nitrates

[bb141]

I am having with high nitrates reading and think iI have found problem but don,t know how to fix . I have been feading frozen brine shrimp to fish and now they are hatching all in sump . It is full. Had 4 inches or sand which I removed most thing the current would flush. Don,t work. How can I get them out without tearing down setup and keep them out? Thanks

[Rob]

Posted this to the Ask Dr. Ron forum over at Reef Central, hope this helps:


http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...181#post355475

[rayjay]

It's unlikely that the brine shrimp will propagate and survive in your sump from feeding live brine, let alone frozen brine. If there were some cysts mixed in with the frozen brine that did manage to develop, the nauplii would get sucked into the return pump and would end up as food in the tank. The most likely thing you are seeing are mysid shrimp, which can live in the sump or the tank. Don't remove them as they are part of the food chain.
Lastly, if what you see is alive, then they aren't causing the high nitrate readings.
Personally, I seem to always have algae problems for a year to a year and a half when setting up a new tank. After that time, the tank has matured and it takes care of itself somehow. Up til then, I curse and threaten, then mechanically remove what I can until the good stage comes along.

[ReefHog]

Tell us a little about your tank and what reading are you getting.

[bb141]

My tank is 75 gal. 6 inch sand bed. 30 long sump. 125 lbs live rock. 5 fish . 1sailfin 1 clown 3 damsels. set up for 1 1/2 years. everything checks good but nitrate hits 140 + using dry tab to test even thought test kit bad so bought another . Same reading. Tried water changes . 40 gal. a week didn,t help.Going to try something else but don,t know what.

[rayjay]

Just to be sure, get a sample tested somewhere else with a different manufacturers test kit.