jan4scuba
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- May 7, 2014
- Messages
- 136
So I have this 9 gallon nano reef that was started with 14 lbs of live rock and 3 lbs of live sand and real ocean water from Petco.
I it's been running for about 8 weeks and there was never really any cycling. Never had Ammonia, Nitrites or nitrates until recently.
I found a bunch of guys who sell corals either from their own tank or are importers for LFS and sell some on the side to a few buyers at great prices.
I've added some beautiful coral over this time and my nitrates have shot up to abt 40ppm. When I do a water change they go back down to 20ppm.
The guys I buy the coral from say 20 is fine. When I research it "the experts" say it should be 0-5ppm.
I don't know enough abt coral to tell how they are acting but nothing smells and they open and close routinely.
So I'd like to know what this forum has to say. You guys have helped in the past.
Is 20 ppm too high? And if so how do I lower it without taking out my critters.
PS- how do you vacuum your coral bed when it's mostly covered with Live Rock. If I start moving everything around it will be chaotic in the tank and I'm afraid it will never go back to looking as good. Besides a lot of it is epoxied.
Thanks for reading this long winded post. I feel I needed to get it out.
Jan
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
I it's been running for about 8 weeks and there was never really any cycling. Never had Ammonia, Nitrites or nitrates until recently.
I found a bunch of guys who sell corals either from their own tank or are importers for LFS and sell some on the side to a few buyers at great prices.
I've added some beautiful coral over this time and my nitrates have shot up to abt 40ppm. When I do a water change they go back down to 20ppm.
The guys I buy the coral from say 20 is fine. When I research it "the experts" say it should be 0-5ppm.
I don't know enough abt coral to tell how they are acting but nothing smells and they open and close routinely.
So I'd like to know what this forum has to say. You guys have helped in the past.
Is 20 ppm too high? And if so how do I lower it without taking out my critters.
PS- how do you vacuum your coral bed when it's mostly covered with Live Rock. If I start moving everything around it will be chaotic in the tank and I'm afraid it will never go back to looking as good. Besides a lot of it is epoxied.
Thanks for reading this long winded post. I feel I needed to get it out.
Jan
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice