How does an overflow work

[cfosgate]

The only solution to the problem seems to be that the high nitrates were never there in the first place and it was just a bad test. Nitrates do not disappear without major water changes or possibly a very heavily planted tank.

 

[chevypride]

But I tested for over a week with high nitrates... I just don't understand how it would mess up for a week straight and then multiple tests say it's low.

 

[chevypride]

Since I know there's been some people who have been following this from the very beginning I have an update!

I got my first fish in my tank, it's a yellow eyed kole tang. I know he shouldn't of been my first fish in the tank, but he was dirt cheap (the new girl at the LFS did a water change and didn't add salt to the water! The salinity was 1.010! He was the last fish they had left so he asked if I wanted him for almost free), and I thought if one was going to die I'd rather not spend $70 on it. Anyways, I drip assimilated him for 4 hours, and then floated the bag for about a half hour so the temperature was good (I took a pail of tank water to drip from. Not the actual tank) he's doing awsome! He eats like a pig (I'm sure if I fed him every hour he'd eat it!), he's a little shy, but you can tell he's also curious, even if he's hiding in his home and you go sit by the tank he'll pop his head out to watch you. He doesn't seem stressed at all about the salinity jump, or the move! When he was sitting in the bag he looked pale and just not so good. But as soon as he was out of the bag he swam everywhere. There's kiss marks everywhere!

 

[mr_X]

Don't feed him too much early on. Let the bacteria colony increase to handle the food slowly.

 

[chevypride]

Just a quick update, and a question!

My fish are doing awsome! My tang is so weird and odd, I absolutely love him, I also has a royal gramma who's doing awesome. Every once in awhile he likes to scare me and disappear, but most times he's at the food before the tang! I feed them flakes once a day (morning) and then every 3 days or so they get flakes and mysis shrimp at night, I don't think I'm over feeding because the two of them eat everything. I also have yellow polyps and dragon eyes zoas (dragons eyes still haven't opened ) when the fish get mysis, I spot feed my yellow polyps and the fish take the left overs.

Now questions; it's been a week and my Dragons eyes haven't opened, my yellow polyps are doing great though! Is it still just a waiting game?

I don't think my skimmer is set right, it doesn't get much skim mate and the skim mate is almost clear, but it does really really stink. Any suggestions? Or is it because I have such a small bio load in a big tank?

 

[chevypride]

Oh. And I always have seaweed clipped in the tank. It gets replaced everyday (if there's any left...). But they always had access to it.

 

[mr_X]

I get skimmate from a tank with just live rock and no fish. I think you need to adjust it down some. That said, just because fish eat all of the food, doesn't mean you aren't overfeeding them.

 

[chevypride]

Okay. It has 2 things to adjust... I'm just not sure what I'm doing. I haven't emptied it in a week and it has very little (maybe an inch) or almost clear skim mate. I just don't understand how to get it to work. I keep playing with it but haven't found out what works yet.

 

[mr_X]

What skimmer is this? Maybe it's a quality problem and not an adjustment.

 

[chevypride]

It's a SWC come skimmer

This is what the skimmate looks like, it takes about double this amount in 7 days... But looking at other people's skimmate there's isn't so grey.. It's more brown and different looking...



40 gallon cichlid tank;
Pseudotropheus socolofi (albino) x 1
Labidochromis caeruleus
x 1
Metriaclima greshakei x 2
Amatitlania nigrofasciata x 20
Pseudotropheus crabro x 1
6" pleco x 1

 

[mr_X]

It should be quite a bit darker. It's adjusted too wet. Can you post a picture of your tank currently?

 

[chevypride]

I haven't been able to get a full shot yet (I've been on holidays) I have one that's a tad older so just add about 30 pounds of rock.

Hows my tank doing for stocking?

1 6" hippo tang
1 3" kole tang
2 full grown clowns
1 royal gramma
2-3 hermits
2 snails

I know the hippo really shouldn't be in there, but I couldn't help myself from rescuing him. Him and my kole tang get along great right now, if I have to rehome him later I will, but trust me. My tank is 100% better then where he came from!

I'm scared to over stock haha. Looking to add a few more at the end of the month depending on what my LFS gets in.


40 gallon cichlid tank;
Pseudotropheus socolofi (albino) x 1
Labidochromis caeruleus
x 1
Metriaclima greshakei x 2
Amatitlania nigrofasciata x 20
Pseudotropheus crabro x 1
6" pleco x 1

120 gallon saltwater