PDA

View Full Version : Is it possible to have high organic mater in the water and no nitrates?


Scuba Josh
05/20/2007, 09:03 AM
I have had mushrooms, (std red discs), die off one by one over the last month.I have little to no nitrates and perform weekly 20% water changes with RO water. I change the filter floss weekly as well as clean out the skimmer. Yet I have diatoms:mad2: The tank is running for 6 months now and I was diatom and algae free from months 2 1/2 -5. HELP ME PLEASE!
Is the die off creating the diatom bloom?

Sk8r
05/20/2007, 09:08 AM
Describe your system. Filter floss is somewhat a red flag: filter systems are notorious nitrate farms if not changed virtually daily. What is your ratio of live rock to gallons? Have you tested for ammonia? What is your alkalinity in numbers? Salinity? Temperature? Need full info to be of help.

Scuba Josh
05/20/2007, 09:18 AM
I have a 29 gallon bio-cube....30lb of cured LR...2" sand bed...I run chemi-pure and Puraphos as my chemical filters and have a CSS 125 as my skimmer. Temp 81, salinity 1.025. I have no detectable ammonia and have not tested for alkalinity. My tank is all softies and shrooms. Sinularias are growing like weeds

lvpd186
05/20/2007, 09:27 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9978486#post9978486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Scuba Josh
I have had mushrooms, (std red discs), die off one by one over the last month.I have little to no nitrates and perform weekly 20% water changes with RO water. I change the filter floss weekly as well as clean out the skimmer. Yet I have diatoms:mad2: The tank is running for 6 months now and I was diatom and algae free from months 2 1/2 -5. HELP ME PLEASE!
Is the die off creating the diatom bloom?

If your tank is only 6 months old I would say it would be very normal to have a diatom bloom. Let you clean up crew do its work, keep up with your routine and it will go away with a time. Also you could probably stop using the chemical filtration, unless you have a specific problem that would call for it (like high phosphates).

Der_Iron_Chef
05/20/2007, 09:31 AM
What he said. Diatom blooms in young tanks are common.

celano
05/20/2007, 10:08 AM
idk guys shrooms are pretty hardy corals. My reds survived in waters that had some phosphates and even higher nitrate's (around 40 ppm).
The die off from the shrooms might be creating the diatom bloom but why are his shrooms dying in the first place?
What kinda lighting are you using and are your reds in a low flow area?

boxfishpooalot
05/20/2007, 11:58 AM
Diatoms are caused by silicates in the water. Its coming from either your top up water, wich can easily penetrate ro units, or leaching from your sand and rocks.

Diatoms will grow in any tank new or old with silcates. Do you use carbon with the softies? There could be allopathic chemicalls effecting other corals.

Billybeau1
05/20/2007, 12:06 PM
I would be concerned that you are not testing for the big 3. Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium should be kept at recommended levels in a reef tank to insure health.

Scuba Josh
05/20/2007, 12:10 PM
allopathic chemicals? Do they have those in Chemi-pure?

Might be my 2" sand bed. With regards to the existance of anarobic hets. of the first order and none of the anarobic hets of the second order that exist below 4", creating an ammonium/nitogenous sink.

I just read in the August issue of FAMA, second instalation of Bob Goemans, Natures Pathways part2, page 38..." such a happening may fit a situation where persistant algae growth in some aquariums might continue in spite of a low "readable" nutient levels"

Does that make sense?

Sk8r
05/20/2007, 12:16 PM
The binding of phosphate in algae [as fertilizer] masks the presence of phosphate. Mine got up to staggering level, undetected; I currently have 3x the skimmer and a large refugium applied to the job and at least am making headway against film algaes.

Softies tend to eat what floats, so it's not hugely bad for them--some actually thrive in those conditions. I run a 4" sandbed, or at least try to---my flow keeps piling it hither and yon in heaps, which I am trying to fix.

If things go totally unacceptable, try a diatom filter [Vortech] or 1 micron filter as a 1 hr. fix, withdrawn thereafter. It will make your water sparkle.

boxfishpooalot
05/20/2007, 12:37 PM
allopathic chemicals? Do they have those in Chemi-pure?

Those are chemicalls wich corals use to stunt the growth of another coral and kill them. Things that remove it is carbon and uv in the 185nm wavelength. Possibly ozone too. The chemicals will be present most when fragging corals.

piercho
05/20/2007, 02:05 PM
have not tested for alkalinity. Are you sure this is diatoms? Can you post picture? Alkalinity is an important parameters in the tank, and low alk is sometimes associated with dinoflagelate bloom, which could easily cause coral - even mushrooms - to do poorly. Some other parameters it would be useful to know is nitrate/nitrite and pH.

celano
05/20/2007, 05:23 PM
It just takes some time, dont worry you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything will be just fine. Everything will be alright.

Billybeau1
05/20/2007, 11:39 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9979649#post9979649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by piercho
Are you sure this is diatoms? Can you post picture? Alkalinity is an important parameters in the tank, and low alk is sometimes associated with dinoflagelate bloom, which could easily cause coral - even mushrooms - to do poorly. Some other parameters it would be useful to know is nitrate/nitrite and pH.

Bingo !

Scuba Josh
05/21/2007, 07:20 AM
"Alkalinity is an important parameters in the tank, and low alk is sometimes associated with dinoflagelate bloom, which could easily cause coral - even mushrooms - to do poorly."

Didn't know that, I am just a simple softie keeper. Will check Alk.

piercho
05/21/2007, 02:19 PM
Dinos are often confused with Cyanos, but not usually diatoms. All three are soft microlagae. Dinos can have a texture and appearance like snot, for lack of a better word. Diatoms most often appear as green films. Diatom films usually consumed by snails and rasping fish. Dinos often not grazed.

BigDaddy
05/21/2007, 02:26 PM
I also think it's a dinoflagelate bloom. In my experiance Dino's are usually brown and look a lot like diatoms, except for the snot like quality and bubbles. They will kill off most of your snails and coral.

Running the tank dark for a few days w/ ozone is the best way to get rid of dinos.

Scuba Josh
05/21/2007, 03:22 PM
Will runing the tank dark with no ozone work as well?