High Nitrate

[new2saltyfish]

for some reason i have high nitrate. I just did a water change as well as a filter (the blue/carbon screen) and the nitrate levels haven't moved. It is showin at about 7 on the test kit. What should i do?

 

[steelhealr]

for some reason i have high nitrate. I just did a water change as well as a filter (the blue/carbon screen) and the nitrate levels haven't moved. It is showin at about 7 on the test kit. What should i do?

First off...to help..you have to post your setup, what's in your tank, you filtration method, fish? feeding? Gotta give us something to work with here. SH

 

[new2saltyfish]

ok lol. 30 gallon tank. I have the crushed coral substrate. 32lbs of live rock, i have a clownfish and a yellow tail damsel. I feed them 3 times a week. I have 1 nasarrius snail, 3 turbo, 5 blue leg hermit crabs, and 2 scarlet. Filter is an emperor 280 bio-wheel power filter. 280gph. tanks been running about 7-8 weeks now.

 

[Ter]

whats in that filter?
Ter

 

[atmmachine816]

If your using the bio-wheel take it off, they are nitrate traps.

 

[new2saltyfish]

ok ill take it off. will that make a difference though in the filtration?

 

[new2saltyfish]

well its been about 2 hours since i took the wheel off and the tank should have cycled through the filter a good number of times by now and the nitrate level is still the same. any ideas?

 

[enjoiskater158]

the nitrate leves won't go down that fast. If i were you i would do another water change and add some activated carbon if your not already running it.

 

[new2saltyfish]

well i did a 25% waterchange today so i dont think i shoudl change that much water. THe only carbon i have is the stuff inside the blue filters that you put in that slot in the filter. Where do i put that activated carbon stuff?

 

[enjoiskater158]

sry, yeah if you did a 25% water change already forget what i said above Is the carbon in the blue filters in there now?. If no they activated carbon would usally go in the sump or a HOB filter like you biowheel filter

 

[new2saltyfish]

well yea theres carbon in the blue filters if thats all i need. It comes already inside them with the plastic piece in the box. Should i have more detritus eating marine life to take care of the nitrate or just wait?

 

[SkiFletch]

What test kit are you using, and have you had your results verified by your LFS?

 

[tmreynolds]

for some reason i have high nitrate. I just did a water change as well as a filter (the blue/carbon screen) and the nitrate levels haven't moved. It is showin at about 7 on the test kit. What should i do?

When you say 7, 7 what exactly? How many ppm is that (parts per million)

Whats your ammonia and nitrite readings in ppm?

 

[new2saltyfish]

it was 7 ppm. I have the test kit from dr. foster smith.com that has all of the drop bottles with the different tubes. I took it to my lfs today and they said the nitrate s ok though. must have been my test kit.

 

[tmreynolds]

it was 7 ppm. I have the test kit from dr. foster smith.com that has all of the drop bottles with the different tubes. I took it to my lfs today and they said the nitrate s ok though. must have been my test kit.

7ppm nitrate is good