Need help with high nitrates

[Trevor0015]

Whitey is actually eating the best out of all them. Hes seems fine, Im worried about my female. Allan we talked about bio pellets. Would these bio pellets be the same as the bio pellets for saltwater? I have a bio pellet reactor in my reef tank and may use the same pellets and try to run a reactor in my ray tank.

Trevor

 

[mikewallabie]

I am having huge problems with my stingray tank lately. My nitrates and amonia are high especially my nitrates. Here what I have tried to help the situation so far. Water changes every other day from 30 to 75%. I have dosed amonia supplements to get the amonia down. So I am not so concerned about amonia right now. I can't get me rays to eat anything. I believe its because of the nitrates. I have tried everything for me filtration, I changed the filter socks two seperate times, I have cleaned out my bio towers, I have even removed my plants(idk what harm they could do but Im trying to find any solution). I have three larger rays ranging from 12 to 16 inches in a 300 gallon tank. I lost one of my rays because of this issue. I really hope I wont lose any others because of this reason. So I am looking for any ideas to fix this problem. Let me know what you think I am doing wrong or what I may be able to do to fix it thanks.

Trevor

Dig a little deeper into your pocket and purchase a bigger tank and filter system. Don't over feed if your filter system sucks. If you even have a small trace of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, get a better system. Try drinking your own pee and pooh to see how long you last.

 

[DB junkie]

Probobly the food that caused it..... Cleaning the bio probobly did it in.

IF this problem was goin on @ my place I'd be using salt at 1/lb per 100 gallons at first sign of obvious diminished appetite. By now I'd be at 2lb/100 gallons. The problem may be fixed but that doesn't kill the storm of effects. I'd be doing WCs like crazy. 30% 2-3 times a day.... WITH AGED WATER. Just get something to hold water.... Pond liner the bathtub if you have to. As many airstones and pumps as you have in this water along with a pump to circulate. Give the water 24 hrs to gas off then use it.

If you need anything I have extra tanks if you need to hold water and my drip system carbon and all lines aren't even being used right now. You're more then welcome to barrow any of it.

Keep us posted!!!

 

[DB junkie]

Dig a little deeper into your pocket and purchase a bigger tank and filter system. Don't over feed if your filter system sucks. If you even have a small trace of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, get a better system. Try drinking your own pee and pooh to see how long you last.

Sweet advice! Can't wait to see the 4th post

 

[Trevor0015]

Thanks a lot for the advice Allan and Im anxious for the 4th response as well^^. I think Im going to add salt do the same in water changes. 50-70% every other day. And stop feeding for a couple of days.

A couple of more questions.. Should I put my plants back in the water? And should I use my saltwater salt for the salt?

Trevor

 

[DB junkie]

NO on the salt water salt. That would be bad. Blue bag solar salt. Water softerner salt I think it is. The stuff you see sittin on pallets. Google it lol. Or just search threads here....

Only 1lb/100 to start but only put 1/2 that in 2nite other 1/2 tom. Don't wanna shock.

Plants? I woulda never taken them out... lol Not sure how they'll like the salt though.. Wouldn't think it'd hurt em but I'm not sure I've ever tried...lol

I'm no expert by any means but I've seen some crap. Anytime I run into trouble 1st thing I do is start searching through threads here.

 

[PeteLockwood]

KISS.

Change water if ammonia registers on test kit. Do it whenever needed, as dictated by ammonia readings, not on some random fixed schedule.

Test for nitrIte - if it registers, change water and add three *teaspoons* of salt for that size tank to combat the nitrIte.

By all means put the plants back, any extra filtration will help.


Jumping up and down, going crazy and adding lbs of salt when your immediate problem is ammonia? Crazy.


If I had to bet in the absence of other info, wouldn't be surprised if the small-volume water change regime let the pH drop so the filter quit. pH may be up now, did you take a reading when you got the very first ammonia readings? Course it doesn't matter now, just fix the ammonia with water changes not adding chemicals.

As a secondary matter, check that the water is being spread evenly over your bio media - if not, it's possible some of the media isn't being used and you don't have as much effective media as you think.

 

[Trevor0015]

Pete great advice I'll start slow on the salt guys, I'll use magnisium sulfate (I think its called that). No I didn't test the ph when this started. Im going to get a aqua controller for this system so I will always know ph and keep other things stable.

Trevor

 

[DB junkie]

Dip trays would definetly be a great idea. I used those rectangle towers as it was easy to build trays for. Definetly something to address... That water distribution idea was to get even spread on drip plates.

I guess some of us overuse salt. Always been a firm believer. Just added some to my pup tank.... BGK snapped and bit one of the pups. lol

Doubt PH is moving..... Unless.... How much RO are you using????
IF I'm thinking correctly doesn't ammo stay dormant at lower PH levels? As I would think heavy RO mixed water would tend to drift low. Raise the PH with several wcs ammo gets toxic?

Just use a drip or straight tap water and you never have to worry about PH shifting here with our liquid rock.... lol

 

[DavidW]

KISS.

Change water if ammonia registers on test kit. Do it whenever needed, as dictated by ammonia readings, not on some random fixed schedule.

Test for nitrIte - if it registers, change water and add three *teaspoons* of salt for that size tank to combat the nitrIte.

By all means put the plants back, any extra filtration will help.


Jumping up and down, going crazy and adding lbs of salt when your immediate problem is ammonia? Crazy.


If I had to bet in the absence of other info, wouldn't be surprised if the small-volume water change regime let the pH drop so the filter quit. pH may be up now, did you take a reading when you got the very first ammonia readings? Course it doesn't matter now, just fix the ammonia with water changes not adding chemicals.

As a secondary matter, check that the water is being spread evenly over your bio media - if not, it's possible some of the media isn't being used and you don't have as much effective media as you think.

winner!

change water change water change water. ( repeat this to yourself )
as much as possible, 99% three times a day if you like, using aged water, until all readings are a zero......DO NOT add salt, you will just retard your biofilter even more. STOP all feeding for a few days.
and then change water change water change water