. I am about to go buy a good 100gpd RO/DI unit, just haven't got to it. I have tested the water coming from the DI and it is pretty darn pure. Definitely no nitrates, tho. It is still a mystery, though I was happy to see my new mushroom opened up some more today.

EvilTwin · 06-09-2006, 08:52 PM

I called around and checked out some places looking for Chaeto macro algae today to put in my sump/fuge. No one had any. I wound up getting a bunch of caulerpa so we shall see if that helps with my nitrate issues. I have 100 watts of pc lightingover the fuge which I plan on running 24/7. What i got is in the background of this pic: