What's raising my nitrates?

Jasonfd · 05/15/2012, 08:33 PM

Not too concerned about it,just curious.I've had this 10 gallon tank set up for about two months,there are two chromis,some snails,an oceallaris clown and a feather duster in there.roughly about 10lbs of pre cured live rock from LFS.Nitrite,Amonia and phosfate are zero.I feed about 1 1/2 frozen cube of shrimp a week.Maybe a little more.Nitrates creep up to about 10ppm once a week,been taking care of it with water changes.

I have a feeling the rock Wasn't as cured as they say it was,i can see organics on it.Do you guys think It's the rock,or just too high of a bioload for a new tank?I recently added rock pool crude,live sand and a fuge with Chaeto.

funkejj · 05/15/2012, 08:45 PM

Do you have a skimmer? And three fish seem like a lot for a 10 gallon.

SushiGirl · 05/15/2012, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkejj

and three fish seem like a lot for a 10 gallon.

+1

Jasonfd · 05/15/2012, 09:17 PM

No skimmer,was planning on it but no room now with the fuge and powerfilter.3 fish is a lot?...I've read threads here that sugest 4 might be about max.I was planning on one more actually.

Lateralus · 05/15/2012, 10:10 PM

To me the nitrate jump is from the bioload and not the rock. As far as I understand if you were getting nitrates leaching off the rock a weekly water change wouldnt make that big of a dent. That being said if the fish seem healthy and the water changes are keeping the nitrates at bay 3 fish seem fine.

Jasonfd · 05/15/2012, 10:17 PM

Yup everybody seems happy in there,water changes are no big deal since the tsank is so small.Just did a 50% and nitrates are back near zero.

sporto0 · 05/15/2012, 10:18 PM

10ppm nitrates would be a normal number for your size tank and stock, as has been suggested already, your bio-load & feedings are where your nitrates are coming from & there really is no reason to keep chasing that number down, 10ppm is on the low end of the scale since the ultimate end game of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate/nitrogen gas.

Ron Reefman · 05/16/2012, 05:47 AM

Jasonfd, as sporto0 said, the nitrogen cycle takes your food and fish detritus and processes it from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate due to various bacteria in your tank. There did you think it came from? And doing water changes is the way most new aquarium keepers get the nitrate level down. There are other ways to do it, but probably not with a 10g tank. How did you expect the tank to process the nitrates? And you can see organics on the LR? Do you mean detritus? How much flow do you have in the tank and what kind of filtration system are you using?

swichbeatz · 05/16/2012, 05:54 AM

Bioload, detritus, and not cleaning pads/sponges in mechanical filter. Also lr holds detritus so try to blow it off the rock and let your filter get most of it. Just do water changes and that will bring it down. Gl

Jasonfd · 05/16/2012, 09:17 AM

I have an Aquaclear filter that is kept clean,just added a HOB refugium.For flow i have 1 500Gph powerhead from Aqueon.What i mean by By organics on the rocks it looks like maybe stuff that had died while curing and Hasn't come off yet,Def not Detritus.

SushiGirl · 05/16/2012, 07:15 PM

Organics on the rocks would be classified as detritus, as well.

Jasonfd · 05/16/2012, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Organics on the rocks would be classified as detritus, as well.

Ok thanks,i was thinking more of fish waste and food.Now i know!

05/15/2012, 08:33 PM	#1
Jasonfd Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 44	What's raising my nitrates? Not too concerned about it,just curious.I've had this 10 gallon tank set up for about two months,there are two chromis,some snails,an oceallaris clown and a feather duster in there.roughly about 10lbs of pre cured live rock from LFS.Nitrite,Amonia and phosfate are zero.I feed about 1 1/2 frozen cube of shrimp a week.Maybe a little more.Nitrates creep up to about 10ppm once a week,been taking care of it with water changes. I have a feeling the rock Wasn't as cured as they say it was,i can see organics on it.Do you guys think It's the rock,or just too high of a bioload for a new tank?I recently added rock pool crude,live sand and a fuge with Chaeto.

05/15/2012, 10:10 PM	#5
Lateralus Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: St. Charles mo. Posts: 379	To me the nitrate jump is from the bioload and not the rock. As far as I understand if you were getting nitrates leaching off the rock a weekly water change wouldnt make that big of a dent. That being said if the fish seem healthy and the water changes are keeping the nitrates at bay 3 fish seem fine. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 29 gal reef. MJ 1200 remora skimmer. 30" current usa sundial t-5 fixture. cpr hob fuge. 90+ gallon system under construction.

05/16/2012, 05:47 AM	#8
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 3,640	Jasonfd, as sporto0 said, the nitrogen cycle takes your food and fish detritus and processes it from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate due to various bacteria in your tank. There did you think it came from? And doing water changes is the way most new aquarium keepers get the nitrate level down. There are other ways to do it, but probably not with a 10g tank. How did you expect the tank to process the nitrates? And you can see organics on the LR? Do you mean detritus? How much flow do you have in the tank and what kind of filtration system are you using? __________________ 180g DT, 200 lbs LR, 2 EG IT2080 leds 70g nem tank, 1 EG IT2040 led 150g sump/refugium with cheap Chinese led, AquaMedic 5000 Shorty skimmer, DIY nitrate reactor, 2400gph Reeflo & OM4 CL, 3200gph su

05/16/2012, 07:15 PM	#11
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,033	Organics on the rocks would be classified as detritus, as well. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

05/15/2012, 08:45 PM	#2
funkejj Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 729	Do you have a skimmer? And three fish seem like a lot for a 10 gallon.

05/15/2012, 09:17 PM	#4
Jasonfd Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 44	No skimmer,was planning on it but no room now with the fuge and powerfilter.3 fish is a lot?...I've read threads here that sugest 4 might be about max.I was planning on one more actually.

05/15/2012, 10:17 PM	#6
Jasonfd Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 44	Yup everybody seems happy in there,water changes are no big deal since the tsank is so small.Just did a 50% and nitrates are back near zero.

05/15/2012, 10:18 PM	#7
sporto0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 2,924	10ppm nitrates would be a normal number for your size tank and stock, as has been suggested already, your bio-load & feedings are where your nitrates are coming from & there really is no reason to keep chasing that number down, 10ppm is on the low end of the scale since the ultimate end game of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate/nitrogen gas.

05/16/2012, 05:54 AM	#9
swichbeatz Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 21	Bioload, detritus, and not cleaning pads/sponges in mechanical filter. Also lr holds detritus so try to blow it off the rock and let your filter get most of it. Just do water changes and that will bring it down. Gl

05/16/2012, 09:17 AM	#10
Jasonfd Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 44	I have an Aquaclear filter that is kept clean,just added a HOB refugium.For flow i have 1 500Gph powerhead from Aqueon.What i mean by By organics on the rocks it looks like maybe stuff that had died while curing and Hasn't come off yet,Def not Detritus.