Houston, We have a problem.....

[angeladawng]

Can't for the life of me figure out what is going on here...will try to make it quick:

have had my tank up for a few months now with no problems in my parameters until the past week or so. Have been doing 15 gallon water changes every week since the start.

I top off with distilled water and get saltwater for changes from local LFS. I can't afford a RO/DI system and have no idea how to set one up or use it anyway.

here's the basics:

75 gallon tank, 25 pounds live rock and 50 pounds of base rock, 2 Koralia 1050 pumps, seaclone 100 skimmer, Emporer 400 HOB filter running w/o biowheels...only the replacement cartridges that come in packs of 2 for that filter(blue fuzzy stuff on one side, carbon on other) and I also have 2 bags of chemi-pure, one in each side.

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 0
Ph 8.1
Nitrate 30-40

I can't get my ammo and nitrates down at all...I have done 2 water changes this week and 2 last week, including getting new cartridges for the HOB and 2 new bags of chemi-pure since it is supposed to bring down nitrates. I cut back to only feeding every other day and I only feed one cube of frozen mysis and a pinch of flake food.

The live rock has some coralline on it and some green macro but not much since I had a copperband and he picked the live rock to death. The base rock is covered in a brown/rust colored algae...I am thinking diatoms but there is absolutely NONE on the sand or live rock...only the base rock and back wall of the tank.


stock list:

1 clown
2 green chromis
3 blue sapphire damsels
2 bangii cardinals
1 white tail tang
2 hermit crabs
1 astrea snail
3 nassarius snails

so much for being quick

 

[paulweck]

My best suggestion would be to test the water your doing your water changes with. If I was u I would invest ina ro/di system and making your own water and topping off with only ro/di. Good luck

 

[danbstrong]

Can't for the life of me figure out what is going on here...will try to make it quick:

have had my tank up for a few months now with no problems in my parameters until the past week or so. Have been doing 15 gallon water changes every week since the start.

I top off with distilled water and get saltwater for changes from local LFS. I can't afford a RO/DI system and have no idea how to set one up or use it anyway.

here's the basics:

75 gallon tank, 25 pounds live rock and 50 pounds of base rock, 2 Koralia 1050 pumps, seaclone 100 skimmer, Emporer 400 HOB filter running w/o biowheels...only the replacement cartridges that come in packs of 2 for that filter(blue fuzzy stuff on one side, carbon on other) and I also have 2 bags of chemi-pure, one in each side.

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 0
Ph 8.1
Nitrate 30-40

I can't get my ammo and nitrates down at all...I have done 2 water changes this week and 2 last week, including getting new cartridges for the HOB and 2 new bags of chemi-pure since it is supposed to bring down nitrates. I cut back to only feeding every other day and I only feed one cube of frozen mysis and a pinch of flake food.

The live rock has some coralline on it and some green macro but not much since I had a copperband and he picked the live rock to death. The base rock is covered in a brown/rust colored algae...I am thinking diatoms but there is absolutely NONE on the sand or live rock...only the base rock and back wall of the tank.

stock list:

1 clown
2 green chromis
3 blue sapphire damsels
2 bangii cardinals
1 white tail tang
2 hermit crabs
1 astrea snail
3 nassarius snails

so much for being quick

Better skimmer would help alot i had a seaclone on my 55g it didn do well for me probably not pulling out protiens which is causeing ammonia

 

[danbstrong]

Can't for the life of me figure out what is going on here...will try to make it quick:

have had my tank up for a few months now with no problems in my parameters until the past week or so. Have been doing 15 gallon water changes every week since the start.

I top off with distilled water and get saltwater for changes from local LFS. I can't afford a RO/DI system and have no idea how to set one up or use it anyway.

here's the basics:

75 gallon tank, 25 pounds live rock and 50 pounds of base rock, 2 Koralia 1050 pumps, seaclone 100 skimmer, Emporer 400 HOB filter running w/o biowheels...only the replacement cartridges that come in packs of 2 for that filter(blue fuzzy stuff on one side, carbon on other) and I also have 2 bags of chemi-pure, one in each side.

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 0
Ph 8.1
Nitrate 30-40

I can't get my ammo and nitrates down at all...I have done 2 water changes this week and 2 last week, including getting new cartridges for the HOB and 2 new bags of chemi-pure since it is supposed to bring down nitrates. I cut back to only feeding every other day and I only feed one cube of frozen mysis and a pinch of flake food.

The live rock has some coralline on it and some green macro but not much since I had a copperband and he picked the live rock to death. The base rock is covered in a brown/rust colored algae...I am thinking diatoms but there is absolutely NONE on the sand or live rock...only the base rock and back wall of the tank.

stock list:

1 clown
2 green chromis
3 blue sapphire damsels
2 bangii cardinals
1 white tail tang
2 hermit crabs
1 astrea snail
3 nassarius snails

so much for being quick

As for nitrates macroalgae to consume them

 

[angeladawng]

As for nitrates macroalgae to consume them

If I buy some chaeto, where can I put it? I don't have a fuge or a sump. Can it go right in the display tank?

