30 ppm nitrate!

Ol so this was what happened. I bought this guys tank off of Craigslist with his water and rocks but when I moved it to my house my my nitrate read 50 did a wc and now I can't lower it anymore! I wasn't running a Skimmer for a week and I have 2x canisters with a 30g sump I just installed my Skimmer 2 days ago butmy theory is it Becquerel the detritus from the rocks that setting to the sand caused the nitrate?

 

Most likely it's leaching from the rock at this point. So long as you're taking reduction steps, it will decrease in time, but don't expect anything drastic overnight.

 

Did you give you any info on the tank history? How long it been set up and stuff like that? Did he have all that filtration on it as well or is that what you added to it? If everything came with it, have you changed the filter media in the canisters and or gave them a good scrub down too? Filter media left in canisters too long can be big time nitrate factories alot of times. Do you have any fuge room in the sump? If so think about some macro's. I am sure there are people far more knowledgable than me, but what about taking a piece or 2 of live rock at a time, taking them out and giving them a good swishing in a bucker of freshly made saltwater or rodi water to knock some deterius that maybe built up inside them? If the sand has been there a long time swirling it up in the move could release alot of stuff as well. Some pictures of everything would be useful as well.

Everyone always saying part of the key is dilution as well, I would keep up with some good water changes and monitoring as well.

 

Hi Bob,

Answer all the questions in khowst's post, but if everything seems to line up ok, continue reading:

I recently bought a tank off craigslist as well, and had issues with nitrates and phosphates (100ppm and 10ppm, respectively). The spike is due to the move, especially if the previous owner had poor husbandry. I would do another few large water changes (I did a 50%, then two 25% WC over 4 days). Also, test for your phospates, if they are high, add a reactor with GFO in it.

If your phosphates do not drop over a week or so after running/changing out GFO, your live rock could be leeching phosphates. I'm not sure if live rock can store deposits of nitrates. If you suspect the live rock, see a thread I did a while ago: http://www.3reef.com/forums/water-c...-question-live-rock-103840-2.html#post1068985

Also, you yourself have to keep good husbandry, doing weekly/biweekly WCs, avoid overfeeding, cleaning filters, etc. Without doing this, your problems will also persist.

Good luck!

 

I can't remove the rocks because they're corals stuck onto it and I was thinkging using a powerhead to blow the detruiis from the bottom of the rocks out and do a 70% wateechange.the canisters I bought new I have new carbon and 2x chemipure elite

 

Did you take his sand too, or buy new? Moving sand from an established tank can cause this. Keep doing water changes till you get the nitrates down.

 

I bought new base sand. But I did not seed it. It will grow life on it right..?