I thought I was "smart" until

[bellaroxio]

I start maintenance my own tank.
Tank is not cycling. After 8 weeks, chemical tests indicate the same values: amonia-0; nitrite-0.... Disturbing is the Nitrate - 20.
What can I do? The fishes and corals seem to well. But the Nitrate value bothers me.
Thanks

 

[rcdude1990]

wait wat?!
u r cycling ur tank and there is coral and fish in the tank?!!??!

 

[lion_crazz]

He said tank is not cycling.
What are the fish in the tank? How often do you feed? How often do you do water changes?

 

[bears]

Do you mean that you got a new tank or you just stopped having people maintain your tank?
If you did the second one then it is not cycling because it already has and the -20 is probably because you measuring thing is wrong.

 

[bellaroxio]

The maintenance company went bankrupt! So I say, I can do it and save $100/month.
Tank has been going all along. RO/Protein Skimmer/Chiller....
Fish - tang, potter, yellow-eye tang.
Corals - 8 - mushrooms, frog-spawn....
Feeding - once/2 days.
Snack - algea sheet - once/3 days.
I just remeasure. Nitrate is 20! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Masters, what should I do?

 

[puffer32]

Most tanks have trates, 20 is actually not very high. But if you want to lower them, do a larger then normal water change once a week till they are where you want them to be, its ok if they aren't at 0, most tanks aren't, including mine. I did 2 large water changes to get them down to 20 from 40, and everything, including sps are doing fine.

 

[maxalmon]

I agree, 20 is not such an alarming number. If you want to the #'s down then you need to find the source of the problem. A lot of protein skimmers have micro-bubble filter boxs and the foam that's used inside can become built up with detritus. I had a small frag tank and I could not get the #'s down, once I cleaned this "hidden foam filter" the #'s went down. How much LR do you have? how often and what do you feed?

 

[gmidd]

With corals 20 is a little high, you want it close to zero as possible. Higher Nitrates are fine with FOWLR. All you can really do is water changes.

 

[pokey]

Also...how much do you feed? What kind of cleaning crew do you have? Are you growing any macroalgae? What kind of filtration?

 

[joojoo]

Do you have sand or crushed coral? What kind of media are you using in your filter?

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by bellaroxio
I start maintenance my own tank.
After 8 weeks, chemical tests indicate the same values: amonia-0; nitrite-0.... Disturbing is the Nitrate - 20.
Thanks
sounds like it cycled to me, those numbers and the fact the fish seem to be doing okay. I would.....well start maintenence (water changes) to get the nitrates down.