160ppm nitrate suggestions?

[Reef Pilot]

Don't understand why anyone would even think of running a tank that size without a skimmer!! With nitrates that high, it will take some time and effort to get back to a decent level. Skimmer, water changes, carbon dosing and/or bio pellets, and filter socks will all be needed, I believe. I don't think there is a single magic bullet.

I had about 100 ppm nitrates in a tank that I inherited after a house purchase. I used bio pellets, rinsed the rocks, vacuumed the sand, increased my flow, etc. to get my nitrates down to zero. But it took many months.

With carbon dosing and bio pellets, it is very important to start heavy dosing with MB7 (or equivalent) beforehand, to avoid other problems like cyano, cloudy water, mulm and clumping of the pellets in your reactor. Also a good idea to start slow and ramp up over a couple months.

Good luck!!