Nitrates still high

[tp1011]

Tank has been running since December, LR went in 3 weeks later. 3 weeks after that more LR and CUC month after that add my first fish a clown and today added my 2nd clown.
All my levels are at 0 but my Nitrates still 20-40 ppm cant seem to get them down.

I do a 2-3 gal WC twice a week.

Im getting a 5 stage water filter next week so Im thinking I will be doing bigger WC to get my trates down to 0 so I can start putting corals in the tank. I have also been using prime to neutralize my trates

You thoughts on what I should do to get my trates down.

 

[bjohanson1234]

How much are you feeding?
What is the nitrate level of your makeup water?

Doing a 10% water change only removes 10% of the nitrates.

So it will go from 40 to 36. If you feed enough in the next week to bring them up 4ppm, then you will never get below 40ppm

So increasing the water change amount and decreasing feeding amount will end up decreasing nitrates.

 

[MitchReef]

Do at least a 30% and as much as a 40% water change....just make sure to match temp, salinity and Alk with your existing water....use the Alk additive from your 2 part.....don't ever use a "buffer" for any chemistry, instead use an appropriate elemental additive.....

 

[tp1011]

Makeup water trates are 0
I feed frozen mysis shrimp once a week to my two anemones and alternate flake and frozen mysis to my clown. Feed him every day

 

[MitchReef]

feed 3 times a week....trust me it's enough.....I know it doesn't seem like enough but it is.....I swear.....

 

[bjohanson1234]

If you have adequate lighting, then you don't need to feed the nems. I would cut that out until you get your trates under control. Trates of 40 can be very detrimental to the nems since they are usually more sensitive than corals are.

 

[2XAl]

What do you have for substrate? Where did you get your rock? I would stay away from flake food, only causes headaches in my experience.

Lastly what kind of test are you using and are you following the directions word for word?

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Biocubes. Nitrate producing animals. I could never get mine below 15ppm. Word of advise, gap the lid 1inch all the way around and have very open rock work. Are you still running the bioballs, did you upgrade your pump yet?

 

[tp1011]

I have a kessil a350 so are you saying I don't need to feed them if I have a good light that should be good enough, right?

I will start feed less also

I have the the oceanic skimmer that I think works pretty good. I know some people don't like it.

I never had the bio balls I stayed away from them.

I have pink samoa for substrate and I got all my live rock from Tampa Bay Salt and
no I have not up graded my pump yet.

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Have you changed the limewood latey? Are you running filterfloss and a filter pad?

 

[tp1011]

Just changed the limewood. and I run filter pads change them every 3 weeks or so

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Sounds good, change the pads more frequently( every other day) for now with 2g water changes and youll be in good hands. Are you still running stock filter w/carbon pack in chamber 1?

 

[sen5241b]

I got my biocube 29 to zero trates and kept in then there. You need:

I had good flow using multiple spouts.
I had flow going under the rock.
fill chamber 2 with cheato and put strong light on it
30 lbs of rock
do not overstock
I did not use a skimmer