High nitrate question....help!

[bavass]

Originally Posted by melosu58

How about making a batch of SW for a PWC and do some water test results before you add it to the tank. We can make sure you are not adding it to the tank. Everything else looks good.

I actually had a batch I made up last night. Nitrates are 0. Phosphates are 0. Ammonia is 0. Nitrites are 0. Salt is 1.023. In the tank my calcium was down to 280 but I have started adding calcium and it is upto 380 as of this morning and I added more but have not tested again for today. Alkalinty in the tank is about 2.5 using a Red Sea pH & Alkalinity Test kit which is in the normal range.

O yeah, I am also a Cowboys fan! Cowboys and the Hokies!!

[melosu58]

Cowboys and Buckeyes here. I always tell people that my two favorite college football teams are Ohio State and whoever is playing Va tech. LOL. Well it looks like you can rule out your source water being the cause.

[bavass]

Mine are Hokies and whoever is playing UVA! 2014 VT plays Ohio State in Ohio, then 2015 you come to Blacksburg, LOL! The only other teams I hate are Florida and Notre Dame

[thincat]

Your tank looks good. One thing that I would do is place the Koralias at different depths and aim them at a 45 degree to get some better flow.
How do you like the #2's? How is the flow output of them.

[bavass]

Originally Posted by thincat

Your tank looks good. One thing that I would do is place the Koralias at different depths and aim them at a 45 degree to get some better flow.
How do you like the #2's? How is the flow output of them.

Yeah did some blowing off of the live rock today and was watching some of the stuff floating around and to me it was not reaching the overflow like I tought it should so I was actually thinking of putting the pump on the right side at a 45 degree angle up towards the overflow and the pump on the left side in the back and pointing at a 45 degree angle pointing down. How does that sound. I really love the flow of these pumps. When I first got them I was disappointed when I put my hand in front of them. The remembered it is a soft flow. I sat back and watched the flow of the water and wow it is a big differnce in circulation from the maxijets.

[bavass]

Ok so I took your advive and moved the powerheads. Then moved them again and these pics are what I came up with. Seems to be working better.


Front you can see the different levels


Left side mounted on back pointing down about 45 degrees



Right side mounted on back pointing up at about 45 degrees

[thincat]

That looks great. Every tank has a little different setup as far as rockwork so playing around with them until you find the "sweet" spot is the only way.

[bavass]

This morning my levels are

pH 8.2
SG 1.023
Nitrate 15
Phosphate 0
Calcium 400
Temp 78---Lights just came on
Nitrite 0

I think I need to get a hardness test kit. Does that have anything to do with helping to reducing Nitrates?

Sand Bed Stirring Team and Clean up crew will be the next thing I oder. Hopefully that will help.

[match55]

looks good!!^^
your nitrate drop so fast might cuz of your 4" DSB, it take time for the DSB to start working, but anyway, now u get everything under control ^^

once thing about the cleaning crews, you don't really need that much, as someone in here told me. I was gonna gonna a 50gal package from them too.

I would suggest pick couple that u like and get your order up to $99 and get free shipping. also order over $75 u can have a small cleaning crew from them, so why not get some feather duster or corals instead of big bags of snails and hermits. JMO, get nass snails if u want sand bed stirrers, they r omg fast!!!
here is a cheaper website for basic cleaning crews and macro algae
http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?pa...mart&Itemid=34
I can't tell you how well their nerite snails help cleaning the diatom problem, its just amazing LOL. and OMG its much cheaper!! Priority Mail is a flat rate of $7.50~
and the owner(I think), he is so cool, he will throw extra snails in the bag.
I ordered 15 nerites+25nass+5mangroves first time, he gave me 18 nerites, 29nass and 9mangroves. highly recommend!

oh btw~ thats a big star right there hahaha

[bavass]

First thing I want to do is thank everybody on this forum. My tank already looks better than it has for a long time. To be honest I got really frustrated and gave up on the thing for awhile, but this forum has gotten me going again. THANK YOU ALL.

I think the fact I have a DSB and even though I have been doing some vaccuming when I do water changes what comes out of the sand bed is pretty nasty and dark. I just kinda feel that there is a lot more in my sand bed that needs to be cleaned out. I would love to order some feather dusters and corals but I first wanna get my Nitrates down more. The 55g package they have has 55 sand bed stirring snails which I think is really what I need. I am also hoping that since I have a Chocoalte Starfish and a few crabs that adding the clean up crew will help me to reduce nitrates by causing my skimmer to work more?