40-80 nitrate in Biocube 29!

[Eggpaul]

Okay, so I've had my barebottom biocube 29 for about 6 months, and up until mid July (last time I tested for Nitrates) Nitrates were at 0. I was all proud, because I always read how people had 20 nitrates all the time. Well, for a few days some of my corals haven't looked that great, so I check Nitrates and they were between 40-80!!! What happened? I added 1 fish and then another fish jumped out, so bioload is about the same. Did something accumulate somewhere?


Stock- 2 clowns, 1 flameback angel, 1 red flamehawk (new addition), and 1 purple firefish. And about 20 corals, and some crabs/snails.

I run a skimmer and have over 30 lbs of live rock. I don't run Carbon. I still have the bioballs in there, and I just was able to clean a handful of them a few days ago after noticing the problem and I saw that a lot of junk came off of them.

Is the problem with the bioballs? Lots of ditritus on them? I haven't vacuumed the bare bottom in a while, so I'm thinking lots of it accumulated on the floor.

I noticed in chamber 1 there is a lot of dirt and junk on the floor, so maybe I should vacuum that? Would Chaeto in the 2nd chamber help?

 

[bigfuzzymonster777]

I don't think you should clean bio balls, IMO. I think you may have washed off some good bacteria (the gunk).

 

[bigfuzzymonster777]

I'm not sure. You should get a second opinion, I think. I know my stuff, but I don't want to get you mixed up.

 

[Michaelbknudsen]

I think the bio balls might be part of the problem. Hopefully someone else will chime in, but I'm pretty sure they are Nitrate factories. Most of what I have read suggests not using them. Cleaning then was probably a good idea and you should do some pretty big water changes to bring your levels down.

 

[paulr]

Dump the balls for live rock.

 

[Eggpaul]

Dump the balls for live rock.

I have over 30 lbs of live rock in the tank. you mean I should put more in chamber 2? How about cheato?

I just don't get how nitrates were at zero for 6 months and now they are around 60. I did vacuum a lot of nasty junk off the tank floor and chamber 1 yesterday, and did a 4 gallon water change.

 

[paulr]

I have prob 5lbs in my back chamber. Any changes you had?? Fish coral?

 

[Eggpaul]

I have prob 5lbs in my back chamber. Any changes you had?? Fish coral?

In the last 1 1/2 months I added a flameback angel and red flamehawk fish.


but that puts my fish at only 5. I added a green leather a few weeks ago, that's about it. I had a heliofungia that died and I left it in there until only the skeleton was left, you think that was the problem?


I was feeding a lot in the last few weeks, cuz everytime I come near the tank the fish swim to the front like they are starving. I felt bad each time and fed them.

 

[carey]

I blame the bioballs. You dont need them in a reef tank since your rock and sand are your biological filtration.

I run an intank media basket and a uv in the middle section. i have an in the tank skimmer for now as well.

I think if you removed the bioballs you would have lower nitrates going forward once you get them back down.

 

[Eggpaul]

I blame the bioballs. You dont need them in a reef tank since your rock and sand are your biological filtration.

I run an intank media basket and a uv in the middle section. i have an in the tank skimmer for now as well.

I think if you removed the bioballs you would have lower nitrates going forward once you get them back down.

I have a barebottom tank with over 30lbs of live rock. I have a skimmer in chamber 1. So do you think the bioballs collected ditritus over the 6 months? because nitrates were at zero for 6 months until now. I didn't change the filter pad for a while and water was just spilling over it , so probably lots of junk went down into chamber 2

 

[paulr]

Need sand for sure. Can run nothing but like stated above its filtration too. Flame angel is fairly big for that tank so he will create a lot of waste. Ammonia was normal?

 

[Eggpaul]

Need sand for sure. Can run nothing but like stated above its filtration too. Flame angel is fairly big for that tank so he will create a lot of waste. Ammonia was normal?

Yes, ammonia and nitrites are zero. It's not a flame angel, it's an African flameback, so he's a bit smaller. I wonder if its causing that huge spike. I'm going to try chaeto.

 

[paulr]

I would say more on the bioball side of things actually. Those fish are not huge and i would think more would be off if it was the problem. Water changes will help. But the media basket is a good idea or rock.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

I agree, lose the bioballs, they are nitrate factories. I used bioball and couldnt get nitrates below 20. I removed them and did a couple water changes and my trates are zero.

 

[Eggpaul]

I agree, lose the bioballs, they are nitrate factories. I used bioball and couldnt get nitrates below 20. I removed them and did a couple water changes and my trates are zero.

My nitrates were zero too for a long time with bioballs though. You think with the added bio load (2 fish in last month) it can't to the job then?