High Nitrates / Green Algae. Biocube

sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
I have a 14g biocube. I am consistantly reading nitrates about 20. I am doing a daily water change of 1 -1.5 gallons.
Filtration:
Standard filter for biocube, instead stock carbon filter pad, I have a nitrate pad, a bag of chemipro elite in chamber one. In chamber 2, I have filter floss and then bioballs. I am sucking water from the main tank area into a canister filter below which has ceramic, sponge, and carbon filtration. That is then being placed into chamber 2 after it goes through the filter floss I have in the 2nd chamber.
I am having green algae problems (scraping off 1x2 times a day from walls) and noticing that I have it starting to go on the live rock now.
Why cant I get my nitrates lowered? I have ample filtration right? Is it possible to over filter water?
I have just two fish, an emerald crab, and maybe 4-5 hermits, 14lbs of live rock. The corals I have: 2 Ricordeas, 1 mushroom, hammer coral, candy cane, and zoos seem to be doing great though
Anything would help at this point!!?!?
Thanks!

 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Toss out the canister filter if you don't maintain it every 15 to 30 days.
Remove the bioballs and replace it with a DIY 20oz coke bottle skimmer that costs you less than $15.
Do a larger water change and do it properly - blow off all your rocks with a turkey baster and then siphon off all the detritus. Let your tank filter that out for a little while and then replace the filter media.
Since it looks like you have crushed coral as a substrate, you will need to gravel vac the mud/dirt/fish waste out of it at every weekly water change. Even if it is sand, you still need to maintain your substrate through gravel vac and critters such as nassarious snails and brittle stars.
For what it's worth, your tank doesn't look that bad! I like your rock work and your stock list. Just gotta keep at it!
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391889/high-nitrates-green-algae-biocube#post_3477424
Toss out the canister filter if you don't maintain it every 15 to 30 days.
Remove the bioballs and replace it with a DIY 20oz coke bottle skimmer that costs you less than $15.
Do a larger water change and do it properly - blow off all your rocks with a turkey baster and then siphon off all the detritus. Let your tank filter that out for a little while and then replace the filter media.
Since it looks like you have crushed coral as a substrate, you will need to gravel vac the mud/dirt/fish waste out of it at every weekly water change. Even if it is sand, you still need to maintain your substrate through gravel vac and critters such as nassarious snails and brittle stars.
For what it's worth, your tank doesn't look that bad! I like your rock work and your stock list. Just gotta keep at it!
I did this, and the 'trates are up still!
First thing in the AM I am checking everything in the water.. All levels are good... except nitrate!
Any more ideas? Skimmer is up and going and all filter media has been replaced. I still have the canister filter hooked up though -- Do you think that may be the problem?
Also, bio balls? Why toss out? What exactly are they supposed to be doing anyway?
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Toss the bio balls. I always had issues in my bio cube until I got rid of them. They're a nitrate factory, trust me. Very few people use them properly. And IMO, they're not practical in nano tanks.
Why are you running a canister filter and the stock filtration?
Nitrates don't have much to do with the algae. I'm thinking that you're getting a false 0 reading on your phosphates because the algae is consuming it.
Also,
What test kit are you using? How old?
What and how much do you feed?
Are you using RODI water?
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///t/391889/high-nitrates-green-algae-biocube#post_3479111
Toss the bio balls. I always had issues in my bio cube until I got rid of them. They're a nitrate factory, trust me. Very few people use them properly. And IMO, they're not practical in nano tanks.
Why are you running a canister filter and the stock filtration?
Nitrates don't have much to do with the algae. I'm thinking that you're getting a false 0 reading on your phosphates because the algae is consuming it.
Also,
What test kit are you using? How old?
What and how much do you feed?
Are you using RODI water?
I will take out the bio balls when I get home.
Well, I am running the canister along with the stock because I just read (after buying it) about how poor the stock filtration system on the cube is.
I guess in my own mindset I figured that It coudlnt hurt... Maybe I am wrong?
I am using an API test kit - Nitrate/Nitrite/PH, and Ammonia.
RODI - No. I think a big problem is that I am using tap water -- Before, I lived in a community where I didnt have to worry about anything extra in the water -- Always just used untreated tap water and never had an issue.. Maybe that is my problem?
Feeding: I am feeding mysis shrimp - frozen. I am actually (dont laugh) hand feeding my fish. One defrosted shrimp at a time to ensure I am not overfeeding! haha I am using tweezers.
The algae problem - I have really under control... Come to find out, my roommates thought that the tank was "so cool" they were turning the lights on NON STOP to watch... Yes, that has ended by me installing a timer for all of my lights.. They operate between 11:11 - 7:02 now. Patty, my emerald and a group of snails are taking care of what is left :)
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Don't remove everything at once, you could shock your tank. Stagger what you remove over a week or two and monitor the tank.
Personally, I've never had an issue with the stock filtration, nor has anyone I know running the cube. The only thing that can be a little challenging is getting flow moving properly, but a Korallia Nano power head will solve that issue.
Tap water is more than likely feeding the algae, as well as the extra lighting your roommate has decided to provide :-/ Tap is almost always full of phosphate, which feeds the algae.
API nitrate kits are known to read high. I went through hell once trying to he nitrates down on my tank. Corals were thriving, etc, but nitrates were hovering at 20ppm no matter what I did (cut back feeding, added a refugium, added more filtration,etc).
Finally someone in my reef club said they went through the same thing only to find out API nitrate kits read high. I switched to the SeaChem nitrite/nitrate combo test kit and sure enough I had a much lower reading. Tested that against other test kits, a hand held reader, etc and all were reading much lower than the API kit.
How do corals look? That's a true indication of a problem with water quality.
I actually hand feed my fish. IMO, it's a good idea. If you ever need to catch one, it's much easier if they associate your hands with food. All my fish except for 2 or 3 or hand fed/tamed. My Blonde Naso will actually lay in my hand when I put it in the tank. The only downfall is that when I'm working in the tank, I have to feed first or I get swarmed by a ton of hungry fish! Lol
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
Your last post made me laugh. I can totally relate with what you are saying!! I have truly been going through hell with the nitrates.. And my sons rant reading for my nitrates is been a good solid 20 as well.. Time for a new kit it sounds like!!!!
I used to have an undulate triggerfish... My little baby along with a puffer.. They both are from my hand!!! When they were small I made that mistake.... When they were older... They would only eat that way!! I had a couple of "ouches" throughout the time!!! Haha sound crazy? Probably a little bit.. But I loved doing it for some strange reason.
Speaking of that, I was reading a post where some guy was talking about hand feeding his clowns saying that they drew blood on him a few times..... I didn't know clowns have "choppers" of that caliber....
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
And.. My corals.. Actually look really really good I think! So that has to be the problem!!! I have a Rainbow ricordia that is actually splitting after being in the tank a week! I'll take a picture of that when I get home tomorrow night.. I'm kind of happy about that!! Haha
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
LOL, my female clown has drawn blood on me and my husband when she was guarding her eggs/anemone. She's an evil little thing. She actually killed her mate after they had been breeding successfully for two years. I am quite upset with her about it.
My little fox face has nailed me a couple times on accident. He's only about 3 inches right now, but I'm sure as he grows, I'm going to be feeling that sting a little more. Of course, the two fish that are NOT hand tamed in my tank are the two that I've been trying to catch for months!
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
Btl--
I see you are on long island... I'm in queens (kew gardens)
We should do lunch and you can come fix my tank! My treat!! And i can bring you fun things from all over the world!!!
Hehe I'm a flight attendant for delta!
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
My clowns have gotten mean all the sudden.. I put a cute little green clown goby in the tank and they DO NOT like him that much.. I don't know why... They are the king and queen of the tank apparently.. I really don't now what to do with him!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I deleted that post. TRUST ME. You don't want your email or phone number out in the open. Spam bots will fill your inbox with garbage and you'll start getting dumb texts. I used to have my email up on here and had to take it down because of that
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I have my email on every post i make and i actually get very few emails. Only people that want to ask a question but dont want to be part of the forums. I also get product testing offers and even some furniture business. Doesnt bother me one bit. Ive been able to talk to a lot of nice people over the years through email. That also doesnt mean that i havent gotten spam every now and then that i have to go through and block. In-fact my other personal email has become a junk box,... The one that i use the least!!
 
