need help with nitrates & ph

bizoid

bizoid

Member
my nitrates are always 30-40. my ph is always low 7.8. i use seachum reef buffer about every x5-6 days to increase it to 8.3 all of my other levels are pristine. the only one i don't test for is dkh. equipment = 75 gal. overfow with all-glass sump. coralife 125 protein skimmer in sump. mag drive 1200 return pump. chiller. lr in sump. x2 maxi-jet power heads in tank. lights= odyssea 2 x 250 mh with x4 65 wt actonic bulbs. i have 12 fish a pile of coral, many snails, crabs, shrimps. i have a red cabbage like substance in my overflow. sometimes i feel like punching a hole in the wall. i've had this tank x2 yrs and have always had the nitrate & ph problems. please. pretty please. if anyone has any suggestions. help
fogot- i keep tank at 79 degrees. thanks ahead of time.
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
nitrate is most likely from over feeding. what do u hv for ur substrate? how much lr is in the 75? since u hv mh, hv u consider getting 2 decent size tridacna clams? they will filter out suspended particles in the water that cause nitrate.
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
Originally Posted by nycbob
http:///forum/post/2501530
nitrate is most likely from over feeding. what do u hv for ur substrate? how much lr is in the 75? since u hv mh, hv u consider getting 2 decent size tridacna clams? they will filter out suspended particles in the water that cause nitrate.
i feed only once aday. little to none doesn't get eaten. are the tridacna clams refered to as cleaning clam?? if so i have put x2 in my tank twice but they didn't last long. i have about 90 lbs. of lr& 75lbs. sand
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
Look at another thread on cleaner clams in the fish section....go to the grocery store and buy a few littleneck or cherrystone clams, "burp them" in tankwater and drop them into your tank. They will bury themselves in your sandbed and begin to lower your nitrate level (this is much cheaper than getting "cleaner clams" from an LFS or online).
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
How much water in the total system..DT and sump? Sounds like a large bioload for the CSS 125. Does it pull out a lot of scum? Do you have the capability of growing chaeto in the sump anywhere? What are the 12 fish?
Thanks for the additional info.
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
Originally Posted by browniebuck
http:///forum/post/2501571
Look at another thread on cleaner clams in the fish section....go to the grocery store and buy a few littleneck or cherrystone clams, "burp them" in tankwater and drop them into your tank. They will bury themselves in your sandbed and begin to lower your nitrate level (this is much cheaper than getting "cleaner clams" from an LFS or online).
thanks for the great information. what do you mean by "burp them" ?? i also would like to offer my condolences to all browns fans after the season the had.
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
Originally Posted by Al Mc
http:///forum/post/2501582
How much water in the total system..DT and sump? Sounds like a large bioload for the CSS 125. Does it pull out a lot of scum? Do you have the capability of growing chaeto in the sump anywhere? What are the 12 fish?
Thanks for the additional info.

75gal up top & about 15 gal in the sump. it does pull alot of scum out. no more room in sump. x1 dragon gobie, x2 neon gobies, x2 clown, x1 saddle back clown, x1 purple firefish, x1 lemon peel, x1 bangai cardinal, x1 flame angel, x2 damsels. do you think that i don't hava a big enough skimmer
thanks for your input
 
big

big

Active Member
My first thoughts would be buy a KH kit, second build some kind of fuge using Chaeto, or add it to your sump. Also stop buffering so much. Try maybe too, to cut back on feeding for a week or two and see if the nitrates drop. The fish will not starve.
Is the tank covered causing a Co2 buildup? If so take the glass off. and see if the PH improves. One other would be to start dripping Kalk instead of the buffering. It will help with the PH issue and also help with calcium maintenance in the tank. A win win situation. Seach for Kips old dripping Kalkwasser101 thread and read it.
As to adding cleaner clams although it is a neat idea, it is hard to tell when one of them dies burred in the sand. and they do die. If one of the large animals dies and you do not know it right away the fast ammonia spike is this can cause is something to avoid at all cost......... It can kill things quicky........... Good Luck....... Warren
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
Originally Posted by big
http:///forum/post/2501696
My first thoughts would be buy a KH kit, second build some kind of fuge using Chaeto, or add it to your sump. Also stop buffering so much. Try maybe too, to cut back on feeding for a week or two and see if the nitrates drop. The fish will not starve.
Is the tank covered causing a Co2 buildup? If so take the glass off. and see if the PH improves. One other would be to start dripping Kalk instead of the buffering. It will help with the PH issue and also help with calcium maintenance in the tank. A win win situation. Seach for Lips old dripping Kalkwasser101 thread and read it.
As to adding cleaner clams although it is a neat idea, it is hard to tell when one of them dies burred in the sand. and they do die. If one of the large animals dies and you do not know it right away the fast ammonia spike is this can cause is something to avoid at all cost......... It can kill things quicky........... Good Luck....... Warren
thanks for the info. i'll get kh kit and some clams today. i definitely don't overfeed. i do have glass on top but i'm always taking it off to clean or to move thing in tank. i'd rather not drip calcium = more work. levels are around 400 every time. thanks again
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
What is the water's pH that you are using for water changes?
pH issues can be related to poor gas exchange. Try removing the lid for several hours and retesting pH.
A combination of pH and Nitrates could indicate more water changes are needed.
 
big

big

Active Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
http:///forum/post/2502141
What is the water's pH that you are using for water changes?
pH issues can be related to poor gas exchange. Try removing the lid for several hours and retesting pH.
A combination of pH and Nitrates could indicate more water changes are needed.
Hey I lie the new public services notes!!!
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
i put x8 2in top neck clams in about x2hrs. ago. all are still on top of sand. most "burped". are top neck ok. thats all the grocery store had.
all crustacians are picking at them. when i picked them up they closed up tight. so they are alive. right?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by bizoid
http:///forum/post/2502540
i put x8 2in top neck clams in about x2hrs. ago. all are still on top of sand. most "burped". are top neck ok. thats all the grocery store had.
all crustacians are picking at them. when i picked them up they closed up tight. so they are alive. right?
How long did you temperature acclimate them from the ice at the store to your tank water?
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
http:///forum/post/2502141
What is the water's pH that you are using for water changes?
pH issues can be related to poor gas exchange. Try removing the lid for several hours and retesting pH.
A combination of pH and Nitrates could indicate more water changes are needed.
10% every 7-10 days. new water parameters are pristine prior to adding to tank. i do use tap water
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Does your tap water really not have any ammonia or Nitrate? That would be unusual but certainly not impossible.
Nitrate is the end process of the nitrification process. Because it's the end it needs to be physically removed or it will continue to accumulate. A deep sand bed can convert Nitrate to Nitrogen gas and remove it that way, Water changes can help a little but they need to be large water changes, Nitrate can be consumed by fast growing organisms like Leather corals, Xenia, and Algae but they need to be actually physically remove from the system before the ntrates are actually removed.
You're doing a 10% water change once a week, I'd suggest doing a 50% or more once in a while.
 
bizoid

bizoid

Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2504029
When I add Little Neck Clams to my system I typically let them warm up gradually over a 24 hour period.
thanks a million. 4 out of 8 top necks are dead do to my blunder. x15 min acclimation. at least it was only a $5 mistake.
 
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