Cant control nitrates

By the end of my light cycle for the day, I may have a few brown spots on the sand bed. I will take a pic of this tonight.
No Cyano at all.
My glass may need to be wiped with my magfloat every other day and it's just a light brown algae that comes off. You have to look from the side of the tank to see.

API Test Kit, kit is probaly a little over a year old.


My LFS told me to try to move my hydors all to one side (which is 4 of them) because the way I have them now (two on each side) has them working against each other. He said this causes dead spots and doesnt help my problem..


I'm willing to try anything at this point. I've failed to mention I dose with different kent additives. doubt this has anything to do with it.

 

As long as none of the additives are adding nutrients, shouldn't matter.

What kit did your lfs use? Do you know anyone in the hobby who might have a different test. Honestly, with a 210 gallon tank, you appear fairly serious about this. Is l'd spring for a better test kit. Salifert or better yet, the Red Sea Algae Control test kit.

You should be filthy with algea with nitrate that high, I would think.

Circulation can help with detritus build up, but ultimately everything that goes into the tank has to come out through the nitrogen cycle, then denitrification and/or export.

 

They used the API at the LFS I went to.
Heading to another LFS to see what I can find for a better test kit.

 

Can't beat the Red Sea Pro, nice kits with cases, and they sell refills. Salifert also good, I hear, but haven't used myself and hear they're not as easy.

 

I'm not sure I agree with your LFS's opinion on power-head placement, nor do I think it's the root of your problem.

Have you tested your top off/water change water?

 

Think he said earlier he was using ro/di, but suppose it could be bad. That's a lot of nitrate to be coming from top off and water changes, but worth a look, maybe.

 

All at once, yes. But it could accumulate over multiple additions of nitrate rich water. I had to tear my old system down from something similar happening.

However, I really don't understand how there's not an algae issue with the nutrient levels that he/she has. So I too wonder about the test kit.

 

I know! I'm fighting hair algae with 0 nitrate and 0.08 phosphate.

 

I've tested my RODI water and its good to go. That was my first thought of the problem. Only test kit my LFS had was API. I'll try a different location tomorrow.

 

Always had high nitrates even with little feeding until a added a ATS, I feed a lot more now and still no readable nitrates.