Nitrate vs Water Change

[enseng]

Hi all,

It is a known fact that water change will bring down the Nitrate level. However, my water change actually increases the Nitrate level. Today I measure my tank Nitrate level (~40PPM) before water change. I measure again a few hrs after water change. The Nitrate level shoot up to around 80PPM!! Wondering what went wrong???

I use filter tap water (with Crystal pro, after filter TDS meter read ard 60) mixed with Marine Enviroment salt. After mixing, the Nitrate level read 0PPM (Using API Nitrate test kit).

I siphon out the 20% water from the sump tank and replace with the mixed salt water. Is there anything wrong with the water change procedure? Anyone can share the experience?

Thanks!

[MbmC]

I'm just wondering why you still haven't replaced your Crystal Pro media!

Did you stir up any detritus in your water change?

[enseng]

I juz changed not long ago..this is only e 2nd time I use it for water changed. I clean e sump tank bottom and siphon out e water and e dirt. Have coral chips in my sump but din touch that.will go home and check e nitrate again tonight.

[Terryz_]

This is weird, the Nitrate shouldnt shoot up to double just within a few hours after water change...

[BFG]

Hi all,

It is a known fact that water change will bring down the Nitrate level. However, my water change actually increases the Nitrate level. Today I measure my tank Nitrate level (~40PPM) before water change. I measure again a few hrs after water change. The Nitrate level shoot up to around 80PPM!! Wondering what went wrong???

I use filter tap water (with Crystal pro, after filter TDS meter read ard 60) mixed with Marine Enviroment salt. After mixing, the Nitrate level read 0PPM (Using API Nitrate test kit).

I siphon out the 20% water from the sump tank and replace with the mixed salt water. Is there anything wrong with the water change procedure? Anyone can share the experience?

Thanks!

I juz changed not long ago..this is only e 2nd time I use it for water changed. I clean e sump tank bottom and siphon out e water and e dirt. Have coral chips in my sump but din touch that.will go home and check e nitrate again tonight.

When you remove the water from the sump and you add back the new water, chances are you might have disturbed the sediment from the coral chip which release all the nutrient back into the water column. It might be due to the water flow when you replace the new mixed water that disturbed the coral chip. You need to find a way to add new mixed water into your sump without disturbing that area.

[enseng]

Oh yah..maybe what u say is right!coz I added e water thru e compartment.maybe it flow thru e coral chips and release e nitrate! Lesson learned..hope my corals and rose anemone still doing fine as it looks stress yesterday..

[MbmC]

I juz changed not long ago..this is only e 2nd time I use it for water changed. I clean e sump tank bottom and siphon out e water and e dirt. Have coral chips in my sump but din touch that.will go home and check e nitrate again tonight.

I can't explain why your nitrates would have doubled. What was the reading on the recheck?

But frankly, I've always kept my TDS meter reading at 0-5ppm.

Anything above 50 is almost equivalent to using tap water to mix your salt. ie, you might as well not be using the Crystal Pro unit.

[RockyBoy]

I think I'll start again my water change.

Have not done water change for the last 8 months.

[MbmC]

I think I'll start again my water change.

Have not done water change for the last 8 months.

With the methods of nutrient export these days, incessant water changes may actually make the environment more unstable!

[stevenkoh08]

so far i also 3wks no water change but not sure of Nitrate level

i belive so to keep all this level low depends on ur system build

so if u really wanna reduce this problem remove the coral chip as look for others alternative for maintaining PH, Like adding kalwasser

and have denitrator to assist on that if u belive in equipment

[enseng]

Ops....juz did a check on Nitrate.. its still the same, as high as yesterday..maybe more than 80PPM..

so if it is really the case that the nitrate on coral chips have been released to back during water change, by now it should settle down already right (after 24 hrs)???.so why Nitrate level shoot up after water changed?

I have been using Biopellet for 3 weeks, at 1st i placed it at the 1st compartment but not directly under the water return pipe...

feel that there is no much effect so i shift it to directly under the water return pipe yesterday..

