Nitrates are still High!!

[birdy]

What size tank again and how deep do you want the sandbed.
I DO NOT recommend arag-alive sand, it is way too expensive for what it is. Get real LS, a cup from a local reefers tank or refugium, the LS they sell here, or buy sand directly from your LFS tanks, you want all the bugs and wormies in your sand.

 

[birdy]

For a 75gallon tank and a 3" sandbed you want a total of 100lbs

 

[leona]

ok. That's what I thought about LS (bugs) but wasn't sure. I don't know how deep the bed should be. We have a 75 gallon
So should I get all aragamax sand? Then find a place were I can get some LS from LFS?
Leona

 

[birdy]

Sounds good to me, although I would still check home depot so much cheaper for the same exact thing.

 

[leona]

O I will.. I might also get the marine sand white that's only 3.49 for a 5 lb bag..
Would 100 lbs of that be ok? Then find LS to put ontop
Last question I promise.
Thanks for your time and patience. Sometimes I think my hormones get the best of me espeacilly when your 34 weeks pg. LOL:hilarious
Leona

 

[birdy]

Sounds good to me.
Congrats on the upcoming baby! do you know what you are having. I totally understand, when I was pregnant with the twins I was on bedrest for 4months! talk about a crazy evil pregnant woman, these message boards are the only thing that kept me sane.

 

[leona]

we are having another girl. My hubby is in denial though. THis is our last and he thinks it still could be a boy. Bed rest everything ok now? How old are the twins? Do you mind if i add you as a buddy? If I have any other questions. I don't mean to keep you up. We stay up late. Once the kids go to bed it's our time to relax. We have a 12, 2 1/2, 1/12 year old girls. My husband also has 4 other kids. We also have 2 grand kids.
This SW tank stuff can really throw you for a loopy.
Leona

 

[birdy]

Feel free, and here is my email if you have any other questions bugsnbirdsNOSPAM@everestkc.net (take out the no spam).
Yes these tanks can be frustrating, especially when you get thirty different answers for the same question.
I hear you about staying up late, it is the only time I get any peace. My twins are a boy and girl they are almost 17 months old, and I made it to my due date, thanks to bedrest but it sure was hell, I was a zookeeper before getting pregnant so it was a huge adjusment just laying on the couch all day.
I am off to bed now, talk to you later.
Carla

 

[barry cuda]

I would definitely recommend augmenting your cleanup crew with some more algae grazers. Start with a few, but eventually you'll probably need a lot. With nitrates that high (remembering that nitrates are the chief ingredients in most commercial fertilizers) you'll probably have a big algae bloom sooner or later, and will need some biological control to keep the numbers down. Turbo snails seem to be one of the best all-around algae eaters. I know you're not fond of them, but believe me, after you have a massive hair algae outbreak you'll become very fond of the little buggers Blueleg, scarlet or zebra hermits will also eat algae, but they aren't as efficient at it as the turbos are.
I've found that the lawnmower blenny I added to our 100g tank a few weeks ago has had a major impact on our algae growth. I get up many mornings to see small areas of rock that were scraped almost clean overnight. Plus he's just cool.

 

[leona]

I Agree with you ........
We will get some more clean-up crew when it starts looking like we need them. I would hate for them to eat nothing. Our next prodject will be changing over to LS and adding more LR.
We do have 1 turbo snail and my hubby just loves him thinks he cool. He cleaned what little alage we had just over night. Now he's been looking around the tank for more. But there just isn't any. We got the shrimp and the hermits mainly to clean up extra food on bottom of tank.
We also might get 1-2 of the cleaner clams that are here on Saltwaterfish for sale. They Help with Nitrates and aren't that costly. For now we are out of funds...... We have to wait.
School starts and that means school shopping for my pre-teen and getting ready for our 4th baby. Thanks for your input
I am very greatful.
P.S. I think that the Lawnmore blenny is cool also. We might also get one of them.
Any reccommendations on what to do with our 29 gallon tank?
We were thinking of making it our QT tank but it seems a little big. wright now we have a 2 1/2 gallon QT.
Leona