Can't shake these Nitrates

[ghost78]

Well I need help, i have been battling a nitrate problem since i have started this hobby.
I first had a 26 bow front and i could never get the nitraes down they were always above 40ppm, so i tought that it was my inexperience in a nano reef so i upgraded to my 75. Well i have had it running for about 7 months now and i am still having big problems. this is the time line

1st month
nitrates 20ppm
2nd month
nitrates >40ppm
3rd month
nitrates<5ppm
4h month
nitrates10ppm
5,6,7 nitrates fluxuating between 20 and 40 ppm

I am not sure what i am doing wrong. The water I am using alwasys tests negative for nitrates and nothing has died in the poast 3 months, i only feed once maybe twice a week, i do my water changes on a weekly basis since i have not been able to get the nitrates down, i stoped attempting to do a 10% for ten days a few months back. It did not lower the nitrates at all and I was thinking i was depleting all my nitrate fixing bacteria by sucking them all out.

About 3 weeks ago i bought some calerpera to possibly assist in the problem, and after i put it in the tank the nitrates dropped about 5ppm, but now they just continue to go up.

Most of my live stock seems to be unaffected by it and they are all still thriving. But I have noticed a problem with lots of detritus.

So this is my set up in a nut shell
75 gallon
50lbs crushed coral ( i am getting ready to go to sand in about amonth, but i am holding out till i move into my new place)
80lbs Live rock
Aqua clear HOB
440 W Vho and 80 W NO
4 Rio Power heads
calerpera (i think it is called grape???)
One tomato clown
a fire fish
2 anemones
One plate coral
a few mushrooms
One pepermint shrimp
Serpent Star
5-8 Naarrious snails
10 Asteria snails
1 bumble bee snail
One small orange/red star
Lobafillia

and that is it.
I clean my HOB once a month religiously
and that is my problem in a nut shell

Please Help me I can't afford this salt any more
Oh, I use tropic marin salt and Sera tests

 

[Groove]

You didn't mention a protein skimmer.

My guess is that all everything is falling into the crushed coral which if I remember right is a nitrate trap. If it doesn't go their, it goes into an aquaclear which holds the crap in constant contact with the water. It will eventually break down into nitrates. Lastly I don't think your tank could have much air in it without a skimmer either. I would suggest loosing the aquaclear and buying a skimmer as step one.

Until you can do that, clear the aquaclear weekly.

 

[wrassefan]

I agree with Groove that it is most likely trapped grundge in the CC and lack of skimming. Try vaccuming 1/2 the crushed coral when doing the next water change. Wait a week and vaccume the other half. That should help lower it some. Any type of filter pads/sponges or bio balls you might be using that would trap also??

 

[starrfish]

I have almost the exact same setup as you. The two MAJOR differences are: I use a skimmer and RO/DI water. I have the Aquaclear 500 HOB, but I also use a skimmer on top of that. I don't have a really expensive skimmer (it's an Excalibur), but it sure does the trick. I could probably drop the Aquaclear, but it's good for running Chemi-Pure and it keeps the surface of the water moving. I only had a nitrate problem at the very beginning during cycling. I have also noticed a HUGE difference in the reduction of my brown algae since I went to RO/DI.

Hope this helps.

 

[ghost78]

thanks for the advice
i am not really having a brown alge problem, more of a short hair alge problem. By short hair it looks like hair alge on the cc, but it is only about 1/8 inch long.

I pretty much vacume the cc every week 1/2 each week like suggested but it dose not seem to lower the nitrates, i think the only solution is a skimmer. I would need a hang on can some one suggest one for me please, I don't have much money. but it seems as though it would be big help, it also would off set the amount of salt i am using to try to bring down the nitrates, Tropic marin is really expensive!!

 

[Moe_K]

Hmmm a hang on skimmer for a 75 gal tank, huh?
Who's got a recommendation?

 

[denvig]

Dump the HOB filter and get a Aqua C Remora Pro in with a mag 5 running it I think this is the best hang on you can get. I may have one for sale in a couple of weeks or so.

 

[starrfish]

I have the Excalibur hang on skimmer which is not the most expensive and it does a great job.

 

[Ray]

Did you say you put grape calerpera in you main tank? If so get it out unless you want to deal with it over growing your tank. I have seen so may post about people trying to get this out of their tanks and it just over running it.