I've had a this tank going for about 4 years. I have tried to keep all kinds of things in it and besides my fish and a kenya tree nothing seems to hang around. It seems my nitrate don't like to hit the zero mark. At one point it was staying at 160. I have add a cpr hang on ref and that helped allot Got rid of the little bit of crushed coral and added figi sand and that brings it down to 40ish. I am working on getting a sump and a new protein skimmer.I change the water every 2 weeks or so. Feed only a pinch at night. Have a good clean up crew. have a canaster filter that i clean out on a reg basis.All my other water specs are fine is there something I am missing. I see all the pics of you're tanks and I am in awe. Any help would be great
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Need help getting tank in the right direction
- Thread starter Scuba dude
- Start date
Did you buy the tank used when you got it? I'm no expert but I have heard that tanks that have had copper based medications used in them will forever be a problem. Could also be the cannister filter. Even though you clean it regularly, it can still be a nitrate problem from what I've been told. Like I said I'm no expert but alot of people here are very knowledgable. You'll get the help you need.
Yeah, you really need to get those trates down to under 10 for happy corals (other than kenya tree, lol). Several large water changes in a row would be needed to get them down initially, then you just have to watch what you put back into it.
Are you using RO/DI water? Has the TDS been tested recently?
If you changed out 20% 3 days in a row you'd still have 50+ % of the trates you started with (and that's assuming that you're not adding any. To really bring them down you need to either do really frequent water changes or a few really big ones.
Are you using filter socks or filter media? When was the last time you siphoned the detritus out of your sump? Do you run a phosban reactor? How many # of rock per gallon of water do you have? How many fish?
Have you tried feeding drained fish food (or food you make up yourself) rather than the flake food? Flake foods tend to be high in trates.
Good luck getting (and keeping) them down. Defintitely the key to happy corals.
Are you using RO/DI water? Has the TDS been tested recently?
If you changed out 20% 3 days in a row you'd still have 50+ % of the trates you started with (and that's assuming that you're not adding any. To really bring them down you need to either do really frequent water changes or a few really big ones.
Are you using filter socks or filter media? When was the last time you siphoned the detritus out of your sump? Do you run a phosban reactor? How many # of rock per gallon of water do you have? How many fish?
Have you tried feeding drained fish food (or food you make up yourself) rather than the flake food? Flake foods tend to be high in trates.
Good luck getting (and keeping) them down. Defintitely the key to happy corals.
You definately have an issue there. Phyllis asked a whole lot of questions that need to be answered if you want to solve this problem.
The nitrates are coming from somewhere, you need to find it, one step at a time.
Have you tested your water for nitrates? Like Phyllis said, you need to check first where the organics are breaking down, filter sock, canister, floss, sponge.
You have to be careful with those big water changes, it puts alot of stress on the fish.
Need some more info on your tank. Size, how many gallons of water are you doing on a water change, you said you got rid of a little crushed coral, what does that mean? still have some or only had a little, how deep is sandbed?
People are here to help, but we need some more info to do that.
The nitrates are coming from somewhere, you need to find it, one step at a time.
Have you tested your water for nitrates? Like Phyllis said, you need to check first where the organics are breaking down, filter sock, canister, floss, sponge.
You have to be careful with those big water changes, it puts alot of stress on the fish.
Need some more info on your tank. Size, how many gallons of water are you doing on a water change, you said you got rid of a little crushed coral, what does that mean? still have some or only had a little, how deep is sandbed?
People are here to help, but we need some more info to do that.
I use ro water and do about 8 gallons every 2 weeks. I have a 45 gallon corner tank. I had a little crushed coral because I didn't like the look of glass on the bottom of tank. My canaster has 3 compartments. 1 for sponges 1 for carbon and 1 for nitrates stuff to bring them down.
As for fish I have a cleaner wrasse 2 clowns. I have a protein skimmer that is going to be replaced Soon, which will be another question(which one do I get)
I have a ref that hangs on back with 2 different types of algy, I am in the process of putting a 3 inch live sand bed and have about 30 lbs of live rock I have owned the tank from new and never put copper as a treatment in it.
Thank for taking the time to help I really enjoy my tanks but would love to get to the next level
As for fish I have a cleaner wrasse 2 clowns. I have a protein skimmer that is going to be replaced Soon, which will be another question(which one do I get)
I have a ref that hangs on back with 2 different types of algy, I am in the process of putting a 3 inch live sand bed and have about 30 lbs of live rock I have owned the tank from new and never put copper as a treatment in it.
