nitrate ppm

[ChrisCartwright]

Hi done a test today on 850l tank ammonia nitrite are 0 nitrate is 5ppm will I be ok to add 2 thinking of 2 chromis.
I've got some cheato coming this week which will help the nitrates.
All that's in the tank at the moment is the CUC 2 shrimps 5 turbos 5 hermits

[snulma1]

How long has the tank been up with live rock in it?

[ChrisCartwright]

It's been 4 and half weeks fully running I've monitered the ammonia nitrite spike

[PhaneSoul]

I wouldn't add 2 fish at once for the first addition. Just risky on a brand new cycle in my opinion. I would stick with one for the fist fish addition

[Kyle918]

I think you'll be fine adding two fish to an 850L.

[ChrisCartwright]

I added 2 fish to my other tank and that was 150g and that was fine etc.
What are you thoughts of 2x chromis they are hardy I was also thinking of damsels. I'm planning on 2 snowflake clowns in next couple of weeks.
Along with some more CUC should I put some flake in for shrimps
Is the nitrate levels ok?

[ssick92]

I added 2 fish to my other tank and that was 150g and that was fine etc.
What are you thoughts of 2x chromis they are hardy I was also thinking of damsels. I'm planning on 2 snowflake clowns in next couple of weeks.
Along with some more CUC should I put some flake in for shrimps
Is the nitrate levels ok?

5ppm nitrate is fine, but I don't like to see it go much above that. I would do a water change to get as much of it out as you can, and then add a couple fish. In a system that large, you should have plenty of live rock to handle 2 chromis. I put 2 clownfish in my 55 gallon immediately after my cycle and never had any problem. Just make sure you keep monitoring your levels after you add the fish, and continue to add slowly. You are on the right track, good luck with the tank!

[ChrisCartwright]

Ok thanks
I've got 75-80kg lr in my tank
I'm not due to do a water change until the weekend I will keep monitoring the levels I'm going to get the chromis tomorrow I will do a test before I go an get them to see if anything has changed.
I will add slowly I'm going to get these tomorrow and I'm not adding again for at least 2 weeks to give everything time to settle after add the chromis

[ChrisCartwright]

Any suggestions on how to lower nitrates I've cleaned my filters and skimmer I'm using the black balls in my filtration systerm.
What else can I do other that water changes plus will it take time as it's a new systerm

[Pife]

I would remove the black bio balls and do a large water change.

[ChrisCartwright]

Why remove the balls?
I have got some in my over flow plus I've got a aqua medic reef systerm with skimmer that's got some in the seconded section with a filter pad ontop.
If I need to remove any should I remove the ones in the overflow?

[snulma1]

Bioballs harbor a lot of nitrate production (trapping tank schmutz). Bit their bacteria are beneficial right now, so don't remove all at once. Do about a cup a day to allow your tank to pick up the slack, or else you may go thru another cycle.

You can leave them, but you'll constantly battle with nitrates

[Pife]

Bioballs harbor a lot of nitrate production (trapping tank schmutz). Bit their bacteria are beneficial right now, so don't remove all at once. Do about a cup a day to allow your tank to pick up the slack, or else you may go thru another cycle.

You can leave them, but you'll constantly battle with nitrates


This is why. A quick search of Google will show thousands of posts against bio balls.

[ChrisCartwright]

I have got loads of bio balls got a 3ft tall tank weir is full of them also my aqua medic reef has got 2 sections when them in

[BigCountry74]

your fine to add fish. i would skip the cheap chromis though. tank bread clowns instead maybe. something you would want in there long term etc

[Pife]

I have got loads of bio balls got a 3ft tall tank weir is full of them also my aqua medic reef has got 2 sections when them in

What's your point?

[ChrisCartwright]

Ok bigcountry I've got 2 clowns today they have settled in well.
I have got half of the balls out I took a small jug full out this morning and another jug just now.
All the levels are fine still just the nitrate still around 5-10ppm I will take some more out tomorrow got half left in my overflow so they will all be out tomorrow.
Shell I leave the ones in the filter section? Or take them all out.

[BigCountry74]

good for you, tank bread clowns are always a great first fish, they are very hardy. if you do not have a lot of live rock, i would leave the balls in. because those balls are holding all your bio filtration. if your take them all out, you might get an ammonia spike because there will no longer be any good bacteria colonies in the tank to break down the ammonia etc.

bio balls work fine for fish only tanks, you just need to take them out every now and then and rinse them in rodi water to knock all the crud (detritus) off. 5-10ppm is really good. to those clowns, thats pretty much utopia :D anything under 80ppm for fish only and your fine. now for coral, we try to get 20ppm and lower (lps coral). sps coral it needs to be 0 (sps coral is the "end game", most challenging of reefing etc :D). the hardest tanks to run are those combined with both lps and sps coral :D

[ChrisCartwright]

I am planning on a reef tank.
I have taken about 25% of the balls out I have got around 85-90kg of lr that's including the rock I the sump

[toothybugs]

90kg rock ~ 190 pounds. In a 850L (225 gal). 2 clowns is hardly a dent, you have a TON of space left in that tank. 5ppm nitrate is nothing serious. LOTS of tanks are running a few ppm for nutrients/ growth. You are fine for now. You'll want to control it later but many tanks, at this point in the cycle (having just finished it) are reading 40-80+ ppm NO3. 5 is nothing.

Yanking the bioballs will be a good move. I got rid of my socks a few months ago (same purpose, more or less) and things have taken off since then. With all that rock and so few fish I doubt you will see much of a hiccup.

[ChrisCartwright]

So still go with taking the bio balls out?
Like I said I've taken around 25% out at the moment.
If I slowly keep taking them out will there be a point where the nitrates will drop?
Or could the nitrate possible drop on its own

[ChrisCartwright]

I am also planning on getting some cheato for my dsb in the sump.

[smatter]

Additional biological filtration is not needed in your aquarium. Your live rock is a potent biological filter in itself. Just keep removing the bioballs a little at a time. Don't worry about the nitrate.

[ChrisCartwright]

Ok will do.
What do you think of chaeto for my dsb?
Also does mangrove do the same?

[smatter]

It's a remote DSB I assume? There's nothing wrong with a little chaeto if you want to mess with it. As for the mangrove, albeit cool and cute when it's little, it is a tree. If you have room go for it. Any plants using organics are assets.

[ChrisCartwright]

I have been given some caulerpa of a friend from his systerm will this work with chaeto