Nitrates!

[lando]

Well, I am back from a weeks vacation and in one week there were about 3500 new posts since my last visit! Wow, this is a busy site. My bro-in-law was looking after the tank and did a good job Nothing dead! However, one species of xenia is shrivled up and not looking good. Another species is doing great. Also, my red mushrooms are not opening, while my hairys and greens look great. So I test the water, everything is great except for my nitrates. They are about 20! never been that high before. I do not think anything died. the only thing I could think of is a mini-cycle from the LR rubble I added to my tank like 12 days ago. I am doing a bout a 20% water change today. I am also thinking of using Bio-Spira to help boost the bacteria. I have never used it before but really need to get my nitrates down fast. for the record, my other corals are looking great, torch, hammer, trumpet, pineaple, leather, polyps all doing well. Makes me wonder if it is the nitrates effecting the xenia and shrroms or my flame angle. Thanks for the help...Lando

 

[Sparky]

I would think that you should keep with the water changes.....to bring the nitrates down. I wouldn't use the Bio-Spira, it may just make the whole tank cycle again, and the ammonia and nitrites would be more deadly than the nitrates you got now. I would just keep doing the water changes.

Mike