Nitrates

[harleyrider]

Can adding green like cheto and others to your fuge make you nitrates high?

[Aquatic Specialists]

Can adding green like cheto and others to your fuge make you nitrates high?

Typically, cheato and other "greens" absorb nitrates.  There are likely other issues causing a nitrate spike, poor oxygenation, wastes, making multiple changes in close succession, among other things.....

[harleyrider]

Never had nitrates till i changed from that canister to this fuge, cant seem to get it below 30...done water changes and wont budge below 30

[Aquatic Specialists]

Never had nitrates till i changed from that canister to this fuge, cant seem to get it below 30...done water changes and wont budge below 30

Sounds like what has happened is: by removing your canister filter pursuant to the installation of the "new" fuge, you have desimated the bacteria that you had built up for your system.  The "new" fuge has not stabilized for the bacterial load needed yet.  Water changes alone are probably not going to solve the problem, you may need to get a nitrate sponge like Kent Nitrogen Sponge or Nitra-Zorb to actually remove the nitrates, and also supplement with a dual action fast acting live bacteria like Stress Zyme.  Quickly.

Nitrates are toxic, although not as toxic as nitrites, they still pose a ptotential problem if not gotten under control quickly.

[harleyrider]

Thanks for the help, ill let you know how it goes, thanks again

[Reefd Up]

I agree with the above.  You probably lost a lot of the bacteria keeping your system stable...and until it can regain a foothold, you'll have high nitrates.  I'm unfamiliar with nitrate-absorbing products, but if you didn't include one in your new sump, I would recommend a remote deep sandbed.  It'll allow anaerobic bacteria to use the nitrates and convert it to whatever comes next in the cycle (I forget...I think some of it goes to hydrogen sulfide or something.)