Do u guys think i shd run it with FR (currently ocuppied by the SORB-4 phosphate remover resin)..I am using Goodbye PO4 as well...Is Goodbye PO4 very efficient? I just started using it 2 weeks ago...

Thinking whether i shd purchase distilled water for 20% water change coming week to see whether there is any effect on the Nitrate or not..

[Harlequinmania]

Goodbye P04 is proven to be effective by some of the reefer here, however it will take some time for the Bio pallet to work.. Of course it is recommanded to have it inside a FR.

[pandagold]

I have the same problem .

After bucket loads of water change and monitoring my corals , my NO3 reading is still high ???

[pokmingsheng]

I have the same problem .

After bucket loads of water change and monitoring my corals , my NO3 reading is still high ???

try AZ-NO3..

it has been proven to be quite effective..

but you need to have a good skimmer

[pandagold]

Bro, tried and tank almost crash ...... ( even with my skimmer - SK150 from skimz )

Currently water change 2 small buckets per week ( about 20 litres ). But NO3 still high .....

But strangely, my SPS, LPS all doing well .

Some SPS frags I've purchased recently after cementing them into Live-rocks are rooting downwards onto LR, and seems to be growing longer .

[BFG]

Ops....juz did a check on Nitrate.. its still the same, as high as yesterday..maybe more than 80PPM..

so if it is really the case that the nitrate on coral chips have been released to back during water change, by now it should settle down already right (after 24 hrs)???.so why Nitrate level shoot up after water changed?

I have been using Biopellet for 3 weeks, at 1st i placed it at the 1st compartment but not directly under the water return pipe...

feel that there is no much effect so i shift it to directly under the water return pipe yesterday..

Do u guys think i shd run it with FR (currently ocuppied by the SORB-4 phosphate remover resin)..I am using Goodbye PO4 as well...Is Goodbye PO4 very efficient? I just started using it 2 weeks ago...

Thinking whether i shd purchase distilled water for 20% water change coming week to see whether there is any effect on the Nitrate or not..

You cannot solve the problem with the same thinking when you create the problems in the 1st place. Nitrate are not like detritus that can settle down after a while. It had mixed into the water column when you add the new saltwater to your setup. Once mixed into the water column, it stay there as one of the parameter of the water column. What you need to do is to do another water change to dilute that nitrate solution to a lower level or use fresh carbon and change weekly in the hope that the nitrate is removed. Skimming will not remove nitrate.

[enseng]

Bro,...your NO3 is high but how high? maybe your high is consider low for my tank...i measure at ard 80PPM yesteday...

[enseng]

You cannot solve the problem with the same thinking when you create the problems in the 1st place. Nitrate are not like detritus that can settle down after a while. It had mixed into the water column when you add the new saltwater to your setup. Once mixed into the water column, it stay there as one of the parameter of the water column. What you need to do is to do another water change to dilute that nitrate solution to a lower level or use fresh carbon and change weekly in the hope that the nitrate is removed. Skimming will not remove nitrate.

Got it bro, thanks for the advice...but i always heard ppl say that got to let the Nitrate to settle down to the bottom, and do not disturb the sand as it contains "sank" Nitrate..

I will do another water change in this coming weekend and see whether the Nitrate level will drop or not..by the way, will the carbon remove Nitrate as well?

[MbmC]

Don't misunderstand bro. Nitrates (NO3) are molecules. They are dissolved in the water column, same concentration throughout the water column, assuming you have good water circulation in the tank. When people refer to nitrates settling to the bottom of the tank (what you refer to when you say "sank nitrates"), this refers to solid detritus, that when decomposed, contribute to the nitrate concentration in the water column. Molecules of nitrates can't sink.

