nitrate level through the roof!!!!!!!!

[bamaboy2go]

I use distilled water that you can get at Wal-Mart or other stores

 

[melosu58]

Partial water changes and feed every other day.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

this is probably a dumb question but, if i get this ro/di system, does that mean that i can get rid of this crappy protein skimmer?? and just do weekly pwc??

 

[melosu58]

Why do you consider it crappy. Is it not doing it`s job. Protien skimmers are good for your tank but if yours is not working right maybe find something else. Good Luck

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

can anyone give me an idea about how longit will take to get the nitrates down with the weekly water changes and changing the feedings (want to know if im on schedule, or i need to do something more)??? i did a water change last week, and they were at 40, but now they are back up to 80. i did a water change and have been feeding frozen food every other/every couple of days. im really worried about my fishies and LR....... would it be safe to add some base rock??

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i think my skimmer is crappy because i cant get it to stay in place and because the wooden aireator always comes to the top of the unit when its supposed to stay at the bottom . (not many bubbles)

 

[melosu58]

Is there any possibility of getting another one because a skimmer will take alot of the DOC out of the water that will eventually turn into the nitrates. You dont by any chance have a wet dry do you?

 

[JPloman]

I would strongly encourage you to use RO/DI water for top off. You can go to the supermarket and buy bottled distilled water for super cheap!

I would also stop using the flake food. The fish may not eat frozen food, that is okay! Mix a small amount of garlic juice in the fish food, they will love it! I only feed two times a week. The thing about sw fish is that they are very hard to starve. If you see them picking at each other, increase your feedings slightly.

I would also do at least a 50% water change with RO/DI water right off the bat. If you are using genaric salt, I would go for the more expensive sort. It is better quality and it may help with the problem. Some salt mixtures have yucky stuff in them that can cause your levels to be off. I would also encourage, while you are fighting this problem, to do partial water changes once a week. Start with the 50% then reduce down to 25%, you could even go as far as to do a 75% water change if it is really that bad. It sounds like you have it a little bit under control at this point though.

I agree that you should get a better skimmer, not just do away with it. Skimmers are by far one of the most amazing sw aquarium filters. I would also recommend using the nitrate sponge (its white stuff that you put in a bag). If you put it into your sump if you have one, I have mine set up so that all the water must travel through it in order to make the loop.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i do not have a sump, but would like to make a diy unit, any sugesstions. i would also like to make a diy protein skimmer to put in there.... would it be wise to move the whole setup to a 30 gal??? so far ive done 2 5 gal water changes, switched to frozen food (every other to every couple of days) and was thinking about getting some macro, should i wait until i get the nitrates down before adding these or do it now??

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

oh yeah, ill be topping off with distilled water, and i have been buying the sw from lfs for the pwc. so hopefully this will get under control......

 

[dskidmore]

RO water for topoff too.

Around here it's pretty economical to buy RO water from the grocery store. Wal-mart sells it as "drinking water".

 

[JPloman]

My understanding is the stuff labled drinking water is not distilled and it is not reversed osmosis, it is just "purified" with a standard purifier. That is what people on this site have told me, as well as people from the lfs.

Regarding the DIY sump, there are plans on this website. My husband made ours, photos of it are in my photo gallery.

 

[melosu58]

You`re making a step in the right direction. If you could build a refuge with some macro in it it would eliminate alot of your nitrates

 

[natman2]

You state that your ammonia is at .25. With a level like this it is not likely your fish would live long. You have been set up for plenty of time for the tank to cycle so my hunch is you should try a different/fresh test kit.

It could be you are chasing a number that doesn't even really exist due to a faulty or stale test kit. Have your lfs test for nitrates and pick up a new test kit while you are there if your results and his don't jib.

 

[dskidmore]

My understanding is the stuff labled drinking water is not distilled and it is not reversed osmosis, it is just "purified" with a standard purifier.

That may be regional. The fine print on my local Wal-Mart's drinking water says it was purified by Reverse Osmosis. It is not DI filtered, so it is probably not as pure as what you can make at home with a good RO/DI filter, but it's a whole lot better than tap.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

is .25 really that bad for fish? they are quite happy and healthly, so maybe you are right, i will take my water to the lfs tomorrow.

 

[melosu58]

Its not that it will kill them right this second. But the fish will gradually deteriate as their immune system is weakened.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

ok, so i recieved the caulpera, do i just stick it in the water?? does it need to be planted in the sand??

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

here is the kind that it is...http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...3&sspagename=ADME:L:AAQ:US:1#ebayphotohosting, its C. serrulata macroalgae, also known as "Saw Blade Caulerpa"...

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

should i be syphoning the bottom when i do my water changes?? as ive been reading ive noticed alot of ppl say to leave it alone or it can cause more nitrates...