Nitrates kicking my butt

[The27turk]

So I've had my IM 120 running for a bit now. It was started with all the rock and bio media from a well established 75 gallon. For the first few weeks everything tested out great. Now all of a sudden my nitrates are through the roof (160+) I've dosed Redsea algae management, consistent weekly 20% water changes, 2 50% water changes, consistently changing out filter pads and socks, and ive been running a skimmer since saturday. Randomly it will shoot down to 15-20 ppm then within a day or two it's back up to 160+ ppm. All fish seem fine, the few corals I have seem to be thriving, and somehow all my inverts are still alive. I've used 3 separate tests at this point and all are testing the same. I did buy the tank used, not sure if there could be something pertaining to that to cause this issue. Has anyone seen this before? Any ideas on how to rectify it? I'm at my wits end here.

 

[Gyths]

Do you have a refugium set up by chance? I have a ton of chaetomorpha that I can lend out to you, Im finding myself having to dose nitrates cause of it. I might have a freshwater light that you could also use. Let me know, I’m also in the Gainesville area, in Oakwood specifically

 

[The27turk]

Do you have a refugium set up by chance? I have a ton of chaetomorpha that I can lend out to you, Im finding myself having to dose nitrates cause of it. I might have a freshwater light that you could also use. Let me know, I’m also in the Gainesville area, in Oakwood specifically

I do not, this tank is an AIO so I'm not sure where I could even set one up

 

[NAS]

Those are some crazy nitrates levels. Have you tried carbon dosing or nopox? Are you running socks for filtration and changing them out often enough? I had some nitrate issues and it turned out when I was cleaning my socks apparently they weren’t clean enough.

 

[The27turk]

Those are some crazy nitrates levels. Have you tried carbon dosing or nopox? Are you running socks for filtration and changing them out often enough? I had some nitrate issues and it turned out when I was cleaning my socks apparently they weren’t clean enough.

Setting up a GFO reactor as soon as it shows up. This system has filters socks and a media basket that ive got filter pads in. I change the socks and pads out weekly

 

[jcook54]

GFO will help with phosphates but I've never known it to help with nitrates, if that's what your saying. What's the actual problem you're facing? Is it just high nitrates or are you battling crazy algae? High nitrates are not good but they aren't really bad either. How do the critters in the tank look? If everything is doing alright (aside from algae) I would take a slower approach. I had the best luck carbon dosing. I used NOPOX because I had a small enough system that I didn't want to go to the trouble of making my own carbon dose mix. Carbon dosing absolutely takes time. It stimulates bacterial growth that will help eliminate nitrates.

If I were in your situation and the tank's inhabitants weren't suffering, I'd start carbon dosing and watch the nitrate levels fall. I'm also curious, how long has the tank been set up and running? It sounds like less than 6 months so things are still pretty new. I have done tank transfers (same sand & live rock) and I still have always has some of the standard "new tank" issues.

 

[The27turk]

GFO will help with phosphates but I've never known it to help with nitrates, if that's what your saying. What's the actual problem you're facing? Is it just high nitrates or are you battling crazy algae? High nitrates are not good but they aren't really bad either. How do the critters in the tank look? If everything is doing alright (aside from algae) I would take a slower approach. I had the best luck carbon dosing. I used NOPOX because I had a small enough system that I didn't want to go to the trouble of making my own carbon dose mix. Carbon dosing absolutely takes time. It stimulates bacterial growth that will help eliminate nitrates.

If I were in your situation and the tank's inhabitants weren't suffering, I'd start carbon dosing and watch the nitrate levels fall. I'm also curious, how long has the tank been set up and running? It sounds like less than 6 months so things are still pretty new. I have done tank transfers (same sand & live rock) and I still have always has some of the standard "new tank" issues.

I was told to try GFO, I'll look into carbon dosing! The tank is still very new (2 months) I figured it could just be a mini cycle just the level the nitrates are at are starting to concern me. All inhabitants are still doing well and good.

 

[siege]

Also Seachem Prime claims (in theory) to bind up nitrate, but I don't know if it actually does or not. But same, I've not heard of GFO being used for that.

 

[gill]

Biopellets worked better for me than “carbon dosing” (but as I understand they work the same way). Also an algae scrubber. In short term: limit feeding?