Nitrates still 160 ppm

gemini9 · Apr 20, 2014

It's a new 30g tank about a month old. I first put the water in on 3/21. I put in a shrimp and pretty sure I cycled ok. Amonia and nitrites 0 but my nitrates are STILL 160ppm and no change. I've done 3 water changes of 10% each and still show nitrates off the chart. It's my understanding, that as nitrates dissapate through the air, this forms nitrogen and the nitrogen causes diatoms, hair algae and stuff, but I'm not showing any sort of diatom growth. I have considered a few things to help my nitrates and wanted some opinions.

Option 1, I'll do some larger water changes. My worry here, is that since this is a new tank, I will be removing too much of the beneficial bacteria.

Option 2, Dose the tank with some cheato. My worry here is that I've heard bad things about adding chemicals. Especially in a new tank.

Option 3, Buy some more live rock and hope it will clear some of the nitrates up. I currently only have 2 pounds of live rock. The other 23 pounds or so is dry rock. My worry here is the outrageous price at LFS for it and starting another cycle, with a ammonia and nitrite spike, and resulting in even MORE nitrates.

Advice? :wink:

newjack0000 · Apr 20, 2014

ok your worries are correct. Number one thing I would not use chems at all. Its like tanks have memories. If you use chems once it helps, twice it helps more, 3 times fixes the issue but now if you don't use it its worse than before. I had the exact same problem you did. First thing to do is make sure nothing is dead. Nitrates do dissipate into the air but that's not always enough. I put in a big chunk of Chaetomorpha macro Algae and in 3 weeks my nitrates dropped down from 120 ppm to 10-0 ppm with only one WC. Please do not add fish or coral until its under control. Patients is the biggest thing with reef tanks. The lack of patients is a reefs death sentence.

Also something to consider... What test kit are you using? Sometimes test kits can be bad even when not expired. I would first take a sample to LFS or a friend and have them double check it.

gemini9 · Apr 20, 2014

I'm not aware of anything dead in there, as I haven't added any fish except for that deli shrimp to start a cycle, which I have taken out 2 weeks ago or so. The shrimp was pretty well gone, with just a slimy gob of skin that I removed. I did add the dry rock which had a large amount of debris and stuff on it, which caused me another cycle, but that's been a good few weeks ago as well, so the die off from the dry rock should have cleared up already. OR so I think anyway. Will these nitrates eventually clear up or is there something big time wrong here?

Test kit is a API Master kit. A few weeks ago while waiting out my cycle, I did take my water to LFS for testing and they yielding all the same numbers as I had at home. I'm about to do another 10% water change. The Chaetomorpha Algae... something I should consider?

newjack0000 · Apr 20, 2014

it is normal for you to have such high nitrates in the beginning. I had the same problem. We call it new tank syndrome. the Chaetomorpha macro Algae really really helps and grows really fast. It absorbs nitrates and expels it through air and by pruning it. Plus my emeralds love it. Another thing is a protein skimmer. They really really help and if you don't have a sump there are hand on tank ones that are small. As for all the die off on the rocks I really don't now how long it takes for it to be consumed. I never really had that problem. Usually people pic the dead stuff off.

gemini9 · Apr 20, 2014

I don't have a sump. All I have at this point is a HOB rated for a 75 gallon tank and a maxijet to circulate the water. I considered using a sump, but decided against it due to the excessive noise (my tank is in my bedroom). I may order some chaetomorpha and giove that a try. When I first got my dry rock I Ogave it a good wash, but there were things inside the crevices. A few days thereafter I found the corpse of a crap swirling around in the water lol I'm sure there was more where that came from. I have looked at a few HOB skimmers tho.

newjack0000 · Apr 20, 2014

that macro algae Is really cheap to my LFS had it for $1 a pound

gemini9 · Apr 20, 2014

I don't recall ever seeing it in my LFS. I would have to opt for ebay or something. How much of it should I order? this is a 30g tank. Is it something that needs to be shipped wet? Chance of it dying during shipment?

pciscott · Apr 20, 2014

If you have no fish in your tank that you are feeding and have been doing water changes I would doubt the test results. Try to find another brand test kit and sometimes additives can throw off these kits such as Prime. Large water changes would cut the problem down as well and the good bacteria lives in the rocks and sand so you will not loose to much of the beneficial stuff. I would do a 50% change and test within a hour, if does not cut problem in half your test kit is wrong. Large water changes like 50% can stress fish and coral, but you have nothing in your tank to worry about. Good luck.

Eric B · Apr 20, 2014

I would also do a larger water change of probably 10-15 gallons if tank just cycled. Chaeto will help you out some and if you check local fish clubs in your area and ask/post people might give you some. You will have to run the lights on the tank so it will grow and this might also lead to some other algae growing as well for example hair algae, but most are pretty easy to deal with and everybody gets unwanted algae growth at the beginning. Just take it slow and when adding too much stuff too fast in such a small tank as it will settle out over the next few weeks and keep the water parameters as stable as possible.

Reefing Madness · Apr 20, 2014

Vodka Dosing
Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com
Dosing Vodka: Why? | Melev's Reef

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-chemistry-forum/154253-vodka-dosing-something-i-can-do.html
Anyone can Dose, start out with the norm 1ml for the first week, then bump it up to 5mls, keep raising it 5mls a week until your nitrates start to fall, this is your daily maintenance dose, until they fall to the range you want to keep them, then you cut that dose in half. Most make to much out of this, where you can actually ste the thing up on a drip system once you've figured out how much your using and what it will drip out in a day. Its really not that difficult, and most make to much out of it.

gemini9 · Apr 20, 2014

Thanks all. Some useful info!

fishroomlady · Apr 20, 2014

I have had the nitrate battle myself so I understand how frustrating it can be. Water changes is really the best way to lower them so that some kind of dosing can then be considered. I highly recommend that you get a skimmer - although a skimmer will not necessarily lower your nitrates - it will remove dissolved organics which contributes to nitrates. As suggested, do a 50% water change and that should reduce your nitrates by 50%. If they are still off the charts, something else is going on that is causing them. Do you use RO/DI water? one of the reasons my nitrates were so high was poor husbandry (was a FOWLR) and using tap water. It was a long, slow process but eventually was able to get them lower. It shouldn't be too difficult for you since it's a new tank and you don't have livestock at the moment.

Mike in CT · Apr 20, 2014

Fishroom is giving good advice. 10 % water changes won't help nitrates that high. Do bigger changes. Majority of bacteria is not in the water column, so it won't bother existing bacteria. Your tank is very young and is what you are experiencing is not unusual. Hang in there and go slow! Good luck

Maximus · Apr 20, 2014

After I cycle a tank, I always do a 100% water change and let the tank sit for another week or 2 before I add livestock. As Mike said above, most of the beneficial bacteria is not in the water column.

gemini9 · Apr 20, 2014

Thanks all. I was previously using spring water out here by the house. I have recently switched and doing my water changes with rodi from walmart. Ill do a larger water change.

SABOB · Apr 20, 2014

Take a sample to LFS or friend with another brand of test kit. API Nitrate is famous for giving false high readings.Mine were showing Blood red color, LFS tested and Nitrates were 10-20