Thank for taking the time to help I really enjoy my tanks but would love to get to the next level
Get rid of the sponge in the filter ASAP. That is a nitrate factory. Have you tested for nitrates on the water coming from the RO? Maybe they are exhausted. IMO the 3" sand bed may not be a good idea. If you want to have some substrate, just use about 1/2" to give you a look, and then you won't have to get unvolved with "potential" issues with deep sand beds. If you can afford one, get a better skimmer. How many lbs of live rock do you have? Have you ever taken a powerhead or turkey baster and blown the rocks off? This is a good idea to do.
Ken
Ken
How much crushed coral do you have left in your tank? Food can get trapped in the cracks, and be a nitrate farm also. I have crushed coral, but it's separated by nylon mesh, eggcrate and more sand. I don't think it's your dsb, as long as you have enough critters to eat whatever food falls onto it. What critters do you have a s clean up crew? Definitely get rid of any sponge or bio ball, or anything like that.
rev
rev
Here is what I would do. I would build a sump and get rid of the canister filter. Then I would vaccuum out all of the crushed coral and clean the rock off and put in about 1/2" of figi pink sand. should be about $20 per bag roughly. This will do 2 things. One it will get rid of the nitrate factory canister filters become. They are worse then bio-balls for nitrates. Getting rid of the crushed coral will remove any of the nitrifing "stuff" that is absorbed into it. This should bring your nitrates way down to a workable level.
I got rid of about 99% of the crushed coral. I am building a sump which will be about 15 gallons. I am waiting for my life reef over flow and I was going to put live sand, live rock and algae in there and put something in sump to catch extra food so I can get rid of filter.I will get rid of sponges this weekend. Instead of 3 inch sand bed will go with about 1/2 inch. As for critters I have 10 hermit, a coral bandit and blood shrimp about 10 turbos and a serpent star fish. When the sand is done i am getting 10 narrasses and 5 serts.
I have 3 power heads moving water. I have tested my water before going into tank and it's fine.not sure how much live rock I have but I think I put 30 lbs in when I started.Thank for the help I will be putting things into motion this weekend.
Kevin
I have 3 power heads moving water. I have tested my water before going into tank and it's fine.not sure how much live rock I have but I think I put 30 lbs in when I started.Thank for the help I will be putting things into motion this weekend.
Kevin
Keep us in the loop and keep on those water changes. Instead of sponges, I use a cut piece of panty hose that I have coming off of the output on my skimmer which I change every 3 days or so. I have 2 more outputs, one on the refugium and another on the far end of the sump. Neither of these has a filter of any type in it.
The addition of the life reef with sand, algae and rock will definately help you out. You want to kick up the amount of live rock either in the tank or remote in the sump.
Looks like your heading in the right direction. Need a favor though, can you take a pic of the tank now and in 6 months another and post them both up side by side to show us.
The addition of the life reef with sand, algae and rock will definately help you out. You want to kick up the amount of live rock either in the tank or remote in the sump.
Looks like your heading in the right direction. Need a favor though, can you take a pic of the tank now and in 6 months another and post them both up side by side to show us.
As soon as the water clears form adding the sand I will take a pic. I am looking forward to adding some frags and getting more life into tank.
Thanks Kevin
Thanks Kevin
Scuba dude said:
Catch extra food?? How much food do you put into the tank that you have to catch extra? A good rule to follow is all of your fish should eat all of their food in less then a minute and no food should hit the sand. I actually drop thawed out mysis into my tank 3-4 at a time. If they finish that, I put in a little more, etc. Makes feeding time longer, but I never have anything left over.
Do you have problems with flake food going down your overflow before the fish eat it? There are floating feeding boxes you could use. Its just a floating square ring you put on the surface of the water and drop the flake inside it. The food stays inside it and never goes down your overflow. Great little gizmo. If you can't find one, I have some in my store.
When I feed flake the power heads blow the flakes around and I know some don't get comsumed. I only feed a pinch at night. I really only feed once a day is that not enough food? When I feed frozrn I use 1 cube. I have 4 fish 2 clowns 1 cleaner wrasse and a blenny
I am waiting very patiently for my life reef overflow to get my sump going well OK maybe not real patently 
I will have a 15 gallon sump I already lost my canaster.
I will have a 15 gallon sump I already lost my canaster.Good! Keep us posted and let us know if you need help.