Help I can't get nitrates under control

[Keelynnsreef]

I bought a 185 gal used tank about 3 months ago with water and sand included. I did not wash the sand I was worried about getting the fish back in the tank before something happened to them. So now all that said as to what I did not do please tell me what I can do now to get the nitrates under control. I can't get them under 80 I have done 4 water changes at about 50% each time. Every thing else is good. Ph,ammonia, nitrite,salinity,temp. I put a bag of chemi pure in it as well. I use ordi water. What else can I do now. I am thinking of taking the rock out and washing it and maybe even the sand should I do this or not? Please help I don't want to loose my fish. It's a FOWLR tank.

[jcnkt_ellis]

IMO taking the rock and/or the sand out and washing it would be more harm than good. It would inject new die off into the tank and also wipe out whatever natural filtration you currently have. In the short-term I would be skimming wet and keep up what your doing (except I would tone back the 50% water changes as the fish need stability and large water changes don't provide that). Long-term, you can set up a refugium with macro, run a reactor with bio-pellets or some other media designed to reduce nitrates.

[Big_Pun]

^^^^ i agree very good info. you need to find the source. how much do you feed and how many times a day

[SABOB]

What Test kit are you using for Nitrates?
API is famous for false readings


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[Mike]

Good point, might take to LFS and have tested. Could be your test. You might need to cut back on feeding amounts. FOWLRs usually run higher nitrates... Bigger appetites equals bigger poops.

[Keelynnsreef]

Yes I use API what should I be using instead?

[Scutterborn]

I use a Red Sea marine lab kit. So far so good.


-Ben-

[allan]

Kristy,

I had a Nitrate scare a few years ago. Nothing I did would lower the 'trate level. I was on the edge of my seat... until I took a sample of my water to one of the LFS for a quick check. It came back zero. Not believing this to be the case I took another sample to another LFS and received the same result. I tested at home with my kit and I still showed a large amount of 'trates in the water.

I bought a new test kit. My old, I think it was red sea, was working fine and then one day it stopped showing me what I wanted to see.

If you're growing good macro you should have low 'trates. I don't suggest that you disregard your readings, just get a second opinion.

[LuckySingh]

+1^ what Allan said ...

Sometimes u just a bad test kit or testing it wrong .....when problem occurs like this I will let someone else test my water sample as well ......unless u hve two test kits