Nitrate issues

I'm around 15 months in and just had my first nitrate issue. I noticed my frogspawn closing up and not opening. After checking everything I would usually check, Ph, Phosphorous , calcium, salinity, Magnesium which I don't usually check I thought well might as well check nitrates. Wow it was 80 ppm. I started water changes right away. I did 4 pails 20g total which is less than 10 percent in my set up. It wasn't too bad. Checked and no change The next day I pulled half of the live rock up and definitely found pockets that were collecting . 4 pails again. Next day the other half of the tank and 3 pails.
This is when I noticed my flame angle had jumped into the over flow and was polluting the tank. After cleaning that up. I hooked up another phosban reactor with media for nitrates and picked up a bag for nitrates that contains carbon and a few other things . It is meant to sit in the sump or filter and remove nitrates.
Checked today and Nitrates are showing the same, tried my old test kit and it reads the same. The only difference is the frogspawn opened up again? Sorry for the long post. Any Ideas? Does it take a few days for the nitrates to disappear from lack of food? Thanks

 

That's a lot of nitrates for a system that large. It could take time and many more partial water changes to get it down to roughly 0.

 

That was my surprise, It has always been below 10ppm Hasn't changed in 14months. My laziness the last month or more I hadn't checked nitrates. It always stayed the same. Calcium is the same. You just get used to doing what you always do and it works.
Lesson learned !!! Has anyone used mangrove plants in their sump? A preventative measure of course not a solution.

 

In the Betta thread you described what you were feeding, it sounds like you are feeding quite a bit and probably need to based on the types of fish you have.

IME it's best not to do big cleaning by removing rock and disturbing the rock foundation. Next time I would do more frequent and smaller clean up and maintenance.

I would do some water changes and think about use of ATS or use of macro algae. Perhaps if you can cut back on some of the feedings. I would start with cutting out the marine snow.

 

Magroves are very effective. I think they are great for phosphate intake. Do you have any macro in your sump now? A skimmer?

How many fish are in your system?

 

You didn't mention doing a ammonia test.It's very possible that the dead angel was a source of ammonia which the corals were responding to.The high nitrates could be an issue also.Unless you have another way to export the nitrates such as fuge with macroalgae or biopellets water changes are the best way to lower them.I don't know of any filter media being sold that can remove nitrates in large numbers once they are already present in the system.If there was such a product we would all be using it.

 

I alternate feedings , I do feed that many different foods but not at the same time. Twice aweek for corals. Small amounts daily for fish. Switching it up for variety . I have three clowns, sailfin tang, kole tang, big hippo tang, yellow tang, Marine betta, Manderine goby, PJ cardinals x2. I usually do 10% water change twice a month. 11 fish in a set up with 285g less the live rock 200 LBS shouldn't be a lot ? Should it?

 

I Just bought a brand new skimmer, I would have to look at it to tell you what brand. Chaeto in the sump about 4 days now. 6inch ball.

 

What should be my max water change? Given the urgent need for it? Is 10 % a good idea or more? I was thinking 10 % a day until all is clear ? Or would 5% be better to keep the fish from being stressed?

 

Yeah, your fish population sounds fine to me.