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View Full Version : HURRY !How to drop Nitrates NOW!!!!

UnderwaterExotic
04/01/2006, 08:52 PM
What is the best way to drop nitrates? I tried water changes, skimmer, nothing seems to be working. IT is an established tank and i dont know where they came from! IS there something or some type of resin i can use! I am using purigen right now too! HURRY! My Nitrates are around 75-100!! OUCH I need Help quick! The only other thing i can think of is adding a better skimmer and leaving it running 24/7!
flowerseller
04/01/2006, 09:35 PM
Are you confident in the test kit readings you're getting?
UnderwaterExotic
04/01/2006, 09:40 PM
Sure am, i have tried 3 different ones!
graveyardworm
04/01/2006, 10:08 PM
Water changes Water changes Water changes, and macro algae.

Here's an article about nitrate http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm
UnderwaterExotic
04/01/2006, 11:47 PM
Water changes are doing nothin!
antony1103
04/02/2006, 12:13 AM
Is your water filter with RO/DI. The nitrates could be comming from your tap water.
Alaskan Reefer
04/02/2006, 12:32 AM
If water changes are doing nothing, it's your supply water -- tap?
ratziel
04/02/2006, 12:53 AM
Getting a better skimmer will not remove nitrates already in the water. I've heard of people getting results from a product called AZ-N03. It converts your nitrates to a form that can be removed by your skimmer but I believe it takes 30 days. I've never heard of water changes not helping nitrate levels. Here are some possibilities. 1. Water is source of nitrates. 2. Your sandbed has crashed meaning you have more gunk in the sandbed than it can deal with and now it's spewing out nitrates. 3.Your rock has saturated with nitrates and is now leaching them. 4. There is a nitrate trap such as a dirty filter pad etc. HTH
Bebo77
04/02/2006, 01:02 AM
ok your water changes.. are you testing the water you are using for the water changes? if your other levels are low its the water you are adding during a water change that is doing this....

2. Skimmer, are you not leaving your skimmer on 24/7 now? how are your ammonia/ nitrites levels?
chocolateblnt
04/02/2006, 02:00 AM
This situation came up before in another thread in the nano section ... and it turned out the guy had so much impacted shat a.k.a nitrates in his sand bed, that when he posted the pic of the bucket he gravel vacced into, it looked as if he took a dump in it. So try gravel vaccing a few spots ... if this is true you should get a small army of nassarius ... detriwhore ;) snails that eat detritous and aerate the sand releasing possible nitrates into the water where it can be skimmed/changed/filtered.
agfahy
04/02/2006, 06:49 AM
Load up, and I mean "LOAD UP", on macro algaes . Grab 3-5 species, throw them in your sump w/ light 24/7 and run miracle mud. MAngrove doesn't hurt either. If that doesn't fix the problem, assuming you do water changes, then I don't know what to tell you.
archie1709
04/02/2006, 09:54 AM
Well, how's your bioload, underwater exotic?