biofilter overload

bzolnowski

bzolnowski

Member
i have a tank that has been set up for 3 plus months. i have the following in addition to a cleanup crew:
2 clowns
5 damsels
1 longnose butterfly
1 koran angel
1 unknown exactually
i have issues with keep the nitrite stabalized. the ammonia is fine but the nitrite keeps going up and does not stay stable.
is it possible that the bioload is too high, will the filter catch up?
 
jillian ayers

jillian ayers

Member
I don't know about those fish affecting your nitrites, but I do know you put some of those fish in way too early. Most angels should not go in until around 6 months after a tank has stabilized, to give it time to mature. And what is the "unknown exactually"? Any pics, if you don't know? How much are you feeding? What are your other readings? When were the fish introduced? If most of them were introduced at the same time, that may have something to do with it. Hopefully, someone who can make a better guess than me will chime in. HTH
 
bzolnowski

bzolnowski

Member
its a 75 gallon hexagon with live rock, live sand, and wet/dry. the tank is about four months old. the fish are doing great, i just need to get my numbers stable. remember, 8 of the 10 fish are very small! only two are a decent size. in regards to waterflow, i have added a powerhead at the midpoint of the tank.
 
stumpdog

stumpdog

Member
The 1" per gallon doesn't apply to saltwater. I asked that question and it just really depends on fish type. Some fish require a lot more swimming room than other fish. I would also stay away from the cucumbers. Unless you know what you are doing they can have devastate a tank if they die.
HTH-
Jeremy
 
stumpdog

stumpdog

Member
I guess we will agree to disagree. That is one of the great things about this hobby.
Tanks-
Jeremy
PS: Just wondering what studies have you looked at?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I disagree with the 1" per gallon. 1" per 5 gallons would be about right but you must count the normal adult size of the fish, not the current size.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Not to mention it is a 75g HEXAGON which is not the same, IMO, as a 75 rect. tank. It is very different indeed, with much less room to move, much less room for gas exchange, trickier circulation, less room for LR, less surface area for a sand bed, etc.
Can you give exact water readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, alk, and specific gravity? Do you get nitrite readings when using a test kit at home, and have you taken water to a store to be read (using a different kit)?
As mentioned, Hex tanks are a bit more of a challenge to keep running well, IMO. And should be stocked far lighter than typical 75g tanks because of it. Not to mention, it is a very young tank, with a lot of fish in it. Even though the fish seem OK, remember that nitrite is toxic, and having it in a cycled tank (depending on the levels) indicates that something is going wrong and the tank may be developing some instability.
My first suggestion would be, however, to reduce the bioload in the tank. I would suggest getting rid of those fish that will be relatively large and active, such as the angel. Either that, or look into getting a 6 ' tank or so. It won't work too well in a hex tank for very long.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
if anything, it should be one inch per 5 gallons, not one gallon AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED
ALSO, how much live rock and how dep of a sand bed?
do you have a skimmer?
IMO, you are definitely way overstocked. Not to mention a koran and a longnose would not be comfortable in a 75 gallon.
consider getting more circulation, downsizing your load and if you do not have hem, a skimmer or fuge(preferably both) would be excellent ideas.
Another thing you could look at is the amount and how often you feed. They could affect it as well. But I would take care of the above mentioned, for sure.
 
lopeyc

lopeyc

Member
1" per 5g? Outrageous! It's cruel to put any more than 1" per 15g, and 1" per 30g is much better. C'mon people!
In my nano-reef, I cut my single damsel in half to keep the bioload reasonable and give him enough room to swim in!
Not that he seems to appreciate it...:p
 
bzolnowski

bzolnowski

Member
i have about 35 pounds of live rock. my sand bed is about 1 to 2 inches. i have a protein skimmer and sump below the tank inside. i would like to get some damsels out but to be honest, i have tried many things and haven given up, they are a nightmare to get out. i think if i could get two out and be at 8 fish, 6 being small, i dont think that would be too much of a problem, i do appreciate all the advise.
 
bzolnowski

bzolnowski

Member
i will get up to date readings of all the levels tonigth. i have not brought the water anywhere else to date. i will do that, good idea.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member

Originally posted by lopeyc
1" per 5g? Outrageous! It's cruel to put any more than 1" per 15g, and 1" per 30g is much better. C'mon people!
In my nano-reef, I cut my single damsel in half to keep the bioload reasonable and give him enough room to swim in!
Not that he seems to appreciate it...:p
so, what you are saying is you have a 75 gallon, with all that LR and only one firefish in it or a 250 gallon, with only a yellow tang?(or something along those lines)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top