Nitrate problem...

[cytranic]

Ok I'm not new here, I have a wonderful tank, but latly stuff is dying. Well I tested my nitrates today and they are 100+. So I cleaned EVERYTHING. Tank, Sump and I also removed my BIOBALLS finaly after months of talk.

Well, Nitrates are definitly lower this morning. I can tell by my chart, but the color of the test is clearer then the last night sample.

My questions is, with the removal of the bioballs, and daily 10gallon changes, will this get better??

Tank Specs:
55Gal Wide
Wet/Dry with no BioBalls now..
PhosBan Reactor
Skimmer

Currently right now I'm running my skimmer super wet, and changing water this way. My skimmer can pump out about a gallon an hour of foam. Is the a valid way to change the water in my situation?

[VWD]

Well , The water changes is the biggest help, I don't know how much Bio Balls You had in the system, If alot of Your bacteria was on that , you may run in to some problem because You took it all out at once, Need to check not only nitrates but Ammonia , Nitrites and have to do more water changes .

[suzstephens]

You may want to consider using Poly-Filter or other products in your filter to remove ammonia before it has a chance to become nitrate.

[tdwyatt]

agree with other recommendations, watch the ammonia since you pulled the bioballs, and do a 50% water change, this will help more than anything for the next few days, repeat at the end of the week unless your nitrates drop below 40 PPM. If this occurs, then the tank is rapidly clearing the nitrate (although I doube this will happen). If the nitrates stay high, and you have a large number of stony corals, do a big WC once a week until the nitrates drop into the sub-twenty PPM range, then watch once a week for any increasing nitrates. Prolly time then to start a once every one to two week 10% water change regimen.


If you haven't been doing water changes, then this is prolly just an accumulation issue due to the bioballs, especially if you have a large fish population; if not an accumulation issue, then you need to find out where the nitrates are coming from.


HTH

[cytranic]

I'm pretty sure this has to do with the bio balls... As for an established bio filter, its not in the Bioballs... My wet/dry only had 20 or so bio balls in it.

There is no ammonia in the tank, both tests I have say 0. Thanks for the advice, I just did a 20% water cahnge, I"ll do another 50% tomorrow..

I do water changed every 2 weeks, but this time I went 3 weeks. Not much of a neglect I thought, but apparently maybe the bio balls are really producing some heavy nitrates...

Things look much beter now, and even the water is much clearer then yesterday.

[BlennyMan1]

anyone know if its safe to have bioballs if you have some polyfil right above them?

[BlennyMan1]

and whats the best thing to put in place of bioballs? besides lr becasue i have no light in the sump..

[suzstephens]

Just use activated carbon and/or Chemi-pure, PolyFilter or similar products designed to reduce ammonia and nitrogenous wastes. Possibly the reason you have no ammonia is because it has been converted to nitrate. I've run many tanks with no LR at all, though each had a deep and very well established sandbed.

[tdwyatt]

either a dsb or live rock for biofiltration

[cytranic]

I"ll be running some activated carbon soon.

[TheReefer12]

For the time being, I would try running nitrate sponge and ammonia filter in place of the bioballs. This would only be temperary as the sponge and filter would act just like the bioballs. They should only be placed as long as you need them. You should see a decrease in nitrates within weeks and once you are at your desired amount, I would take out the sponge and filter and replace it with live rock for media.

Brian

[cytranic]

Went and bought some Nitrate sponge I guess you call it. Its made by seachem and looks like white rocks. You use it just like carbon.

I'm testing ammonia almost hourly and so far nothing has spiked.. Its been about 20 hours now with the balls removed. Nitrates have come down to about 60-80.

[Loverotties]

Still do that 50% and then wait a day and do 25% and you should be back on track and keep doing 20% till your down far and then do that bi weekly then out.

[VWD]

I don't think You need to be testing that often , just daily for a while. The test cost money and the changes will be over time. I think You will get it under control with Your water changes.Good luck