Nitrate super high

[Calvinmingming]

Hi  can anyone help. My nitrate no3 is super high 160ppm? What should I do now. Pls advice.  Thx

[Clement Chen]

Whats ur setup like? Any skimmer, chaeto, ats?

If have skimmer can do carbon dosing. But go slow dont suddenly drop ur nutrients too much

[Calvinmingming]

Hi have skimmer n also start chaeto  but still very high

[Clement Chen]

Can try redsea nopox or aquaforest nitrophos minus or just vinegar. But do read up first and start slow 

[Calvinmingming]

But I have fish in my tank so isit ok ? 

[Clement Chen]

Maybe u wanna try getting a salifert nitrate test kit. It is more reliable. And yes carbon dosing is safe for fishes and corals.

[R0B]

First I suggest you retest to make sure your result is accurate. API test kits are notoriously inaccurate. Once result is confirmed start to do a series of water changes to get the value down. 20 or 30% at a time if possible. You may need to do two or even three changes over the course of a week or 10 days.

After doing the water changes you need to address the possible causes...

Look at inital water source. Move to RODI where possible. Look at soures of nitrate being generated, are you adding in too much food or have too many fish? It could also come from an accumulation of waste. So make sure you are cleaning out filter socks regularily, cleaning sand bed, and cleaning out sump.

After addressing possible causes, you need to think about nitrate management. Take a good look at your mechanical and biological filtration and make sure it is adequate. Does the tank have enough flow to get the detritus suspended, is the skimmer turned in and size appropriately. Are you on top of your regular water changes and cleaning..

After mechanical look at your biological filtration. You have some macro algea so that should start growing and absorbing that undesirable nutrients. Just remember to harvest it regularily. Also you can give your biological filration a boost by adding in bacteria and additonal bio media if you don't already have (especially if you are running bare bottom tank). Carbon dosing and/or adding bio pellets, or even going down the zeovit route are other options to boost the beneficial biological filtration of you tank.

Anyways, Good luck. Hope this helps get your nitrates in check.

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[Calvinmingming]

Thanks all for ur kind advise. I get the kit change and water change too  tks

[Calvinmingming]

Thanks all for ur kind advise. I get the kit change and water

1 hour ago, R0B said:

First I suggest you retest to make sure your result is accurate. API test kits are notoriously inaccurate. Once result is confirmed start to do a series of water changes to get the value down. 20 or 30% at a time if possible. You may need to do two or even three changes over the course of a week or 10 days.

After doing the water changes you need to address the possible causes...

Look at inital water source. Move to RODI where possible. Look at soures of nitrate being generated, are you adding in too much food or have too many fish? It could also come from an accumulation of waste. So make sure you are cleaning out filter socks regularily, cleaning sand bed, and cleaning out sump.

After addressing possible causes, you need to think about nitrate management. Take a good look at your mechanical and biological filtration and make sure it is adequate. Does the tank have enough flow to get the detritus suspended, is the skimmer turned in and size appropriately. Are you on top of your regular water changes and cleaning..

After mechanical look at your biological filtration. You have some macro algea so that should start growing and absorbing that undesirable nutrients. Just remember to harvest it regularily. Also you can give your biological filration a boost by adding in bacteria and additonal bio media if you don't already have (especially if you are running bare bottom tank). Carbon dosing and/or adding bio pellets, or even going down the zeovit route are other options to boost the beneficial biological filtration of you tank.

Anyways, Good luck. Hope this helps get your nitrates in check.

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile can 

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