Nitrates back????

[fav74]

I started a 29g saltwater in early November and the tank cycled and #'s were fine. Then I bought a 55g in early December and transferred 60 lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand over from the cycled aquarium. I also put 30lbs more of live sand. I didn't transfer water from the old tank mainly because it was filled with tap water and used ro water for the 55g. My parameters have read 0 for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, and phosphate ph 8.4 area and salinity 1.023-.024. But I have a recent bloom of a bright green algae on the glass that when wiped looks like a fine powder. And I started reading around 5ppm nitrates. Thought it may be the canister filter so I removed the media cleaned it and I have put back in twice in 1 1/2 weeks for a couple hours each time. Protein skimmer running well. Have 2 O. Clowns, yellow head blenny, green Chromis.

 

[Saltwaterking]

Trying doing a water changes , and keep your feeding to a minimum right now in till the spike goes away

 

[Saltwaterking]

Water changes and keep feeding to the minimum in till the spike goes away

 

[austinsdad]

Not unusual at all to move a tank, rock, stir up the sand and release nitrates. Like the advice given, just keep the water changes up.

By the way, lots of folks would be totally envious of your nitrate level @ 5ppm. You shouldn't worry about that at all IMO.

 

[fav74]

I know 5ppm is good but it is the weeks of 0 than a change. My main concern is the algae it comes back within an hour or two of cleaning the glass.

 

[Saltwaterking]

Put some carbon in their and shut down your lights sooner then usual , bc most likely your phosphates

 

[Saltwaterking]

And also put some cheato in their also it eats nitrates and phosphates

 

[austinsdad]

Are you using RO/DI water and have you tested for phosphates?

 

[fav74]

I am using water that goes through the following 5 step process micron filter, uv, ro, uv, carbon filter. Buy it 5 gallons at a time. Tested my water again this morning and ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrates around 5ppm and for the first time phosphate showed up at and it read .25 ppm. I pulled all mechanical equipment out of the tank yesterday and cleaned it really well then rinsed of and let it set and run in a bucket of ro water for a while. Cleaned the glass really well and and suctioned up some junk form the sand bed. Put a filter with carbon in it on the intake side or the canister filter and cleaned the filters in it.

I also noticed yesterday that I was getting some long hair red/brown algae on my live rock. I am do a small feeding today and no lights and when I get home prepare for a 5-10g water change that evening.

 

[Reeffanman]

What is your light cycle, how often do you feed? Was the sand new when you cycled your 29? What equipment did you remove and clean. If you removed too much bb, could cause a mini cycle to account for your trates

 

[fav74]

I run 2x 48"4xT5ho ho t5 actnic from 7am to 9pm then 2 10k from 9am to 7pm and 4the lunar leds between. The 20lbs of live sand and 45lbs of base rock and 15lbs lbs of live rock were all new were all new with 29g. The 29gtank did cycle out. After the move my water has tested out with 0's across the board until now.

I feed twice a day a small pinch of flake alternating them and usually once maybe twice a week I use a frozen(thawed) feeding in the morning.

And if it wasn' rock or sand it came out and was cleaned. Power head, intake and return for protein skimmer, intake and return for filter, heaters, thermometer.

After reading a few different articles I am beginning to think circulation might be a big problem. The filter moves about 500gph but return is higher in the water column and the power head is 300gph I believe but it is a small concentrated return. I am going to purchase a circulation pump and set it lower to move the water around the rocks and along the sand.

 

[fav74]

I should have read over that post before sending it. Auto correct needs to be fine tuned.