i dont get it...

[Live Rock Ricky]

can't get Nitrates down.. current reading is between 20-50... Im doing a 10% water change weekly... using red sea test kit.... hasn't moved in over a month...

keep in mind all filters are cleaned/replaced weekly

stats seem fine

calcium - 450
phosphates - 0
ph 8.4
alkalinity - normal
ammonia - 0
nitirites - .05
sg 1.026
temp 78-80

i only feed 1x per day

stock... 2 clowns. 3 blue green chromis...1 brazillian gramma..

1 peppermint shrimp... 1 cleaner shrimp.. snails.. crabs... 1 feather duster... 1 green star polyp.... 1 open brain.... 1 flaming scallop....

i want to add a few corals but am waiting..

any help as to how to bring them down??? I have excellent water flow...

[zhenya]

Hi Ricky,

Can you refresh my memory and tell me exactly what you have for your filtration? Do you have any power filters or wet-dry type filter incorporated into the system?

keep in mind all filters are cleaned/replaced weekly

What exactly are those?

[Live Rock Ricky]

ive got a wet/dry trickler with say three layers of filters in various positions.... two of them are basicallysponges that i clean every week and one is replaceable.... think of batting matterial....

i clean my protein skimmer say once a month too

[zhenya]

ive got a wet/dry trickler with say three layers of filters in various positions.... two of them are basicallysponges that i clean every week and one is replaceable.... thing of batting matterial....

i clean my protein skimmer say once a month too

Well, there is your problem...
Having biological media in the trickle filter is the culprit in my opinion. It keeps producing NO3 without any place for them to go. If you have bio-balls in there I would slowly remove them, handful at the time, and I am sure you will see a significant drop off in the NO3 levels.
When I started my first reef tank I had similar problem. Trickle filters were the standard equipment that LFS sold to everyone...
I removed the bio-balls after struggling with nitrates for over a year and have forgotten about them ever since.
Just make sure to do it slow enough to let your system adjust and take up the slack in nitrogen cycle. Remove a handful every water change and you should be fine to go. I used that filter as a sump until I got a sump made for me at the later day.

Good luck!;)

[Live Rock Ricky]

actually zhenya... i haven't had media in there for years...

any other thoughts??? could it be overfeeding? i really dont think I feed much though...

[Ninong]

Ricky,

How large is your tank? Do you have a sand bed? If so, what exactly is it composed of and how deep is it?

[Live Rock Ricky]

55g.... 2" sand bed... caribsea aragonite.... plus about 10g in the sump...

[zhenya]

actually zhenya... i haven't had media in there for years...

any other thoughts??? could it be overfeeding? i really dont think I feed much though...

Well, I'm out of ideas then. Have you look into your water source? How's your RO/DI measures up? Have you ever tested water coming out from it?
Although overfeeding is one of the most common reasons for excess nutrients,And I don't doubt that you have elevated NO3 levels, I would definitely double check your test kits and supply water before doing anything major. Nitrate test kits are notoriously bad and sometimes can give erroneous results.

Also, 2" sand bed is usually considered a shallow sand bed and probably wouldn't assist too much in the reduction of nitrates.

[Live Rock Ricky]

not really zhenya but i can say this.... i even purchased a new 5 stage ro/di unit from the filter guys so i dont think water quality is an issue....

and to make matters worse, i even bought new test kits about 2 months ago so that is why i am stumped.... i guess ill have to test the water for nitrates next time.....

should i do a huge water change, say 30%?

[charlie]

i clean my protein skimmer say once a month too

What skimmer are you using, if you are only cleaning it once a month, my thought would be that it isn't really kicking the butt that it should. Have you tried skimming a little wetter?

[zhenya]

should i do a huge water change, say 30%?

Hi Ricky,

You sure can but I wouldn't at this point. Instead I would snoop around the filters that you got in there. Something is making your tank to produce those nitrates and you have to find out what it is.

[Live Rock Ricky]

What skimmer are you using, if you are only cleaning it once a month, my thought would be that it isn't really kicking the butt that it should. Have you tried skimming a little wetter?

hey charlie

I have cpr sr2 protein skimmer... keep in mind i have removed the bio media in the protein skimmer years ago. It does seem like i have to clean the air line often though to keep it working properly....

and i never understood what "skimming wet or dry means." can you explain please?

[charlie]

OK, don't have too much time, but what does your skimmate look like now? Is it dark and kind of sludgy???? Skimming wet, to me anyways, means that your skimmate will almost look like a green tea, watery. The wetter you skim, the more you are taking out of your tank. Mind you, this is just my understanding, OK?

[charlie]

I also think you are under skimmed, I don't know right off hand what that cpr is rated too, but in my opinion, you can't overskim. If you aren't emptying your cup at least once a week, maybe you need a skimmer upgrade, or find out how to adjust that thing so it is working proprerly.

[Live Rock Ricky]

then i believe i am skimming wet.... yes, green tea, watery.... and thanks....

[charlie]

then i believe i am skimming wet.... yes, green tea, watery.... and thanks....

How often do you empty your skimmate cup?

[Live Rock Ricky]

i would say at least once a week... i will keep track of that now!!! but wouldn't that depend on how heavy/light one feeds?

[charlie]

Personally, I don't think so, but like anything else, that is up for discussion. I really think it has alot to do with your bioload also, and what it is putting out. Like I said before, it is possible that skimmer just isn't doing the job, but your bioload isn't that big??????????????????
If you think you can cut back on feeding, that is up to you. The nitrates are coming from somewhere!!!!!
Like Gene said, Maybe it is the selection of filters that you have??????

[Live Rock Ricky]

well, i change one of the filters weekly.. think of a white piece of fabric in a square shape... the other filter is basically a pre filter - sponge - that sits in the overflow box... i think i will buy a new one.. i do rinse it out weekly though....

could disturbing the sand bed cause this problem??? i tend to run a toothbrush through it say ever two weeks to stir things up a bit and loosen things....

[charlie]

Ok, here is my thoughts.
Start changing or rinsing your filters more often, and stay out of the sandbed, you never mentioned stirring your sandbed earlier!!!!! Let it be and let it try to do its job. As was stated earlier, a 2" bed is not really a dsb, maybe adding another inch or so would help you out more than any of the above. JMHO