| Nano Reefs Learn more about how to care for tanks of 20 gallons and less. |
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06-13-2007, 05:33 PM
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#1
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 375
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Nitrate Levels!!! Help!!!
Hey everyone... I've had my BC14 up and running now for about 3 and a half months. I have 14 to 16 lbs. of live rock and a 1" sand bed. I do weekly 30% water changes using Instant Ocean salt and Distilled water I buy in the gallon jugs from Publix. My daily tests of the nitrates, nitrites, alkalinity, and pH have been as follows for the past 3 weeks:
Nitrates: 40ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Alkalinity: 240 to 300ppm
pH: 7.8 to 8.0
I have also taken out the sponge in the sump because a guy at my LFS told me that it should help reduce my nitrates. I took it out about a week ago and I havn't noticed a difference yet. Should I take out my Bio balls and replace them with liverock? I'm willing to try anything at this point because it is really begenning to frustrate me. As a side note, I have a true perc, a dottyback, and a blood shrimp as my inhabitants and I only feed them as much as they can eat in a few minutes once a day. Thanks. Any help is greatly appreciated.
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06-13-2007, 07:54 PM
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#2
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Duper Mod !
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 14,034
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Are you sure there was only 1 sponge? In my nano cube I thought I had 2 but it turns out there was another one way deep in the middle compartment.
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Kelli
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06-14-2007, 10:43 AM
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#3
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Been around
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: California
Posts: 285
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I would take out the bioballs and replace them with biorings instead.
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06-14-2007, 01:30 PM
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#4
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squid
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MN
Posts: 5
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Hi Chris,
I have the same tank running at the moment(6 months). I agree with kyrie take out the bioballs and replace w/ live rock rubble if you have it.
I also using filter floss on the tray in the middle chamber. It catches uneaten food before it has a chance to decompose. Just make sure you replace it at least weekly. |
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06-14-2007, 01:37 PM
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#5
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squid
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 1
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Hi, Are you using distilled water or ro/di water?
Donna
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06-14-2007, 02:31 PM
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#6
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 375
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Distilled... I know I need to get an RO/DI filter system
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06-14-2007, 02:54 PM
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#7
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: spartanburg, south carolina
Posts: 4,699
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Welcome to TRT Donna53w!
Chris - the distilled water should be fine for now. I think you're feeding too often, if you're feeding daily and it takes a few minutes for the fish to eat it all. I also believe you should get rid of the bioballs. Do NOT replace the bioballs with biorings. That will not help you very much. Continue with the water changes, that will help you until the tank matures more. I don't think your tank has a skimmer so this is what I would recommend as well - put the sponge filter back on, but clean it out at least once a week (twice a week would be better). That way, you can at least remove some of your particulate wastes. Before cleaning out the sponge, use a turkey baster to blow detritus off the rocks. |
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06-14-2007, 03:00 PM
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#8
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I've got the REEF rash!
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 25,786
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I'd get rid of the bio balls,because you have LR.Distilled is as good as RO/DI which both have 0 TDS.
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06-14-2007, 04:58 PM
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#9
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 375
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so the basic consensus I have gotten from multiple sources is that I should definately remove the bioballs... but, should I just leave them out? replace them with LR rubble? or some other filter media? also, is it possible to just take out the Bioballs and just add the LR rubble and then add some chaeto algae and some copepods and have a fuge? or is that not a good idea?
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06-14-2007, 06:46 PM
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#10
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JUST SAY NO! TO TAP WATER
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: FLORIDA...2 blocks from a huge saltwater only fish store :)
Posts: 852
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisdamage
Hey everyone... I've had my BC14 up and running now for about 3 and a half months. I have 14 to 16 lbs. of live rock and a 1" sand bed. I do weekly 30% water changes using Instant Ocean salt and Distilled water I buy in the gallon jugs from Publix. My daily tests of the nitrates, nitrites, alkalinity, and pH have been as follows for the past 3 weeks:
Nitrates: 40ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Alkalinity: 240 to 300ppm
pH: 7.8 to 8.0
I have also taken out the sponge in the sump because a guy at my LFS told me that it should help reduce my nitrates. I took it out about a week ago and I havn't noticed a difference yet. Should I take out my Bio balls and replace them with liverock? I'm willing to try anything at this point because it is really begenning to frustrate me. As a side note, I have a true perc, a dottyback, and a blood shrimp as my inhabitants and I only feed them as much as they can eat in a few minutes once a day. Thanks. Any help is greatly appreciated. |
THIS IS WHY i went with a large tank..the smaller the tank, the harder it is to get your water perfect..i would leave the bio balls for now untill your tank is more mature enough. i would feed your fish every other day and do a 20% water change every 3-4 days untill your levels are better..never do over a 50% water change cause your tank will go through a small cycle and mess your water readings up even worse!!!.when your tank is about a year old i would add about 6-8 onces of lr ever week and start taking a lil of your bio balls out untill you have no more.id add the 6-8 onces of live rock untill you reach about another 5 pounds
it worked for me 
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  180G REEF/1-400W MH/4-140w 60 INCH ACTINIC VHO/2-37w 36' 10k t-5's/(1,034 total watts ...60G duel BERLIN BAG SUMP SYSTEM/MAG24/RO-DI SYSTEM/duel tds meter/PINPOINT PH/Euro reef rs- 180 skimmer.
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