Arrrggggg!!!!

[fishhunter]

So I have a nitrate problem the NH3 and NO2 are great at 0 but my NO3 is at 20-30 ppm! I thought i had beaten it last week.... It started, I belive, when my filter media was used up and a colony of zoas died because of it. I removed the dead colony and it looked as if everything was happy. Then I whent away for a few days a power head got fell and started blowing the sand bed. It has now been moved and secured. I have been doing water changes lots as well as changed the filter media. I havn't done a water change in about a week now so im going to start again. The question is could the power head desterbing the sand be do this.And is there any other ways of reducing the NO3 other then what im doing.
The tank Is a 14 gal bio cube with 20 lbs of live rock and 2" sand bed.

 

[ophiura]

What is your stock list? What and how often do you feed? What additives do you use? What is your source water and have you tested it for nitrates? What test kit and have you had the test verified at an LFS?
What was your nitrate level before? How old is the tank?
Yes, disruption to a sand bed like that can cause very significant damage to a tank and throw things way out of wack.
When you say your "filter media was used up and a colony of zoas died because of it" - what do you mean?
Your nitrates are not cause for drastic action. Slow and steady...

 

[fishhunter]

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/3146860
What is your stock list? What and how often do you feed? What additives do you use? What is your source water and have you tested it for nitrates? What test kit and have you had the test verified at an LFS?
What was your nitrate level before? How old is the tank?
Yes, disruption to a sand bed like that can cause very significant damage to a tank and throw things way out of wack.
When you say your "filter media was used up and a colony of zoas died because of it" - what do you mean?
Your nitrates are not cause for drastic action. Slow and steady...
Where to start.
I have tested the water with my API merine test kit.
I havnt brought a sample to the lfs yet but I may tomorow.
only one colony of zoas died. all the rest are fine.
my stocking is:
1 scarlet clown 1 blue devel damsel for fish
5 hermits 5 snails
1 LT plate coral
2 colonys of 75+ polyp zoas 3 smaller colonys of 10-20 polyps
1 bushy gorgonas
4 xenia
and about 15 mushrooms.
I feed fish every 3 days and corals a cap full of live phytoplankton at the same time.
I use purigen in a passive state and it had been in my tank for 6 or 7 months so I changed it with a new bag.
The nitrates were 0 befor the spike and the tank is just over a year old