High Nitrate Still

jrosales91

Premium member
Hello, everyone

I am still suffering from high nitrates and each time I add a new coral they end up dying even softies. Everything inside the tank already is doing fine guessing everything has adapted to the high levels. My tank size is a 90 gallon and I did a 35-gallon water change on Nov 13th and tested the NO3 with my Salifert test kit and results were 100ppm. I did another 30-gallon water change on Sunday the 18th and tested today and I am still at 100 ppm. I also added some De-Nitrate on the 13th but hasn't really helped. Each time I did the water changes I made sure to clean the sand as much as I could. I want to try out the Red Sea NO3 test kit but don't want to drop 43 bucks. Anyone near Chicago that has the test kit that runs a test for me to see if there is a different result then the Salifetr test kit. Should I keep doing huge water changes weekly? Help, please.
 
Last edited:

ultimatemj

Active member
IMO, 10ppm is "high" but "not that high".

Softies and most LPS should be fine up to 30ppm or even 40ppm. Even SPS is typically up to 5ppm or so...10ppm wouldn't kill them.

How long has the tank been established? Sounds like you need more bacteria...
 

jrosales91

Premium member
IMO, 10ppm is "high" but "not that high".

Softies and most LPS should be fine up to 30ppm or even 40ppm. Even SPS is typically up to 5ppm or so...10ppm wouldn't kill them.

How long has the tank been established? Sounds like you need more bacteria...

I think I mistyped my results I think I am at 100ppm but I am confused about my results below is a photo. I had this tank up and running since March so about 9 months now

View attachment 25793
 

ultimatemj

Active member
Ok, 100ppm is high :)

When I started my reef tank I made the mistake of converting a FOWLR and had "more than 100"...
View attachment 25794

What I did was 3 things...
1) A series of larger water changes...a 50% change every 2 or 3 days until your measurements are 25ppm or below.
Note: This step has immediate impact, it dilutes the concentration immediately, but it's long term not sustainable and the salt cost adds up. Not to mention it just gets old.

2) Add bacteria with each WC (Dr.Tims, Seachem Stability, Fritzyme, or Brightwell nitrobactr).
Note: This step takes a couple of days to see any impact, but when turning over that much water it helps maintain and grow the"good" bioculture.

3) Add either material for Anaerobic denitrification or grow chaeto in the sump...or both.
Note: This step takes 2wks or more to see any impact, but it's long term "the way" you will keep N03 down.

All in all, if you can keep it up you'll have a happy healthy tank by new years. Try to enjoy the process, you'll gain a better sense of how your tank behaves by doing this :)
 

jrosales91

Premium member
[MENTION=2300]ultimatemj[/MENTION]

Thank you so much! Can you see my questions and results below?


What I did was 3 things...
1) A series of larger water changes...a 50% change every 2 or 3 days until your measurements are 25ppm or below.
Note: This step has immediate impact, it dilutes the concentration immediately, but it's long term not sustainable and the salt cost adds up. Not to mention it just gets old.

Started my first 40-gallon water change on Friday the 23rd and tested water was still at 100ppm. Did another 40-gallon water change on the 25th and tested the water and results were at 80ppm. Then another 40-gallon change on the 27th and results were at 40ppm. Did another 40-gallon change yesterday the 29th and tested the water and I am at 25ppm.

<B>Question</B>
1. Should I lower the amount of water I change and change to a 20-gallon weekly change now or do I keep doing 40 gallons change but on weekly basis?


2) Add bacteria with each WC (Dr.Tims, Seachem Stability, Fritzyme, or Brightwell nitrobactr).
Note: This step takes a couple of days to see any impact, but when turning over that much water it helps maintain and grow the"good" bioculture.

Added Fritzyme for each water change I made

3) Add either material for Anaerobic denitrification or grow chaeto in the sump...or both.
Note: This step takes 2wks or more to see any impact, but it's long term "the way" you will keep N03 down.

Added both marine pure blocks and cheto to my sump

All in all, if you can keep it up you'll have a happy healthy tank by new years. Try to enjoy the process, you'll gain a better sense of how your tank behaves by doing this


Ok, 100ppm is high :)

When I started my reef tank I made the mistake of converting a FOWLR and had "more than 100"...
View attachment 25794

What I did was 3 things...
1) A series of larger water changes...a 50% change every 2 or 3 days until your measurements are 25ppm or below.
Note: This step has immediate impact, it dilutes the concentration immediately, but it's long term not sustainable and the salt cost adds up. Not to mention it just gets old.

2) Add bacteria with each WC (Dr.Tims, Seachem Stability, Fritzyme, or Brightwell nitrobactr).
Note: This step takes a couple of days to see any impact, but when turning over that much water it helps maintain and grow the"good" bioculture.

3) Add either material for Anaerobic denitrification or grow chaeto in the sump...or both.
Note: This step takes 2wks or more to see any impact, but it's long term "the way" you will keep N03 down.

All in all, if you can keep it up you'll have a happy healthy tank by new years. Try to enjoy the process, you'll gain a better sense of how your tank behaves by doing this :)
 

ultimatemj

Active member
My pleasure, what goes around comes around :)

See below
[MENTION=2300]ultimatemj[/MENTION]

Thank you so much! Can you see my questions and results below?

What I did was 3 things...
1) A series of larger water changes...a 50% change every 2 or 3 days until your measurements are 25ppm or below.
Note: This step has immediate impact, it dilutes the concentration immediately, but it's long term not sustainable and the salt cost adds up. Not to mention it just gets old.

Started my first 40-gallon water change on Friday the 23rd and tested water was still at 100ppm. Did another 40-gallon water change on the 25th and tested the water and results were at 80ppm. Then another 40-gallon change on the 27th and results were at 40ppm. Did another 40-gallon change yesterday the 29th and tested the water and I am at 25ppm.

<B>Question</B>
1. Should I lower the amount of water I change and change to a 20-gallon weekly change now or do I keep doing 40 gallons change but on weekly basis?

[MJ] I would do 1 more 40g WC to get it below 20ppm...and then shift to 20g bi-weekly until things are staying below 20ppm.


2) Add bacteria with each WC (Dr.Tims, Seachem Stability, Fritzyme, or Brightwell nitrobactr).
Note: This step takes a couple of days to see any impact, but when turning over that much water it helps maintain and grow the"good" bioculture.
Added Fritzyme for each water change I made
[MJ] Keep doing this...but you can probably reduce it to just a cap full or 2

3) Add either material for Anaerobic denitrification or grow chaeto in the sump...or both.
Note: This step takes 2wks or more to see any impact, but it's long term "the way" you will keep N03 down.

Added both marine pure blocks and cheto to my sump
[MJ] That's fine, but beware 6months from now you may find yourself "over corrected" and struggling to keep any nitrates. Don't ask me how I know lol
View attachment 25867


All in all, if you can keep it up you'll have a happy healthy tank by new years. Try to enjoy the process, you'll gain a better sense of how your tank behaves by doing this
 
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