Nitrates keep running high, any ideas

[DolphinzFan]

I can not get my nitrates low they continue to run high. Since I have opened the tank they have never been under 5ppm. Now for the last week to 1 1/2 weeks they have been running around 20ppm or 40 ppm. I can not figure out what's wrong. I have done water changes, I do a 10 percent water every Sunday. I have went to target feeding only twice a week. Never over feed fish. Still high nitrates, why?

Here is my tank info
93 gal cube
45 gal sump
@120 lbs of live rock
3" sand bed
Protein skimmer
GFO/Carbon reactor

CUC, fish, zoas, and mushrooms.

Test results done today:
Sal: 1.025 Refract
PH: 8.28 Apex
Nitrates 40ppm
Nitrites 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0
Cal: 400
ALK: 8
Phos: .12 Hanna

All test done with API test kit. Except as noted.

Any help/ advise will really be appreciated.

[PirateToast]

How many fish?

[DolphinzFan]

How many fish?


1 - Royal Gramma
2 - clownfish
1 - Blue tang
1 - Coral Beauty

Tank is @ 6 months old.

[FTDelta]

Off topic but the tang don't belong in a 93 gallon cube. They belong in tanks of at least 8feet long and over 150 gallons.

API test kits tend to be iffy. Get a better quality master test kit. Red Sea, Sea Chem or Salifert brands.

[DolphinzFan]

Off topic but the tang don't belong in a 93 gallon cube. They belong in tanks of at least 8feet long and over 150 gallons.

API test kits tend to be iffy. Get a better quality master test kit. Red Sea, Sea Chem or Salifert brands.

The tang is still small and I know it needs a bigger tank. I'm in process of a 220 gal tank where it will be his home.

[Pife]

I couldn't do anything to get my nitrates down so I built my own sulfur denitrator. There is a thread on it over in the diy section. It has taken my nitrate from over 60ppm to under 10ppm. Take you water to an LFS or use a friends test kit to check against yours.

[DolphinzFan]

I couldn't do anything to get my nitrates down so I built my own sulfur denitrator. There is a thread on it over in the diy section. It has taken my nitrate from over 60ppm to under 10ppm. Take you water to an LFS or use a friends test kit to check against yours.

I will take a look at that. I had considered the sugar method, just wanted to try and correct them naturally if possible. Thanks.

[prior20]

I use redsea nopox. Took about a month to see the results but regular dosing took me from 40 to 2-3 which is where I like to keep it. Really easy to use.

[Pife]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2361312&highlight=denitrator

^^ There's the link! I like a denitrator because there is only an up front cost.

Are you a member of Slash?

[DolphinzFan]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2361312&highlight=denitrator

^^ There's the link! I like a denitrator because there is only an up front cost.

Are you a member of Slash?

Thanks for finding it. I was in process of trying to find it.

And no I'm not a member as I live about 45 miles from St. Louis.