Nitrates just not dropping!

[cy88]

Hi all,

I have this tank setup for around 6 months, and the nitrates is just not dropping! It's sitting at 40, sometimes higher, sometimes slightly lower.

This is my setup:



20G, 2 drop in filter, 175GPH pump, heater, around 15lbs LR, 1 - 1.5" sand bed.

Life stocks:
2 Percula clown
3 turbo snails
1 star fish
4 crabs

I have a feeling that it's my filters, any insights?

Thanks,
Chris

[cy88]

Forgot to add, the lighting is just some florescent lights. It's on around 6 hrs/day, on a timer.

I initially grabbed this startup kit from walmart without knowing much about things..

[kevin2000]

My 02

That level of nitrates is not going to harm your clownfish. If you want to reduce nitrates give some thought to upping the level of water changes, cleaning your filter media more frequently, and perhaps cutting back on feeding.

Hope this helps.

[MR PALM BEACH]

More water changes and pretty much what kevin2000 has mentioned.

[jamiep]

Add some chaetomorphia macroalgae to one off the drop in box's and add a fuge light to it!

[papagimp]

More rock, and remove any/all biomedia from the one filter and the biowheel from the other. Let the rock and sand filer the tank, use those HOB's for mechanical filtering and clean them often, weekly at the minimum. Jamiep had a great idea too, use one of them, preferably the larger, and convert to hold some macro algae to help reduce nutrients.

fwiw, my 20g high, with a biowheel sits with high nitrates, about the same as yours. Fish only with few snails and they don't mind my nitrates like that. Starfish may not appreciate them much though but i've got no personal experience with that type of starfish.

[Aadler]

And test your fresh made salt water. See if it tests any nitrate.

[Sk8r]

It's your penguin filter. You need live rock and sand and no filter at all if you want to get rid of nitrate.

[ruarox]

why not make sure that your test kit is good i had an api test kit and it always said my nitrates were high lfs tested all my levels and said they were perfect i now have a hagen test that would be my first thing to check

[cy88]

Thanks all.

To summerize:
- Check my test kit
- Get rid of one of the filter
- Add in more rocks
- Possibly add in some microalgae

I know that the fishes don't mind them, but I just want to be able to control the nitrate now since I am going to setup a new 55G tanks with corals and more fishes.

[sanababit]

build yourself a denitrifier, i did, it works great, brought my nitrates down from 20ppm to 0ppm in less than a month, feeding heavely and no water changes (well one water change in the whole month i ran it), you can make it for less than 80 dlls

sana

[cy88]

Hi Sana,

What is a denitrifier?

[demonsp]

Sorry but this tank dont look 6 months old.
Whats the water source?And if that filter has a wheel remove it.It only collects nitrates.

[Lotus99]

You might also try moving your powerhead down a little, it doesn't look to me like you're getting enough flow around the rocks.

[magdelan]

Originally posted by ruarox
why not make sure that your test kit is good i had an api test kit and it always said my nitrates were high lfs tested all my levels and said they were perfect i now have a hagen test that would be my first thing to check

If people here were stumpped, then maybe you could double check your test kits. But the fact of the matter is that this guy is running a bio wheel and it is creating a nitrate factory.

[hybridgenius]

listen to what everyone saying... GOODBYE BIOWHEEL.

[cy88]

Thanks all.

The filter is not a biowheel. Here's a few clearer pics of the two filters:



The first filter has only the media in it, the second one also has a chemi-pure in it. I will adjust the powerhead.

Thanks.

[cy88]

Originally posted by demonsp
Sorry but this tank dont look 6 months old.
Whats the water source?

It was started at the beginning of June. Cycled for a month and added in livestocks at the beginning of July.

I started with tap water with water conditioner, then have switched to RO water since around 2 month ago and I have seen no dropping in nitrates.

[sokin]

What kind of RO system are you using, how old is it , and have you tested the water out of your RO ? If you bought it used the filters my need replaced and is it a RO or a water purifier?

[cy88]

I get these RO water from the stores that sells these RO water system. Haven't tested the nitrates yet on these water, and will do that now.

The filters were brand new, and filters were replaced not too long ago.

[cy88]

Originally posted by sokin
have you tested the water out of your RO ?

Just tested. Nitrate = 0 from RO water.

[sokin]

I'm not sure. You are going to have to divided and conquer.
You know your water isn't the issue, your test kits you said where good. Kinda looks like it may have something to do with your filters even thou they don't have bio wheels, what do you have in your filters carbon and what else?

[cy88]

Originally posted by sokin
I'm not sure. You are going to have to divided and conquer.
You know your water isn't the issue, your test kits you said where good. Kinda looks like it may have something to do with your filters even thou they don't have bio wheels, what do you have in your filters carbon and what else?

Carbon and the filter cartridge. Chemi-pure in one of them.

Would it be a good idea to replace one of the filter with a HOB protein skimmer?

[sokin]

It couldn't hurt, I myself wouldn't have a system without a skimmer. Have you checked in the bottom of your filters to see if there is food breaking down in the bottoms?

[cy88]

Originally posted by sokin
It couldn't hurt, I myself wouldn't have a system without a skimmer. Have you checked in the bottom of your filters to see if there is food breaking down in the bottoms?

Yes, I actually cleaned them out (it wasn't that much to start with) with the extra water when i was doing water change few days ago.