10 gallon advice

[jmay33]

My clowns have been eating my serpent star fish. He's almost dead. I don't think they started it, but they've helped.

[zhuber]

My lights are on about four hours of the day since I got the fish can that be raised and what are good salinity levels?

[Khij159753]

You should have your lights on around 8 hours a day. And good salinity for a FO is 1.024 good salinity for a reef is 1.026

[zhuber]

Originally Posted by Khij159753

You should have your lights on around 8 hours a day. And good salinity for a FO is 1.024 good salinity for a reef is 1.026

Those numbers are so close

[Khij159753]

Yeah well they don't have to be spot on. If your going for a reef you want them as close to 1.026 as you can. If your going for fish only you can keep it a little lower and not use as much salt.

[zhuber]

Is that looking high that's what it was at earlier today then I did a 20 percent change how do I lower then even more ?

[Khij159753]

More water changes, skimmer, filter might help a little, chaeto gsp or Xenia help take it out.

[zhuber]

My nitrates were high today I did twenty percent water change and tested just now why are they still high please help

[Chris J]

Looks like 10-15 ppm so after a 20% wc that's like 8-12ppm. That's not bad, maybe do another pwc tomorrow. Unfortunately the only way to lower nitrates is pwc. The ppm of nitrates is directly proportionate to the amount of water changed. So 20ppm nitrates will drop to 15ppm after a 25% wc or 10ppm after a 50% wc.

[zhuber]

Sorry it said on my phone it didn't post and do another water change? Before I accidentally
sucked up sand is there a right or wrong way to do it?

[Chris J]

Originally Posted by Khij159753

More water changes, skimmer, filter might help a little, chaeto gsp or Xenia help take it out.

I had never heard of Xenia or GSP helping with nitrates, I am fairly new to the saltwater side and am interested in this, do they use nitrates in their biological processes?

@OP my previous post was to the best of my knowledge, Khij is much more knowledgeable, I'd follow his advice over mine.

[Khij159753]

Not really just try not to suck up sand when your siphoning and add the water on a rock so it's not creating a sand storm

[zhuber]

Originally Posted by Khij159753

Not really just try not to suck up sand when your siphoning and add the water on a rock so it's not creating a sand storm

Well in freshwater I stick the vacuum in the rock so do I just kinda go over the sand with it and should I do a water change right now maybe 10 20 percent. And the stupid kid 5 10 looks the same.

[Khij159753]

Lots of soft coral that grow faster will thrive in non perfect water conditions because they eat the nitrates as an extra food source. I'm not 100% on gsp but I know pulsing Xenia will eat nitrates. I always have some in my tanks and it makes it so if I keep a low bioload I never HAVE to do water changes because of nitrates.

[Chris J]

I make small circles with the gravel vac above the sand, I keep it close enough to stir up the waste on the surface of the sand but far enough not to stir up the sand.

[zhuber]

Originally Posted by Chris J

I make small circles with the gravel vac above the sand, I keep it close enough to stir up the waste on the surface of the sand but far enough not to stir up the sand.

Thanks Chris and Kiji idk if I spelled it right I need one of those corals haha. And Chris should I do a water change now? I buy water for my lfs for 75 cents I have four gallons now

[Khij159753]

Xenia is pretty cheap and can grow pretty much anywhere under almost any condition. Jut make sure it's in an open space because it will spread like crazy and grow wild. Haha.

[Khij159753]

Oh and I'd wait and try to do the biggest water change you can. The bigger the water change the bigger the impact on the nitrates.

[Chris J]

I don't think it would be harmful to wait till tomorrow. You already did one today, and I wouldn't want to stress your fish too much by doing another one right away. Although your fish would probably be fine either way so it's really up to you, but it's already 10:30pm where I'm at so I'm inclined to say wait until tomorrow. I believe that the typical high nitrate zone for a FOWLR is 20ppm and your below that. I also agree with Khij, if you can wait and do a larger water change, that would be better.

[zhuber]

Originally Posted by Khij159753

Oh and I'd wait and try to do the biggest water change you can. The bigger the water change the bigger the impact on the nitrates.

I don't want my two clowns to be affected by it I feed them twice daily seaweed is that to much? And I got four gallons should I do like 20 or 40 percent water change tomorrow? I don't want my fish to die so what's the best thing to do at this point.