Help nitrate issues

[Silverni2]

My tank
90 gal STD reef ready tank
mostly lps large pieces
few sps
few softies
crushed shells about 1" deep
120 lbs of live rock
large cleanup crew usual suspects
3 cleaner shrimp
clown tang, yellow tang, Kole tang
hawk fish, green brittle star,2 clown fish
3 green chromis
30 gal sump
with 2 out of sump return pumps chiller uv vortech mp40
I use filter socks on both returns and change them 2 time a week.
My protein skimmer is a aqua urchin c in sump with mag 3.
I use ro/ di water make my own I've checked freshly made water no nitrates
phosphate reactor also 2 part dosing
mag 1400
cal 430
alk 9.8
nitrates 2ppm to 10 ppm
sailfert test kits
I've changed water every other day for a month and can't get nitrates to 0
can't understand why!!
Is it the skimmer?

 

[qy7400]

Real easy, 3 tangs in a 90. They're eating and popping machines, actually surprised it's that low even with the water changes.

Just a warning...the clown tang will become VERY aggressive, it will not like other tangs or some fish in the tank with it. Be prepared to move it once you see the aggression start as it will not ease up.

 

[ryangrieder]

2-10 is nothing. dont be going crazy. to actually have 0 nitrates in incorrect. no one has ZERO. some test kits might say you have zero, but thats not totally true.

my first reef tank for 2 years had 180ppm nitrate according to crappy API test kits, and looked perfect and everything was healthy. never cared about it...

2-10 is nothing, alot of other reefers who complain about nitrates are 60-80+

 

[Dre]

2-10 ppm is acceptable IMO.How much water are you changing btw? You must be feeding heavy.

 

[Silverni2]

I have heard from people that the clown tang will get aggressive. I didn't know it when I purchased it the clown tang has been in the tank for 6 months and has gotten along well so far. Do they get aggressive when they get bigger? I do know my load is heavy with fish and corals.
So you guys are telling me these people with beautiful sps tanks have traceable nitrates?
Why do they say there 0!

 

[gatojebv]

1.Make sure your skimmer is workign properly and pulling a lot of of gunk. This was the main reason I had nitrates.

2.-Check you feeding I feed only once a day about 3 frozen size cubes for my 4 small tangs, 4 nemos, 1 wrasse in a 100G tank

3.Test your are RO/DI for nitrates. See if it is not coming from there.

A 2-10 nitrate range is not high but for SPS corals It should not show in your test kits.

 

[Silverni2]

Gato do you leave seaweed or romaine in the tank?
What test kit do you use?

 

[Tranquil201]

Your level of nitrate is fine. I have a 90 gallon reef also. I do 10 gallon water changes every two weeks.

 

[Dre]

I use to test LFS water for nitrate i also test their salinity and such. They all had high nitrate Petco had the lowest. Keep in mind some corals are more sensitive than others to nitrate etc.

 

[Silverni2]

Dre I change out at least 15 a week and I leave seaweed on a clip every other day which is finished in hours and I feed rods food every other day maybe a 1" x 1" piece

 

[qy7400]

As the clown grows you will start to see the aggression, as long as you know to look for it and whats going on you'll be fine.

As everyone has noted nitrates under 20 should not give you a problem, to try and lower then you'll want a bigger skimmer. The Urchin is a great skimmer but with the bio-load you have you're going to want something bigger.

Oh and stick with the Salifert test kits as well, they are one of the better kits.

 

[Dre]

Dre I change out at least 15 a week and I leave seaweed on a clip every other day which is finished in hours and I feed rods food every other day maybe a 1" x 1" piece

You stated above you change water every other day. I think changing 15gals once weekly is fine if you want to keep up that feeding regimen. Keep in mind high nitrate is not good at all and can drastically affect calcium use and coral growth. Keep testing though and cut back on feeding if you can. I know you love to feed your fish i do too.

 

[gatojebv]

Gato do you leave seaweed or romaine in the tank?
What test kit do you use?

I used to in a clip but a lot was being wasted and floating away.
I feed seaweed but cutting in small square pieces now. I leave it soaking for 3+ hours in a cup of RO/DI water so they will sink, drain the water before feeding. They love it. Nothing goes to waste that way and I control how much I put in.

I have not measure for Nitrates in months. I used to use API and ReadSea. I have mostly SPS in my tank and they are thriving.