I'm in some seroius trouble!!

hotjeepinmomma

hotjeepinmomma

Member
Well we tested all the tests today and my nitrate on my 55 gallon tank thats been set up for about 8 months and has fish in it, its off the charts the last color on the chart is red and reads 160 my test tube was 2 shades darker than that one! But my ammonia isn't testing at all its clear as a bell through the test tube? What does this mean and what am i suppose to do?!
 
jtrzerocool

jtrzerocool

Active Member
have you been slacking on your water changes? do you have any type of macro alea? have you recently lost any of your fish or corals?
you will want to do an immediate water change and do water changes for the next few days and slowly lower the nitrates...i would say to do a water change every other day...do 10g at a time...
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by hotjeepinmomma
Well we tested all the tests today and my nitrate on my 55 gallon tank thats been set up for about 8 months and has fish in it, its off the charts the last color on the chart is red and reads 160 my test tube was 2 shades darker than that one! But my ammonia isn't testing at all its clear as a bell through the test tube? What does this mean and what am i suppose to do?!
First I would retest and second I would get another test kit just to make sure the one you have isnt faulty. I would schedule to do a water change asap at least 25%. Also posting more info on your tank would be benificial, what type of tank FOWLR, reef? filtration type, inhabitants LR if any and how much feeding schedule and how much.. Do you test for nitrites? If so whats the reading. How about other test results, and how often are your maintanence water changes.
 
hotjeepinmomma

hotjeepinmomma

Member
We just did a water change 2 weeks ago, we do ours every 2 weeks and always have, no fish have died it has no corals just live rock i've been seeing some red algae but nothing major!
The nitrites are fine .10, we just have a porcupine puffer, coral banded shrimp and a tomato clown, puffer gets feed 3 times a week, tomato clown every other day. It just has some live rock and fake coral, we have a canister filter and a 50-100 gallon double filter that came with the tank.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by hotjeepinmomma
We just did a water change 2 weeks ago, we do ours every 2 weeks and always have, no fish have died it has no corals just live rock i've been seeing some red algae but nothing major!
So this is a FOWLR Tank? What kind of fish how many and whats your feeding schedule.. also filtration what type do you have..
 
hotjeepinmomma

hotjeepinmomma

Member
Originally Posted by PerfectDark
So this is a FOWLR Tank? What kind of fish how many and whats your feeding schedule.. also filtration what type do you have..
The nitrites are fine .10, we just have a porcupine puffer, coral banded shrimp and a tomato clown, puffer gets feed 3 times a week, tomato clown every other day. It just has some live rock and fake coral, we have a canister filter and a 50-100 gallon double filter that came with the tank.
 
m0nk

m0nk

Active Member
How much live rock and live sand do you have? What sort of filtration? All of that contributes to nitrate reduction/elimination, and if you don't have a skimmer, limited live rock, no sump, a small hang on filter, and only do water changes every 2 weeks, then that is likely the cause of high nitrates. Your best bet is to run a sump (if you can't do that, then at least a bigger hang on filter), a skimmer, have a live sand (and not crushed coral), and at least 1 lb of live rock per gallon of water. I have all of this and still do water changes every week. Hope that helps.
 
m0nk

m0nk

Active Member
Originally Posted by hotjeepinmomma
The nitrites are fine .10, we just have a porcupine puffer, coral banded shrimp and a tomato clown, puffer gets feed 3 times a week, tomato clown every other day. It just has some live rock and fake coral, we have a canister filter and a 50-100 gallon double filter that came with the tank.
Well, nitrites of any level above 0 isn't actually fine. Also, the fake coral may look ok, but it doesn't actually help your tank, so imo, I'd get rid of it and squeeze in more live rock. Canister filters can also be nitrate traps if they're not cleaned extensively on a regular basis. Most people in the saltwater hobby don't use them, and the ones that do usually have a regular cleaning regiment. With what you've noted, you should definitely do more than water changes every 2 weeks. My recommendation is 25% every week until you get more live rock (depending on how much you actually have) and make sure you clean that canister filter regularly. After your nitrates drop you can do 15% water changes every week.
 
hotjeepinmomma

hotjeepinmomma

Member
Originally Posted by m0nk
How much live rock and live sand do you have? What sort of filtration? All of that contributes to nitrate reduction/elimination, and if you don't have a skimmer, limited live rock, no sump, a small hang on filter, and only do water changes every 2 weeks, then that is likely the cause of high nitrates. Your best bet is to run a sump (if you can't do that, then at least a bigger hang on filter), a skimmer, have a live sand (and not crushed coral), and at least 1 lb of live rock per gallon of water. I have all of this and still do water changes every week. Hope that helps.

There is about 30-40 lbs of live rock and sand to cover the bottom 2 inches thick, i know we have enough filters, and what is a sump?! There is only one small fake coral its like 4 inches by 2 inches
 
m0nk

m0nk

Active Member
Originally Posted by hotjeepinmomma
There is about 30-40 lbs of live rock and sand to cover the bottom 2 inches thick, i know we have enough filters, and what is a sump?! There is only one small fake coral its like 4 inches by 2 inches
I'd add more live rock and follow the water changes noted above. A sump is actually the most common filtration method here, most people in the hobby don't use the conventional "filters" as you might know them, they use a sump. It's another tank of water located under the main tank. There is either drilled holes in the tank with plumbing that drains into the sump, or an overflow box that uses a pump or siphon action to drain the water. The sump holds the skimmer, heater, and possibly more live rock and some type of macro-algae in a compartment know as a refugium. The live rock and macro-algae further help reduce nitrates, but even if you don't have a refugium compartment, the sump itself helps nitrate levels, as well as any other issues with water quality, because it adds more overall volume of water. More volume makes everything easier, which is why you'll see people say to run the biggest tank you can run. More volume also means that you can get away with less frequent water changes.
At any rate, the water changes should start you off, and make sure you clean your canister filter. As you delve into the hobby more you'll learn of other things that can help you keep the tank clean and healthy, and you might just swap out that canister filter for a sump.... it would certainly help. Best of luck!
 
hotjeepinmomma

hotjeepinmomma

Member
Thanks so much every one! Like i said i've had this tank for 8 months and never had any problems doing what i was doing so i don't know what happened but thanks for the advice its time to get my hands dirty!
 
iowafish

iowafish

Member
Originally Posted by m0nk
Canister filters can also be nitrate traps if they're not cleaned extensively on a regular basis. Most people in the saltwater hobby don't use them, and the ones that do usually have a regular cleaning regiment.
Well said. I think it's the rare person that doesn't have a nitrate problem using a canister filter over the long term. As m0nk said, they can be used -- and successfully, I might add -- but extensive and regular cleaning is key in ridding the canister and all its parts and pieces from the scum that inevitably collects on them.
Ideally, you should eventually modify your system to a sump and move away from the canister altogether. At least that's my $.02 and what I'd do for the long term after you get the current situation under control. Do a search of the boards and you'll get lots of information on what a sump is, the plumbing involved, and how to make the conversion.
Good luck!
KH
 
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