[stevenkoh08]

DSB does do help abit on it but for ur level is already too high maybe do water change first to dilute it, and than think of what u going to do next

1. chemical solution

2. FR media

3. Algea scrubber

but pls remove ur coral chip

[pandagold]

Mine was at the end of the colour chart scale >100ppm

I've been advice by several reefer to purchase another test kit .... but it still has the same reading

Bro,...your NO3 is high but how high? maybe your high is consider low for my tank...i measure at ard 80PPM yesteday...

[enseng]

DSB does do help abit on it but for ur level is already too high maybe do water change first to dilute it, and than think of what u going to do next

1. chemical solution

2. FR media

3. Algea scrubber

but pls remove ur coral chip

Eh..sorry what does the DSB mean?yup I will do a water change.thinking to go ntuc to buy the distilled water for salt mixing.

Consider to replace my SORB-4 resin inside the FR with biopellet.

You were saying remove all the coral chips?I have a few questions:

1. Reckon that it will remove the nitrate source but it will also remove bacteria which are reside on it also right? Does it mean that my system will start over again?

2. By removing the coral chips,will my current LS and corals be interrupted?

3. After removing all the corals chips I will have a bare sump except carbon and biopellet resin. Is it good enough to build the bacteria?

Would like to hear more advice before I act..thanks for all e advice!

[fishiee]

i think one of your problems is that your DI resin is exhausted. a TDS of 60 AFTER filtering is not acceptable. try to keep TDS below 10. I try to push mine down to 0 by passing the water through the DI unit multiple times via a gravity siphon.

[thairun]

i think one of your problems is that your DI resin is exhausted. a TDS of 60 AFTER filtering is not acceptable. try to keep TDS below 10. I try to push mine down to 0 by passing the water through the DI unit multiple times via a gravity siphon.

+1....this is right

May I advice you, IMHE for keeping my 4 footers last time my problem of untrollable nitrate level(never go below 50ppm) is nothing else but coral chips. They are good for start up to colonise and culturing bacteria for salt water aquarium. After 6 mnths it will saturated and will not consume any more nitrate for feeding and yet it produce and release them. When time gone by you will see they keep on producing this nitrate. It will be counter productive even you have bio pellet and frequent water change WC.

So you must remove them BUT SLOWLY to prevent shock in your tank system. Advice 1-2 handfull per week untill the coral chips clear. This is to make your other colonising bacteria either in the rock, sand and surfaces of you tanks to adapt with the change (infact by now 6 mnth they are enough to help in your system). Bio pellet is a new set of bacteria system and also a food to feed them and other bacteria surrounding.

Coral chips are porous and oxygen can pass through (aerobic either nitrify) but DSB (deep sand bed) 4inches at least do have aerobic and anerobic (denitrify) will help your system.

Good luck and happy reefing!

[Harlequinmania]

+1....this is right

May I advice you, IMHE for keeping my 4 footers last time my problem of untrollable nitrate level(never go below 50ppm) is nothing else but coral chips. They are good for start up to colonise and culturing bacteria for salt water aquarium. After 6 mnths it will saturated and will not consume any more nitrate for feeding and yet it produce and release them. When time gone by you will see they keep on producing this nitrate. It will be counter productive even you have bio pellet and frequent water change WC.

So you must remove them BUT SLOWLY to prevent shock in your tank system. Advice 1-2 handfull per week untill the coral chips clear. This is to make your other colonising bacteria either in the rock, sand and surfaces of you tanks to adapt with the change (infact by now 6 mnth they are enough to help in your system). Bio pellet is a new set of bacteria system and also a food to feed them and other bacteria surrounding.

Coral chips are porous and oxygen can pass through (aerobic either nitrify) but DSB (deep sand bed) 4inches at least do have aerobic and anerobic (denitrify) will help your system.

Good luck and happy reefing!

+ 1 , didnt see you post for some time bro, glad that you are back lol .. thairun got alot of experience to share combating N03 in his tank.. I know he has tried DSB, Alage Scubber, Denitrator and many more..

I guess we also left out using Zeovit system to combat the N03 and P04 in our tank.