Water conditions

I can't seem to get my nitrates any lower than 15-20 ppm I want to keep sps. I do water changes of 10g every two weeks and I tried to do 5gs every week but nothing. I run a 200 micron bag filter and a sponge with a pro clear skimmer with a Catalina 1800 pump with about 3 lbs of rock in the sump. All filters are in the sump.

 

Cut back on feeding, remove the rock from the sump, blow off the rocks in the display before the water change, use GFO and carbon, clean out the sump and filters often. Change all media every two to three weeks and a refugium to export nutrients. Use RODI water that has 0 TDS.

 

I use ro/Di and I feed just a bit of fish pellets a about every two days and coral every three. I got told to leave the sock filter In. And I just did a full clean out of all my dt rock two weeks ago. Why take to rock out the sump

 

because it provides a haven for particles

a 200 micron filter sock will not stop much getting into the sump water
I know this as I used a 100 micron filter sock recently when doing a water change and whilst there where large pieces trapped by it, the water in the bucket was filthy still

some smaller particles will get through it and settle in the pores/ holes in the rock and add to your ambient Nitrate readings

do you have a fuge?


Steve

 

What Steve said. If you don't clean the sock often it becomes a nitrate haven also.

 

the sock and the sponge can become nitrate homes without regular cleaning.
what is your overall setup - tank size, sump size, fuge, flow/pumps, recent params, etc.?

 

No fuge Chaeto in the dt. 15g sump-upgrading it. 56 dt. 450 gph on return and a koralia 2 and a maxi jet 600.

 

I normally change the filtering every WC

 

Tcox

IMHO - provided you have enough rock in the DT, you dont need it in your sump

how much have you got in there
I would start removing it 1 piece at a time and take a month to remove it all
then do a good syphon clean up of the base of the sump

My honest opinion is that process alone will start to show a reduction in your nitrate levels

Steve

 

About 85 lbs in dt