 

[danbstrong]

If I buy some chaeto, where can I put it? I don't have a fuge or a sump. Can it go right in the display tank?

Never went that route could work what about a reactor with biopellets takes a month to be effective tho

 

[angeladawng]

just ordered some chaeto from liveaquaria...will have it Wednesday...going to do another pwc tomorrow after work...wonder how long it will take to start gobbling up trates.....

 

[Reefpete]

just ordered some chaeto from liveaquaria...will have it Wednesday...going to do another pwc tomorrow after work...wonder how long it will take to start gobbling up trates.....

You can get yourself a unit off eBay I bought it and it works wonders hooked it up to my faucet In my back yard

http://r.ebay.com/xtFR23

It's 66 bucks shipped makes pure water 0 ppm

 

[Reefpete]

I use that in my sump and it works well to reduce trates

 

[54seaweed]

you can put it in your tank in a cave or behind the live rock or even in the crevices
I like how it looks and inverts love it

I also use it in a hob filter to house pods

my nitrates stay at a steady 1 ppm

 

[angeladawng]

you can put it in your tank in a cave or behind the live rock or even in the crevices
I like how it looks and inverts love it

I also use it in a hob filter to house pods

my nitrates stay at a steady 1 ppm

First of all....your tank is GORGEOUS!!

I can't wait to get it...I ordered a half pound so that should be a fairly good amount....do you just pull it apart and stick it in places you want it? I have never done live plants in a tank before so I have no idea what I am doing. Also, can I stick some in HOB filter?? it says it needs light and there isn't any in there. I don't have a sump or a fuge....just the skimmer and HOB emporer filter. How long will it take before I notice a drop in nitrates? I know that regular outside plant life needs "pollution" to survive so I am assuming that aquatic plants are the same way. Sorry if I sound like an idiot

 

[Gregcoyote]

Can't for the life of me figure out what is going on here...will try to make it quick:

have had my tank up for a few months now with no problems in my parameters until the past week or so. Have been doing 15 gallon water changes every week since the start.

I top off with distilled water and get saltwater for changes from local LFS. I can't afford a RO/DI system and have no idea how to set one up or use it anyway.

here's the basics:

75 gallon tank, 25 pounds live rock and 50 pounds of base rock, 2 Koralia 1050 pumps, seaclone 100 skimmer, Emporer 400 HOB filter running w/o biowheels...only the replacement cartridges that come in packs of 2 for that filter(blue fuzzy stuff on one side, carbon on other) and I also have 2 bags of chemi-pure, one in each side.

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 0
Ph 8.1
Nitrate 30-40

I can't get my ammo and nitrates down at all...I have done 2 water changes this week and 2 last week, including getting new cartridges for the HOB and 2 new bags of chemi-pure since it is supposed to bring down nitrates. I cut back to only feeding every other day and I only feed one cube of frozen mysis and a pinch of flake food.

The live rock has some coralline on it and some green macro but not much since I had a copperband and he picked the live rock to death. The base rock is covered in a brown/rust colored algae...I am thinking diatoms but there is absolutely NONE on the sand or live rock...only the base rock and back wall of the tank.

stock list:

1 clown
2 green chromis
3 blue sapphire damsels
2 bangii cardinals
1 white tail tang
2 hermit crabs
1 astrea snail
3 nassarius snails

so much for being quick

I am a bit concerned with the ammonia, doesn't take but a trace to ruin the day of your average coral. I agree with the above comments, would check to see if the skimmer is doing its job properly. Most effective thing you can do is water changes with pure RO/DI water and good salt mix.

 

[Holygral]

rather than finding a way to reduce, you need to find a cause. Cheato is not going to fix a nitrate problem. You mentioned a hang on the back filter? If you have filter media in that and do not change it every 2 or 3 days, it will become a nitrate factory. Also if the cheato does not have enough lighting, it will die off and contribute to the problem. The seaclone skimmer will do very little as far as a skimmer.

 

[danbstrong]

rather than finding a way to reduce, you need to find a cause. Cheato is not going to fix a nitrate problem. You mentioned a hang on the back filter? If you have filter media in that and do not change it every 2 or 3 days, it will become a nitrate factory. Also if the cheato does not have enough lighting, it will die off and contribute to the problem. The seaclone skimmer will do very little as far as a skimmer.

Doesn seem to be an overstocking issue maybe perhaps overfeeding without an adequate skimmer a good skimmer will pull out the protiens that cause your ammonia thats probably why your trates are so high your bb are converting alot of ammonia i do agree with hob filter causing high nitrates as well if not cleaned often but i really contribute ammonia to inadequate skimming chaeto needs light and it will start consuming nitrate quickly / good skimmer weekly water changes macro algae = 0 ammonia 0 nitrate