3reef Forums - View Single Post - Nitrates-removing and cause

Jakerupe · 05-08-2008, 10:55 AM

All right. Trying to get some things worked out on my tanks and after my 2 year old cleaning the tank and the nitrates going nuts I have some questions.

I am going to assume that the Salifert test I have is ok for now so I need to figure out where they are coming from.

I read a post about "dead aquarium syndrome" and how high nitrated can accumulate slow enough for the fish in the tank to adjust to but to high for new arrivals. Don't think that is the case since the last two fish have thrived, a queen angel and a leopard wrasse.

I have changed the water regularly on a weekly basis of at least 5 gallons, most of the time just the 5. Until recently didn't follow the method with power head and heater but see now the difference that this makes. My tank is 110 gallon plenty of filtration, no skimmer though.

Is 5 gallon enough?

Also I have crushed coral on the bottom and have over the years added sand from the Ocean to this. Is the crushed coral a possible culprit for the high nitrates?

Finally there are 3 sponges in they system. One on the main return, cleaned 1 or 2 times a month, one on the prefilter intake cleaned about once every week and a half. The last was just added to the power head to make sure the anemone is not liquefied. Do these need to changed more often?

The main filter is the Tidepool II, and there is an Ehiem with glass substrate that I change out 1/2 about every 9 months. The Eheim is a wet dry so is that another possibility?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks. Will have LFS test water in tank as well as RO to eliminate them shortly.

05-08-2008, 10:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jakerupe Fire Worm Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 166 Karma: 273	Nitrates-removing and cause All right. Trying to get some things worked out on my tanks and after my 2 year old cleaning the tank and the nitrates going nuts I have some questions. I am going to assume that the Salifert test I have is ok for now so I need to figure out where they are coming from. I read a post about "dead aquarium syndrome" and how high nitrated can accumulate slow enough for the fish in the tank to adjust to but to high for new arrivals. Don't think that is the case since the last two fish have thrived, a queen angel and a leopard wrasse. I have changed the water regularly on a weekly basis of at least 5 gallons, most of the time just the 5. Until recently didn't follow the method with power head and heater but see now the difference that this makes. My tank is 110 gallon plenty of filtration, no skimmer though. Is 5 gallon enough? Also I have crushed coral on the bottom and have over the years added sand from the Ocean to this. Is the crushed coral a possible culprit for the high nitrates? Finally there are 3 sponges in they system. One on the main return, cleaned 1 or 2 times a month, one on the prefilter intake cleaned about once every week and a half. The last was just added to the power head to make sure the anemone is not liquefied. Do these need to changed more often? The main filter is the Tidepool II, and there is an Ehiem with glass substrate that I change out 1/2 about every 9 months. The Eheim is a wet dry so is that another possibility? Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks. Will have LFS test water in tank as well as RO to eliminate them shortly.