High Nitrates, Need Advice
- Thread starter xbethx
- Start date
tthemadd1
Active Member
How is the skimmer running? If so the alcohol should be out in a few days. If you quit dosing you will see a decline in the bacteria so ther may be an uptick in your numbers for a few more days. I would say
after a week you should be good.
I just finished doing a deep clean to my tank. In a perfect world your system would keep itself in balance. If we were perfect over the long term we wouldn't be in the current global crisis. Personally I would leave the tank as is for a few weeks. Do water changes with RO water not tap. Include testing every two-three days and track your progress. If you see a decline then continue. If an increase then more water changes, more cleaning, pull rocks from the display and rinse them thoroughly with salt water. Make your way through the tank and check your hoses, pumps, sumps, and sand.
When I rinsed my sand last week the water was black, after eight rinses I was down to clean water.
after a week you should be good.
I just finished doing a deep clean to my tank. In a perfect world your system would keep itself in balance. If we were perfect over the long term we wouldn't be in the current global crisis. Personally I would leave the tank as is for a few weeks. Do water changes with RO water not tap. Include testing every two-three days and track your progress. If you see a decline then continue. If an increase then more water changes, more cleaning, pull rocks from the display and rinse them thoroughly with salt water. Make your way through the tank and check your hoses, pumps, sumps, and sand.
When I rinsed my sand last week the water was black, after eight rinses I was down to clean water.
tthemadd1
Active Member
It could start a cycle. I guess the question is how much waste is too much waste? As long as the rock is merely rinsed to remove the waste it shouldn't start a cycle. Especially if you do it one piece at a time. If you go all out and remove the sand and rock at the same time you could start a cycle. Rinsing with saltwater is key to this process and not having a cycle.
I would set up a backup tank for the fish and corals. Take a look at the before and after pics of my 75 tank. The pictures were not after the material settled. When I washed the sand out it laid on the bottom of the tank and left no cloudiness.
That is clean sand. I didn't care if a cycle happened because it was so dirty after ten years it needed it. Think of it as a hurricane it needed demolished so it could be rebuilt.
You have grazers in your tank that produce waste like cows compared to a smaller animal. They produce a lot of waste should have a lot of flow and a good filter to remove that waste. If it is left to sit your ph can drop and your bacterial load will suffer.
Use it as a last resort but I will say less maintenance is needed in a clean tank. Good luck
I would set up a backup tank for the fish and corals. Take a look at the before and after pics of my 75 tank. The pictures were not after the material settled. When I washed the sand out it laid on the bottom of the tank and left no cloudiness.
That is clean sand. I didn't care if a cycle happened because it was so dirty after ten years it needed it. Think of it as a hurricane it needed demolished so it could be rebuilt.
You have grazers in your tank that produce waste like cows compared to a smaller animal. They produce a lot of waste should have a lot of flow and a good filter to remove that waste. If it is left to sit your ph can drop and your bacterial load will suffer.
Use it as a last resort but I will say less maintenance is needed in a clean tank. Good luck
beffers
Member
New round of tests today:
ammonia - .2 (seachem)
.5 (api)
nitrite - 0 (seachem)
0 (api)
nitrate - 20 (seachem)
80 (api)
50-100 (salifert)
phosphate - 0 (seachem)
ph - 8.0 (seachem)
Alkalinity - 9.3dkh (salifert)
calcium - 470 (salifert)
magnesium - 1350 (salifert)
Have stopped vodka dosing, havnt dosed for 3 days now.
Water change will be done tomorrow
Will also add carbon to the system tomorrow
Going to try to up water changes to once or twice per week
And some pics of the tank as of today:
ammonia - .2 (seachem)
.5 (api)
nitrite - 0 (seachem)
0 (api)
nitrate - 20 (seachem)
80 (api)
50-100 (salifert)
phosphate - 0 (seachem)
ph - 8.0 (seachem)
Alkalinity - 9.3dkh (salifert)
calcium - 470 (salifert)
magnesium - 1350 (salifert)
Have stopped vodka dosing, havnt dosed for 3 days now.
Water change will be done tomorrow
Will also add carbon to the system tomorrow
Going to try to up water changes to once or twice per week
And some pics of the tank as of today:
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
I notice your seachem are about 1/4 the others for nitrate. I also checked the seachem web sits and their kits are calibrated for nitrate not just the nitrogen part.
Some kits will read and are calibrated for the nitrogen (only) part of nitrates which are 1/4 or so total nitrates. So with the same nitrates some kits will read 1/4 the others.
You might want to check that just to be consistant.
My .02
Some kits will read and are calibrated for the nitrogen (only) part of nitrates which are 1/4 or so total nitrates. So with the same nitrates some kits will read 1/4 the others.
You might want to check that just to be consistant.
My .02
wen tom
Member
Hey SnakeBlitz33, found macro algae you recommended. Can I put it in display tank? Or would the sump be better? No light there though. I'd like the Blue Tang to eat some as it does not understand its a carnivore, only seems to like meat. But if better in sump could you recommend lighting. Thanks so much.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
In sump. A $20 3000k led light from home depot is a good choice. They sell clip on clamps for $10 too. When you harvest it, throw in a little in the display tank and let em have at it. If you put it in the display as is, it will take over the rocks and/or your tang will eat it all.
