Nitrate too HIGH help please

Use RO/DI water for your water changes.

In my opinion, do a 40 % water change. It's drastic, but it will help. Make sure you use the mentioned filtered type of water. Then 2 days later, another 30% water change. You'll need buckets or a big container to mix salt with RO water, a water heater (to match the mixed water to your tank's temp) and either a mixer or small water pump to mix the salt for you. You can do it manually too.

When you start using the RO water, you'll see the change. You may have not noticed earlier as the water quality was degrading each time you use tap water. People here will back me up on this point.

- Mag.

 

thanks you all. we do have a skimmer in it, but we just added it this past week. I will tell him about the dragonete and the pipefish. Thanks so much. Glad we are on this form!

 

I would also try doing a test on the water you use before you mix it to see if the water you are using has nitrates in it. The simple fast method is water changes and a few of them. I think it said tap water here I scanned but the best investment is a ro/di.

 

No problem! We're here because we love this hobby and as you will see in the days to come, we like to help as much as we can!

Let me find AZDR's posts on the 20% off sale for spectrapure RO/DI filters. It's a great investment! And trust me, it will pay by itself in a few months if you had to buy RO/DI water from a store... normally starting at 50 cents per gallon... it really adds up.

I agree also on adding too many fish in very short time. Your bio load was too high for the level of beneficial bacteria brewing in your tank.

As a funny, but truly significant note, 3reef.com's motto is: Go slow, let it grow.

And welcome to 3reef. You will enjoy your stay and the information that's available here!

PS: The skimmer is also a great investment. It will help you a lot. I feed my fish once a day, but I feed them little. Too much food will help your nitrates raise. Fish are known to just keep eating, as long as you keep adding food. So they would seem to still be hungry, but in the wild they may go for days or swim a mile without finding food.

 

Federal standards allow 40ppm nitrate in tap water and 4ppm phosphate. Those are high for a tank without starting with from there.

 

from my ynderstanding to be toxic to fish is well over 100ppm Corals cannot withstand they high nitrates but fish can better key word better tolerate them.

 

Check this out:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-pumps-etc/ro-di-filter-replacement-93033.html#post947526