Water params: high nitrate

I have been slacking a bit lately when it comes to water changes & cleaning. My cuc is small. I got to it today & did a 25% water change after I tested my water parameters. I'm having a problem with high nitrates.

High Range pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Specific Gravity: 1.024(this is a little low, because I didn't top off.)

My substrate is crushed coral which is, I believe, the main cause of nitrates(..slacking on maintenance)

This is in my 29g FOWLR, which has been set up for 1 year & 2 months.

Edit: normally, I do 20% weekly wc's.

 

fwiw, my nitrates have been consistently around 20ppm, and everything is doing GREAT, actually some stuff that was closed up before is now flourishing. i dont have anything really sensitive in my tank. i am also new to this and an idiot though, so take that as you will

i dont think 20ppm is high as long as you dont have anything overly sensitive

 

hahaha. I know it's not too bad. I think some people desire it. I was only concerned because I can usually keep it below 5ppm. I have added Kent Nitrate sponge, but that didn't help too much so I took it out when it reached 15ppm.

 

i think the culprit is definitely the substrate

 

I think so too. It's 3". I put it in when i first started the tank. It being my 1st SW tank, I didn't know as much as I do now(thank you 3reef). I need to get something(cuc critter) that will turn the substrate over.

I don't really want to get new substrate if I don't need to. But if it will help, then I may do it. I figure I'll get 1 30 lb bag of Carib-Sea argonite & seed it with a bit of my crushed coral. Would switching substrate cause a mini cycle? How would I go about removing the old substrate?(if I do it)

 

I replaced my cc with argonite sand about 1.5 years ago. It did lower my nitrates. Mine were consistently between 25-50. Changing to sand lowered them to around 15. Since then I've added a fuge with macro which further dropped my nitrates to 2.5.

The change over was a p.i.a. but I'm glad I did it. I removed everything into buckets and such. Kept as much water as possible. Plan ahead so that when you begin, you can complete the process as quickly as possible. I really didn't have another cycle...at least not much of one. No loss of livestock/coral either. Get a good cuc after the changeover has taken affect. Nassarius snails keep my substrate aerated pretty well, but keep in mind they don't eat algae.

Good luck!

 

Thanks. I will go with snails. My current ones keep disappearing. If I do get any more hermits, they won't be blue legs.

 

id check out that substrate... if you've already ruled out everything else it would have to be there. 20ppm isnt bad at all especially if you're not coral'd up

 

Well thar's good to know. I can usually keep it below 5. Which means I must being do this right if I can keep it less than 5ppm nitrates with 3" cc substrate. Right?