[wijames]

How often should I feed my fish? Someone told me that I should feed them according to my nitrate levels but I have other factors that affect nitrate levels as well. Is there any way to calculate the amount to feed?

 

[rininger85]

the more often you feed them the better... nitrates aren't just from feeding, they are from overfeeding... so feed smaller quantities more often, only feed what the fish are going to eat and then clean up the rest...

 

[miller6323]

In the morning I feed mine a small amount of flakes and then at about 7 or so that evening I feed them frozen shrimp and some scallops for the starfish. My nitrites/nitrates are fine.

 

[wijames]

In the morning I feed mine a small amount of flakes and then at about 7 or so that evening I feed them frozen shrimp and some scallops for the starfish. My nitrites/nitrates are fine.

I have two clowns and two firefish and have been feeding either a small amount of flake or frozen shrimp every evening but only as much as they will eat in 5 min. I'm having problems with Nitrates (40 PPM) but I attribute most of that problem to the loads of life I have on my Gulf live rock and all the critters I keep finding on it. Maybe it will stabilize someday but 25% weekly water changes have kept it down to 40%. I'm thinking about getting a small denitrater for it as well. Where I work we have a 2100 gallon tank and just installed two giant denitraters that have worked wonders for us. I just wondered how much other people feed their fish.

 

[chrisd]

2 to 3 times a day.

Do you siphon out detritus on a weekly basis ? This includes the sump.
You could use a small dose of vinegar to help lower nitrates.

 

[wijames]

2 to 3 times a day.

Do you siphon out detritus on a weekly basis ? This includes the sump.
You could use a small dose of vinegar to help lower nitrates.

I do vacuum the gravel during water changes but I havent been blowing off the rocks because I didn't want to do away with all of the food for my crabs and shrimp. How do you know how much vinegar to use? I've heard of using Vodka but not vinegar.

 

[chrisd]

I do vacuum the gravel during water changes but I havent been blowing off the rocks because I didn't want to do away with all of the food for my crabs and shrimp. How do you know how much vinegar to use? I've heard of using Vodka but not vinegar.

Don't worry about the shrimp and crabs, they will find plenty to eat.
I would try cleaning off your rocks to see if your nitrates fall by themselves.

Every tank is different when it comes to carbon dosing. Vinegar is the same as vodka but at a much lower strength. Vodka is known to cause cyano bacteria and vinegar does not.

It's always best to start with a low dose. I dose .5ml of vinegar a day ( not a high dose) to my 40 breeder 20gal sump with 4 fish and other assorted animals. My nitrates fluctuate between 0 and 5ppm. This is in conjunction with weekly water changes, siphoning my sandbed weekly and cleaning out the sump once a month.

 

[wijames]

Don't worry about the shrimp and crabs, they will find plenty to eat.
I would try cleaning off your rocks to see if your nitrates fall by themselves.

Every tank is different when it comes to carbon dosing. Vinegar is the same as vodka but at a much lower strength. Vodka is known to cause cyano bacteria and vinegar does not.

It's always best to start with a low dose. I dose .5ml of vinegar a day ( not a high dose) to my 40 breeder 20gal sump with 4 fish and other assorted animals. My nitrates fluctuate between 0 and 5ppm. This is in conjunction with weekly water changes, siphoning my sandbed weekly and cleaning out the sump once a month.

Thanks, I'll try that.

 

[miller6323]

Do you have a HOB filter?

 

[wijames]

Do you have a HOB filter?

No, just a small canister that I keep a bag of purigen in.

 

[chrisd]

No, just a small canister that I keep a bag of purigen in.

That would need to be cleaned on a regular basis as well. This will lead to nitrate problems as well, trapping detritus. Same goes for any sponges or filter floss.

 

[chrisd]

Just to add, if you decide to use vinegar, you will need a good skimmer.

 

[wijames]

Just to add, if you decide to use vinegar, you will need a good skimmer.

I do have a Lee's skimmr that's rated for twice the size of my tank and it works great.

That would need to be cleaned on a regular basis as well. This will lead to nitrate problems as well, trapping detritus. Same goes for any sponges or filter floss.

I clean the canister every weekend as I use it mainly with a surface skimmer to remove excess food the fish dont consume.

 

[wijames]

Don't worry about the shrimp and crabs, they will find plenty to eat.
I would try cleaning off your rocks to see if your nitrates fall by themselves.

Every tank is different when it comes to carbon dosing. Vinegar is the same as vodka but at a much lower strength. Vodka is known to cause cyano bacteria and vinegar does not.

It's always best to start with a low dose. I dose .5ml of vinegar a day ( not a high dose) to my 40 breeder 20gal sump with 4 fish and other assorted animals. My nitrates fluctuate between 0 and 5ppm. This is in conjunction with weekly water changes, siphoning my sandbed weekly and cleaning out the sump once a month.

Chrisd, how long did it take to start seeing results when you started dosing with vinegar and do you dose right in the tank or through the filter?

Thanks

 

[miller6323]

I do have a Lee's skimmer that's rated for twice the size of my tank and it works great.

Are you talking about the 46 gal bow front? And how do you like the Lee's skimmer? I have one in my 10 gal and for as many people saying it would be worthless I am amazed with the amount of filth that it pulls out of the water. I do have a big bio load though.

 

[chrisd]

Chrisd, how long did it take to start seeing results when you started dosing with vinegar and do you dose right in the tank or through the filter?

Thanks

Dose directly to the tank. Nitrates should fall rather quick, maybe a week.
But you really need to get them down first by cleaning out as much detritus as you can.

Carbon dosing should NOT be used to control nutrients inlew of not continuing to do weekly maintenance. I only dose a half mililiter of vinegar to keep my nitrates at around 5ppm. Without it my nitrates settle in at around 10 to 15ppm still good but not where I want them, considering my tanks are sps/lps.