Cent36 nitrate issues
- Thread starter cent36
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snails can handle high nitrates no prob, just no shrimp yet. I wouldnt feed the fish "normal" feedings until your nitrates go down. feed them a reduced amount, which the 3 flakes each per day is a good starting point. "normal" feeding for small clowns is roughly 6 pellets each twice a day or 1/2 cube of frozen once a day.
Thanks soooo much to everyone for your help. Hopefully I'm not "that guy"
So, I was also talking to the young lady at Neptune's the other day about my situation and picking up a few "toys" (refractometer and tds tester). She very specifically told me that I needed to do a 70% water change which is contrary to what you guys are saying. She seemed super knowledgeable and was the head of the saltwater area under the owner so I can only assume she knows what she is talking about....but why the 180 opposite info? I told her that I was on this site and the info that I had been given along the way and she agreed with everything except this.
What's the disconnect? Or is it just a different way of doing business?
So, I was also talking to the young lady at Neptune's the other day about my situation and picking up a few "toys" (refractometer and tds tester). She very specifically told me that I needed to do a 70% water change which is contrary to what you guys are saying. She seemed super knowledgeable and was the head of the saltwater area under the owner so I can only assume she knows what she is talking about....but why the 180 opposite info? I told her that I was on this site and the info that I had been given along the way and she agreed with everything except this.
What's the disconnect? Or is it just a different way of doing business?
Well, there are 2 thoughts going on here. Most of us on the forum feel that your cycle hasn't finished, and we don't want you to do anything to prolong the cycle any longer than it needs to be. Iv think the person at the lfs thinks your cycle is done snd your nitrates are just that high ( which is a possibility) and wants you too knock them down. If your cycle was fine, then her advice is correct, the bigger the water change, the more you'll knock your nitrates down. But I think you should wait another week and test again to see I'd the nitrates fall naturally
OK, cool!
I did see a slight spike in numbers (very slight) when the fish went in, but they are back to normal except for the nitrates still (PH-8.2, Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrates-60)
I will keep monitoring the numbers every other day for another week like Haulin Oats suggested to see what is going on AND I am due to complete a 10-15% water change this weekend, so......we will see (I also added chaeto so hopefully that helps)
I did see a slight spike in numbers (very slight) when the fish went in, but they are back to normal except for the nitrates still (PH-8.2, Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrates-60)
I will keep monitoring the numbers every other day for another week like Haulin Oats suggested to see what is going on AND I am due to complete a 10-15% water change this weekend, so......we will see (I also added chaeto so hopefully that helps)
It will probably take a few water changes before you see a difference on an api test kit. They are hard to read accurately especially at the high range. If you check it with a red sea or salifert test kit and you dont see a noticeable difference week to week, then detritus buildup could be a possibility
The way my sump is built, the water overflows the skimmer section and then flows UP through crushed coral into my refugium section as a type of natural filtration. I changed out my filter floss today. It was turning a dingy brown.
Not sure if i did post it or not. Originally I had to use conditioned tap water because I didn't have and couldn't afford an RO system. I have since bought one and installed it. TDS readings are 315 in and 0-3 out.
Not sure if i did post it or not. Originally I had to use conditioned tap water because I didn't have and couldn't afford an RO system. I have since bought one and installed it. TDS readings are 315 in and 0-3 out.
The skimmer only gets dissolved organics. Any large particles can get trapped in the crushed coral and will decompose. Any food that is uneaten and decomposes generates upwards of 10x more ammonia than food that is eaten by fish or cleanup crew. Without the crushed coral in there, any food that makes it down to the sump will make ot to the refugium and be eaten by copepods and worms instead of decomposing.
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The only critters ot will make it too are the ones in the crushed coral. Very few sand dwelling organisms like high flow, so most will be in the fuge or display.
I used to use a similar system using bioballs instead of crushed coral and 6 months in things got out of control with nitrates upwards of 20. I took the bioballs out without changing feeding or husbandry and nitrates dropped from between 20 and 40 to less than 1 in two months.
I used to use a similar system using bioballs instead of crushed coral and 6 months in things got out of control with nitrates upwards of 20. I took the bioballs out without changing feeding or husbandry and nitrates dropped from between 20 and 40 to less than 1 in two months.