questions about eclipse hoods

[ad6735]

morning guys
something came up about them eclipse hoods...as you know they have built-in filters in their hoods. I'm just wondering, could the canister play a part in the nitrate build up? I cleaned up my carbon filter and did a 15% water change, but nitrates jumped up to 0.3 ppm (not too bad, but it's not good either). To make matters worse, first my peppermint, then my cleaner, and now one of my perc clowns passed (not a good trend). I still have the cleanup crew (6 turbos and 2 red hermits) and the other clown is still looking normal. Tests showed my pH is 8.0 (I would like it 8.2, any suggestions?) but everything is else is well within parameters.

I haven't kalked or added any other supplements because i don't have any coral....yet

I don't have a skimmer,sump or refug...i counting on the lr and ls to take care of the filtration with the eclipse hood. The water circulation is provided by the eclipse hood (i'm thinking of adding a pump, still unsure about it).

I would like to set a mini reef similar to Montana's wife 20g reef

obtw...if i hadn't mentioned before:

20gal long tank
25# fiji lr
1.5-2in ls bed

thanks guys for you past advice, and everything else would be much appreciated

[JennM]

Sorry for your losses, let's see if we can find out why.

First off, the Eclipse does not have a cannister.....just a chamber and a bio wheel. Some accuse the bio-wheel of being a "nitrate factory"....that's a bit of a misnomer, as the wheel does not produce nitrate, it just doesn't break down the nitrate to nitrogen because there is no anaerobic activity going on there. Your live rock and sand should do that. Some people choose to take off the bio wheel, I leave mine on, but either way if you have enough LR and enough flow, you should be alright.

NOW....sandbed.....you've got "too much" sand if it's just for looks, but not enough if you're trying to do a deep sand bed. I don't use deep sand beds, but many do, so I'll defer to somebody who uses this method, for more information, if that's your goal. However in a small tank, IMO you use up too much space running a DSB. If you aren't going for deep sand, cut your substrate to 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Make sure that your live rocks are placed on the bare glass, then move some sand around them for appearance. Rocks shouldn't be on the sand because the sand can shift and cause an avalanche of rocks, and detritus trapped within the sand can cause pockets of hyrogen sulfide gas that can cause problems when you disturb them.

pH: Try Seachem Marine Buffer, it will bring your pH up to 8.3 and keep it there. Always assume that new water and/or topoff water needs buffering. That should solve that, but from where I stand I don't think the pH or the nitrates caused the demise of your animals......UNLESS:

Check the pH in the morning before lights on, at midday (if possible) and in the evening before lights go off. If you aren't buffering, you might see a big swing in pH throughout the day. Buffering as mentioned above should fix this, and *might* explain those deaths. You might do well to check temperature at the same time....fluctuations of more than 5 degrees Farenheit during a 24 hour period can cause undue stress also.

Nitrates of less than 20 ppm are highly unlikely to be the cause of death.

I would look "outside the box" for other possible causes...anybody cleaning the glass with Windex? (although this usually shows an ammonia reading). Possible soap residue on the hands? Other foreign toxins that might have been introduced?

There are a number of things that could have gone wrong...you might want to give that some thought.

Hope this helps,

Jenn

[ad6735]

thanks jenn

that's what i meant about the "canister," i meant bio-wheel. so some folks used them, some don't..hmm interesting...

I do my testing at night once a week..i forgot about the pH swing throughout the day. Are the others (nitrates,nitrites,ammonia,etc) do they fluctuate also during the day? I'll give the buffer a try. I'm just worried that I'm heading into a downward spiral with my tank.

another question for anyone...how do you know that your lr and ls had matured? all my rocks look almost barren (except for the coraline algae) thanks the turbos and crabs...i still don't see any notable signs of life in the sandbed except for some algae which the cleanup has taken care of. The tank has been up and running since for 2 months, I know patience is a virtue, but.....

thanks again
arbel

[JennM]

2 months.....you're only just beginning!

It's unlikely that the "toxic" parameters will fluctuate, they are either there or not. Check them if you like, but I'd focus on stabilizing that pH. You're hardly in a downward spiral...you've only just begun. Get into a good maintenance routine now and you are guaranteed to succeed. Cut corners, don't pay attention to detail and a disaster is just around the corner.

If you think your rock is barren, get up at 2:00 AM and look at the tank with a flashlight What you will see might surprise you. Over time you will get a decent population of infauna, but your LR is still 'recuperating' from being shipped dry in a box probably just covered with wet newspapers, so there has been considerable die-off but it will come back.

You might want to check your alk too, and your calcium, and start getting into the habit of maintaining them too...or for now just get the pH stable and take it from there.

Jenn

[beach bum]

(i'm thinking of adding a pump, still unsure about it).

This would be a good thing, heavy circulation is necessary with live rock filtration. Even something as small as a Rio 50 will help alot.

all my rocks look almost barren (except for the coraline algae)

Stronger flow, lighting, and the passage of time will all help.

bio-wheel. so some folks used them, some don't..hmm interesting...

I use the wheel and the filter pad, its on my q-tank. But then again there is no lr/ls in the tank, so I need those bacteria populations. I don't believe the wheel traps detritus like filter pads do, and don't believe they contribute excessively to nitrate buildup. JMO/E

Get into a good maintenance routine now and you are guaranteed to succeed. Cut corners, don't pay attention to detail and a disaster is just around the corner.

- yep, good habits go along way, its much harder to pull a setup back into good balance