Nitrate

My aquarium is 3 months old now and I'm having nitrate problems all other parameters are good (Ph 8.0, Amonia 0, Nitrite 0) but nitrate 20ppm after having done water changes every 7 days the last three weeks. I am guessing that this is the cause of having red algea.

All water that I have placed in my tank has come from the LFS, which I trust.
I have 1 Pygmy angelfish, 1 fire fish, 2 angel fish, and a watchman goby.
I believe i do a great job of not over feeding. My clean up crew consist of about 4 snails, and 4 hermit crabs, 1 Nano Serpent Star, and 1 Nassarius Snail.
In addition to feeding once nightly, with what i feed being consumed in about 40 seconds I regularly dose with the following
- Aquavitro 8.4 for reefs (safely raises & buffers pH to 8.4)
- Aquavitro fuels for reefs (ignites coral growh, carbohydrate, vitamin, fatty acitd and amino acid supplements for corals)
- Reef Nutrition Phytofeast

Could any of these supplements be causing the high nitrates.

2 other notes, I have had a firefish that died about 2 months ago and then another that died about 10 days ago. I have never found the reminants of these fish. I am guessing that the nassarius snail or hermits ate it up.

I also have a snail that I think is dying. Should I just remove it, if I am certain it has died?

 

Well for one, when you say two angelfish, what kind? Angels are pretty aggressive to other angels and if your tank is the one in your signature, then you're way over stocked.

Most of the dwarf angels need at least a 30 gallon tank.

Overstocking is most likely your source of nitrates. Te supplements could definitely be a source as well. How heavily stocked with coral are you right now?

I wouldn't worry about the dead firefish since you have no detectable ammonia in your tank.

 

The last 2 could be fueling it. How often is "regularly dose"?

Edit: Wow, I didn't even look at the signature. That's way too small of a tank for 5 fish.

 

Get rid of the snail. They will certainly foul your tank. Yes the nitrates are the cause of the algae. I would test your LFS water before you put it in your tank. IMO supplements like that are unnecessary. I only add things to my tank that list ALL of the ingredients. A lot of supplements like that have phosphates in them that will fuel that red algae. If you just use fresh water (RO/DI) and reef salt, it will do the same thing. What type of food are you using?

What type(s) of filtration are you using (skimmer, fuge, macroalgae, sandbed, etc)? How much flow do you have in your tank? How big is your tank (or total water volume)? Does your LFS use RO/DI? (By the way it is much, much cheaper and easier in the long run to just make your own water... In case you didn't know).

Edit: Wow I just looked at the signature too... +1 to sushigirl's comment.

 

1, if your LFS sold you these fish, did they know they were going into a 14 gallon? If so, I would stop trusting them!IMO
2. do you have alot of corals, if not, no need to dose, even if so, with that amount of water changes probably no reason to dose anyways!
3 take the angels back and let your tank chill with whats left for a bit!
good luck!

 

I agree the problems are being caused by overstocking...

I don't know that any of those fish would be okay in a 14g. Best to see if you can take them back and start again slowly.

 

I have a few questions about your system how thick is your sand bed and are you running a sump also how many pounds of lr

 

I have to ask myself: You did the research on the products you are adding to the tank, know what the point of buffering is, but you still have 5 fish in a 14 gallon tank, please say it isn't so.

I would stop all the products like the phytofeats and the Aquavitro, cut way back on the bio-load and get a larger tank if you like a system with more fish. Trying to keep that small of a tank in balance with that many fish and those additives is going to be difficult if not impossible. You can pretty much expect an elevate nitrate level, although I am surprised it's not a lot higher.

If you want to try some other options, consider adding a sump, exporting the nitrates with macro algae like chaeto in the chambers in back or in the display, getting a decent skimmer. Even with these options, if this is indeed a 14 gallon tank I sure would not expect nitrates less than 20 routinely with that many fish.

Good Luck

 

I can't believe you have that many fish in your tank!! UGH!!

 

Yeah the tank is just too small. System may be a little young too. But yes you definitely need to get rid of fish or add some chaeto to your system or do 2 water changes a week.