skyhigh nitrates/cyano

[Amyandlars]

For the last month I have been fighting Nitrates at 40ppm and over. Making it even harder is a cyano outbreak, and this last week the cyano started to over run my corals. I read the stickies, and I kinda know how to get a control on the cyano, not sure about the nitrates though.

params are
ammonia 0ppm
nitrites 0 ppm
nitrates 40 ppm
ph 8.0
temp 80

120 gal with 20 galrefugium packed with macro algae, and sump

added a powerhead 2 days ago, and started cleaning the skimmer out everyday.

Last w/c was a 30 gal w/c, and planning a 2nd one later today.

I've cut back on feeding the tank to only twice a week. Any ideas on how to reduce the Nitrates, am I missing something?


Anyone tried AZ- NO3? Just looking for a quick way to get nitrates to stay at zero, while I can work this out.

[virginiadiver69]

Are your feeding habits in check? Do you have a good cleaning crew? How about the growth of your macros? Are you having to trim it on a regular basis? If your fuge is not keeping up these could be some of the reasons

[Amyandlars]

I can honestly say that I'm not overfeeding. That's why it's really baffling me. We are getting a new clean up crew in the next couple of weeks, had 2 mantis shrimp devourer them over the last 3 months, but they are out now.

Just recently we haven't had to trim any macros in the main tank anymore. But I'm noticing that there are traces of cyano in the fuge mixed in the macro. I'm going to have to pull that out right?

[krzyphsygy]

Make sure you have excellent flow in the tank. I had close to zero nitrates in my system and there was one spot that did not have good flow in the front corner and was always getting cyano.

I added more flow in that area and around it and it was gone. If detritus settles somewhere that will be a good grow spot.

Also Get a good clean up crew.....lots of scavengers to eat detritus crabs, star fish, shrimp, snails, conchs.

Do some major water changes to lower nitrates and keep the equipment clean. You might need a larger skimmer for the tank..maybe.

Each water change, as part of maintenance, blow the rocks vigorously with a powerhead or turkey baster to clear detritus that has settled, then suck it up with the water change.

[krzyphsygy]

also raise you PH, open a window in the area of the tank to try and raise. It will take a few days maybe but will work. Natural air will rasie by up to 3.0

[Amyandlars]

We did the water changes on Sunday, and got the nitrates down to 20. Since we are going out of town this weekend, went ahead and did another water change today, and will skip the Sunday w/c. Tested the water and it was still at 20 ppm before the water change. And did the suggested blowing off the detritus, and pulled out the sponges that we keep for QT tanks, and squeezed those out. *fingers crossed that this helps*

[drummereef]

Are you using any kind of bio or mechanical media in the sump? Any sponges, floss, socks, bioballs, etc... ?