Help! Cant get Nitrates down!

[adrianne8288]

Hello, I have had a terrible couple of months with my tank. The tank is almost one year old... it was fully cycled (I am a newbie). I got a little behind on the water changes and the PH soared and killed 3 of my 5 fish in the span of 2 weeks. I got the PH into the normal range using a Ph Adjuster and now something is wrong with the Nitrates. It is registering 50ppm. I have done 2 -10 gallon water changes each week for the last 3 weeks and the Nitrates are not changing at all. My local Fish Store suggested a product called de-nitrate which is a gravel that you put in your filters (I used the entire 1 liter can on both of my filter systems like the directions called for) and still no change.

Info:
75 gal tank w/rock
2 filters - Rena and an Eheim
1 Protein Skimmer
Fish:
5yr old Golden Puffer
2 inch Maroon Clown

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[tttnjfttt]

In general, its best to not mess with the pH using chemicals. It can lead to big pH swings which are really bad. There are a few better ways, but first, what is the pH and nitrate in your tap water? Also, for pH issues, knowing GH and KH are useful.

 

[adrianne8288]

I use RO water... does that make a difference? I have never just tested that water by itself before it goes in the tank.... should I?

 

[tttnjfttt]

Do you have your own RO unit, or are you buying water from a LFS?

I am not that familiar with RO, but it was suggested to me as a way to control my off the chart pH (we are talking out of the tap it is 9+). I'm not sure about the nitrates though. Hopefully someone can share if this will work on removing nitrates.

What was your pH before you adjusted it?

 

[smithrc]

2 options - live plants or water changes...

 

[sylvia]

"5yr old Golden Puffer
2 inch Maroon Clown"

A marine tank? NitrAtes and fluctuations are even worse for marines...

Ask in the saltwater section but it sounds to me like you need to stop using all these products (the pH thing can't have helped either) and just do more water changes. If you are using tap water, check it doesn't contain nitrAtes to begin with. Also, you said your pH soared when you didn't do water changes - I assume you also weren't topping-up? Also, what kind of test kit do you use? The test strips often lose accuracy with time so getting a liquid based one would be a good idea. It also may be time to give your filters a good clean (in old tank water) as they are often a major source of ntirAtes and aren't the best thing for marine tanks.

If this were freshwater I'd be of more help.
As it isn't, asking in the saltwater section would be best so that all the saltwater people actualy see it. They'd be able to answer your questions.

 

[adrianne8288]

I have just been testing the RO water (I had it installed in my house).
The PH is registering 7.0 and my tank water is at 8.0
The Nitrates are registering 0 out of the RO and 50 ppm in my tank.

My PH was at 7.0 when I realized I had a problem.... I had not been testing very often once the tank was cycled for a couple of months.... so I forgot what the color cards meant. I figured that you wanted everything at the lowest color on all of the cards. It was not until I went to the LFS and they tested it and told me it was out of wack. I am not sure what my Nitrates were registering at that time because my test kit did not include nitrates - just nitrites. I think they told me those were high too at the LFS - but that the PH was killing the fish.

 

[adrianne8288]

Sorry - I thought I was in the saltwater section....
I can't add live plants because my puffer eats EVERYTHING (even the plastic ones) which is an issue in itself because I am afraid his teeth are getting too big/long.

 

[adrianne8288]

Oh yeah... I was topping off and I do not use test strips... I use a liquid test kit.
I am heading over to the saltwater section now, but will check back here too... Thanks for all of the help!