Nitrates...I can't drop them!

[slowride]

Hi all,

I read this, and all various links stemming from it.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1116360

I have a 30g with a 24x4 T5 and Seaclone 100 Skimmer (which pulls pretty good)

Here is what I have done:

- removed all filtration media - including skimmer pre-filter
- cut feeding down so no waste
- done 10-15% water changes
- added a modded AC70 fuge with chaeto and LR rubble
- test my RO/DI water for nitrates and phosphates before use

My nitrates will still not drop, though I just added the fuge about 4 days ago. The rest I started a few weeks ago.

Does this just take more time? I see new brownish algae and a little green bubble algae growing on the "cured" live rock I added about 1 1/2 months ago, and I don't doubt that this is the issue (the rock).

[Sarcophyton874]

What you've done so far is good. All you need to do now is some larger water changes. I would start off by doing a 30-35%.

[Sk8r]

It does take a bit of time. Additionally, I would run carbon for 3-4 days---half a cup per 50g, to remove any ammonia; and just keep after the water changes once a week. You should start to see an improvement.

If your sandbed is 4" deep, you might also consider increasing the number of bristleworms, nassarius, and add a conch per 50g, to try to eliminate as much buried detritus as possible and lighten the load.

There are more extreme things to try, such as the repair of the sandbed via diatom filtering, but see if time will solve this.

[slowride]

I forgot to mention that I do have carbon in there. I tested for ammonia and I am clear there.

I will get more snails too, and I guess adding the Arrow Crab was a bad idea because he is chomping bristleworms...of which, I have many.

[bertoni]

The problem might be overfeeding, but I'd give the refugium more time to get going. The larger water changes might lower the nitrate temporarily, but usually in such cases, they jump back up rather quickly.

[slowride]

I guess I really should research proper feeding amounts. I usually toss a pinch of food in there, and the fish usually seem to devour all of it.

What I have been doing recently, is feed them a little bit at a time, so make sure they get all of it.

[Sk8r]

To survive, a fish can go foodless for 2 weeks---not happily, but he will not starve. Each fish wants/needs one mouthful of food per day. You might try turning off your pump so you aren't losing a lot of it through the downflow, if that might be a problem, being sure the fish are getting all the food.

[dragonladylea]

Do you have cheato in the Fuge? Also with that deep of a sandbed you could get some cherrystone clams.

[slowride]

I do have cheato in the fuge, but I don't know if I am lighting it correctly. I have a 25w halogen over it now. Also, it tries to creep through the basket bottom (going for the tank light) I used as a gate in the outlet of the AC70 fuge, which is really bugging me to the point where I might drill the tank and put a bigger sump in the stand.

My sand bed isn't 4"...I bet it is 2.5" or so.

[da1jewfish]

when you do water changes aim the powerheads(u should have at least 1) toward all the rock work, in between crevices, holes, underneath, etc. It will stir up the debris and detritus and such where waste could be collecting then do ur water change.
I have found that chemi-pure seems to work good and so does algone- read the instructions.
when u say high, how high?

[slowride]

When I first tested, the test came back RED as fruit punch..and looked like 160 to me, but a friend said it had to be less since that should have killed something, when nothing has died. I tested again tonight, and it looks to be coming down now, below 80-ish, which is way high yet.

Tomorrow I plan to aim the powerheads a bit different into the rocks like you suggest, and I am going to do a 35% or more change.

[bertoni]

Fish, soft corals, and other motile invertebrates are not harmed by nitrate, even at 160 ppm. Some stony corals might have issues somewhere, though.

How big is the Chaetomorpha area, and how much is being harvested out?

[slowride]

I have an Aqua Clear 70 filter converted to the fuge, so that is not much room...I have maybe a 4" x 4" chunk of chaeto in there.

[Billybeau1]

slowride, "take it easy" ...... sorry, a Foghat song came to mind :lol:

Anyways, I suspect the algae problem is elevated Po4. Do you test for that ?

I have elevated No3 (Nitrates) and it is one of the hardest beasts to tame. Like Bertoni said, It should not be an issue in your tank and I do not believe this is causing your outbreak of microalgae.

This article may shed some light on the subject. :)

Phosphorus: Algaes best friend
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm

[slowride]

I haven't tested for that yet, but I will get a kit tomorrow.

[Billybeau1]

I think you will find your Po4 elevated. :)

Keep us posted :thumbsup:

[stony_corals]

Don't waste your money on a bad PO4 test kit.... get a good one, it'll be worth it. Chaeto seems to take a little longer to get established. If you have a small refugia, you may want to go caulerpa, it grows literally like a week.

Carbon doesn't remove ammonia, it's best for DOC removal.... Don't starve your fish... How long has the tank been set up?

Add a pinch of sugar daily....

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10056368#post10056368 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stony_corals
Add a pinch of sugar daily....

I don't recommend sugar dosing. I suppose it works for some but the potential problems outweigh the benefits IMO. Sugar robs oxygen and spawns unnecessary bacteria growth. This may or may not be a problem, depending on the tank setup.

[slowride]

This tank has been established for 3 years at least. The recent intro of the live rock may have pulled it out of the "comfort zone" it was in. I will check into caulerpa as well.

[Billybeau1]

Could very well be. You may be going through a cycle. :)

[slowride]

I checked phosphates tonight and I was at 0.5 or so. I also bought another Koralia 1 and put it in the lower left corner of the tank, and instantly it kicked up tons of garbage from the bottom.

I also tossed an emerald crab in there to help with the rocks.