sirbrently

sirbrently

Member
Pictures from this morning! You guys may have read but I decided to just try out that additive .. figured it was worth a try! Nitrates were at 5PPM --I woke up to my tank seriously just looking.. really good. I also woke up to find out that I believe my snails have mated--- LOL because I have about 3 TINY little snails working my walls!! I hope that I dont end up with 500 of them!!!

Hammer Corals from SWF.com -- and the buttons on the right -- are dropping little buttons EVERYWHERE in my tank!


Patty, my Emerald

Patty giving the hermit a back rub! Do the trumpets look ok? The one on the top left is developing two "mouths", does that mean its getting ready to split?

Blue Mushroom from SWF... Attached himself to a rock in 3 days after putting some netting on him!

My rainbow ricordia - splitting!!! He has only been in the tank for a week!

Starfish. Saying hello to everyone, and my orange ricordia!

Blue Xenia from SWF.com They are loving life!

My little piece of heaven! If you scroll up to the very top of this thread, you can see a picture from a couple weeks or so.. You can def. tell a difference as to how the tank has evolved the past couple of weeks!
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Plainfield is 10 miles north west of Joliet. Wow you were so far west you were buy Moscow, lol looked at map to find Moline had to say that.
 
scrapman

scrapman

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391889/high-nitrates-green-algae-biocube#post_3477424
Toss out the canister filter if you don't maintain it every 15 to 30 days.
Remove the bioballs and replace it with a DIY 20oz coke bottle skimmer that costs you less than $15.
Do a larger water change and do it properly - blow off all your rocks with a turkey baster and then siphon off all the detritus. Let your tank filter that out for a little while and then replace the filter media.
Since it looks like you have crushed coral as a substrate, you will need to gravel vac the mud/dirt/fish waste out of it at every weekly water change. Even if it is sand, you still need to maintain your substrate through gravel vac and critters such as nassarious snails and brittle stars.
For what it's worth, your tank doesn't look that bad! I like your rock work and your stock list. Just gotta keep at it!
Thanks SnakeBlitz33
Interesting what you say.
I have a very established 90 gal with refugium and protein skimmer and I still battle with green algae.
My suspicion is that the canisted filter (Fluval 405) is contributing to the problem since I rarely clean the sponges. My theory is my system is a self sustaining mini ocean. No extra need. All parameters are OK, and WC done on schedule with RODI water. No huge debris when I clean the sponges of the Fluval.... I basically don't clean it any more!
I'd love to try running the Fluval ONLY at water change time when I turkeybaster the rocks, and then shutting it off until next WC.
What do you think?
Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top