What is this??
- Thread starter saywill
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
saywill
Aquarium Advice Activist
I tested the water before I sent this, my tank is due for its monthly cleaning, which brings the ammonia back to zero. The nitrate usually goes down to around 5.0
Is there a way to reduce the algae? Or maybe a fish who likes to eat it?
Is there a way to reduce the algae? Or maybe a fish who likes to eat it?
saywill
Aquarium Advice Activist
55 gallon tank, been running for over a year. I have 2 blue/green chromis, a lunar wrasse, a spotted cardinale, snowflake eel, a choc chip starfish, 2 blue devil damsels.
I know people like the purple stuff, but when it is completely covered, does the live rock lose it's purpose? That is why I would like to control it.
I know people like the purple stuff, but when it is completely covered, does the live rock lose it's purpose? That is why I would like to control it.
It doesnt lose its purpose, 80% of my LR has it.
How much LR do you have? What kind of filtration...something just doesnt add up with the ammonia. Only thing I can think of is not enough filtration. Your nitrates could also be because of filter media as well.
How much LR do you have? What kind of filtration...something just doesnt add up with the ammonia. Only thing I can think of is not enough filtration. Your nitrates could also be because of filter media as well.
saywill
Aquarium Advice Activist
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Did you just add some of those fish? Or have they been in there for a while?
As others have commented, if this is an "established" tank then you shouldn't really have ANY ammonia at all. Any level implies you have something rotting in your tank/filter/sponges that is overwhelming the beneficial bacteria that's living in your rock and sand. You say you do your cleaning monthly - do you at least rinse out the filters weekly? If not, and you're not interested in weekly water changes, then you might want to at least give the sponges a rinse every week to clean out the gunk. My guess is that's where your ammonia (and eventually your nitrates) are coming from.
Oh... the purple stuff won't hurt your rock or bacteria. Most people like it. In fact, there's a whole raft of stuff the fish stores sell just to "help" make it grow quicker! See all the money you're saving!
As others have commented, if this is an "established" tank then you shouldn't really have ANY ammonia at all. Any level implies you have something rotting in your tank/filter/sponges that is overwhelming the beneficial bacteria that's living in your rock and sand. You say you do your cleaning monthly - do you at least rinse out the filters weekly? If not, and you're not interested in weekly water changes, then you might want to at least give the sponges a rinse every week to clean out the gunk. My guess is that's where your ammonia (and eventually your nitrates) are coming from.
Oh... the purple stuff won't hurt your rock or bacteria. Most people like it. In fact, there's a whole raft of stuff the fish stores sell just to "help" make it grow quicker! See all the money you're saving!
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with the above..just to pust this out there...have you had your water tested with a different test kit from the one you have, just to verify your ammonia results. Ammonia in a tank is not a good thing especially if your tank is a year old. A good idea would be to keep those sponges cleand out every week, only takes a few minutes to do that and it will make a big difference in your overall tank health!
saywill
Aquarium Advice Activist
When you say, rinse off the sponges, are you referring to the filter pads? If that is the case, I will do that weekly and see what happens.
I added 2 fish about 2 weeks ago.
I added 2 fish about 2 weeks ago.
How often, what, and how much do you feed your stock? With the snowflake eel & lunar wrasse even with weekly cleaning of filters you're going to have a hard time maintaining parameters in a 55 gal. Also a clean up crew is going to be nearly impossible with those two.
The Emperor 400 has two bio-wheels which should easily keep your nh3 at 0 ppm even with the amount of stock in your tank. Bio-wheels are excellent at converting nh3 to no3 but not changing out or cleaning your filters weekly will trap waste which gets converted to no3.
You almost have enough base lr to remove your wheels. Usually at 1.5-2 lbs per gal you have enough surface area to house the necessary bacterial levels but your tank is slightly overstocked and will need a little more help.
Main thing you need is a better skimmer to help remove DOC IMO. The Seaclone isn't going to cut it.
The no3 sponge will help for a little while but you really need to address whats causing the no3 increase in the first place i.e. overstocked, overfed, dirty filters.
The Emperor 400 has two bio-wheels which should easily keep your nh3 at 0 ppm even with the amount of stock in your tank. Bio-wheels are excellent at converting nh3 to no3 but not changing out or cleaning your filters weekly will trap waste which gets converted to no3.
You almost have enough base lr to remove your wheels. Usually at 1.5-2 lbs per gal you have enough surface area to house the necessary bacterial levels but your tank is slightly overstocked and will need a little more help.
Main thing you need is a better skimmer to help remove DOC IMO. The Seaclone isn't going to cut it.
The no3 sponge will help for a little while but you really need to address whats causing the no3 increase in the first place i.e. overstocked, overfed, dirty filters.
saywill
Aquarium Advice Activist
I feed them every evening, either frozen cube of myosis shrimp, or a good pinch of dried plankton.
do you suggest changing my filter pads sooner then the 30 day cycle I have been doing, or try washing them off every week like it was suggested above?
Also, my cleaning routine is this, every 30 days, i do a 10-20 gallon water change, also vacuum the substrate, change the 2 filter pads in the emperor. I use pre made saltwater for my tank because my tap water has some nitrate in it. I also use bottled fresh water.
I am new to this web site and I am really appreciative of all the help!
do you suggest changing my filter pads sooner then the 30 day cycle I have been doing, or try washing them off every week like it was suggested above?
Also, my cleaning routine is this, every 30 days, i do a 10-20 gallon water change, also vacuum the substrate, change the 2 filter pads in the emperor. I use pre made saltwater for my tank because my tap water has some nitrate in it. I also use bottled fresh water.
I am new to this web site and I am really appreciative of all the help!
squawkbert
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Messages
- 274
I'd guess that you either need to add some baserock to help handle the bioload you have (it will become LR with time), or you need to feed the chunky stuff more carefully (see that it all goes into the fish, don't toss it in & walk off).
In the mean time, more frequent PWCs and/or pad rinses should help.
It would be a good idea to do a test on your bottled FW - make sure there's nothing nitrogenous in it. If there is, find another source or consider purchasing a RO unit.
In the mean time, more frequent PWCs and/or pad rinses should help.
It would be a good idea to do a test on your bottled FW - make sure there's nothing nitrogenous in it. If there is, find another source or consider purchasing a RO unit.
The carbon is useless after a week or two at the most and will leach waste back into the water. Rinsing out the excess waste on the outside of the filter in old SW (not tap) will help but I'd still replace at least every two weeks personally.
Buying premixed SW? Getting your own ro/di filter is much cheaper in the long run.
Buying premixed SW? Getting your own ro/di filter is much cheaper in the long run.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with increasing your PWCs, I do mine every other week no matter what. This just helps keep your tank healthy. That is going to really help things out. As Micah said you need to replace that carbon at least every other week.
saywill
Aquarium Advice Activist
ZIGGY, for my 55 gallon tank, how much water should I change every 2 weeks?
Also, is there a cheaper way to change the carbon filters in my Emperor rather than buying the pre made ones from the manufacture?
Also, is there a cheaper way to change the carbon filters in my Emperor rather than buying the pre made ones from the manufacture?
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
saywill... regarding cheaper pads for your Emperor, have you seen these?
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13371&N=2004+113808
I don't have any experience with them, but it sure looks like a better way to go. Once you run through the filter media that comes with it, you can buy your own sheets and cut new ones to fit the plastic clamshell piece. Even if you don't make your own, the filter/carbon components seem waaaaay cheaper than the Marineland ones.
I've got a little Penguin 100 Biowheel on my 46g to give me a transferable QT filter and I wish they made these pads for mine!
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13371&N=2004+113808
I don't have any experience with them, but it sure looks like a better way to go. Once you run through the filter media that comes with it, you can buy your own sheets and cut new ones to fit the plastic clamshell piece. Even if you don't make your own, the filter/carbon components seem waaaaay cheaper than the Marineland ones.
I've got a little Penguin 100 Biowheel on my 46g to give me a transferable QT filter and I wish they made these pads for mine!
roka64
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Messages
- 13,858
I run Purigen http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1 in my filter, you can either buy the little premade bags or the big container and use a mesh bag. FWIW, I removed the sponges and carbon from my canister and only have the purigen and ceramic circles in there now.
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