Nitrites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sepulatian]

ok, ready for this one? I checked my nitrites this morning.............2!!!!! I added some amquel plus, and some biozyme. Checked tonight >.25 This cannot be good for the fish these jumps. I am going to try another water change tommorow, this is driving me nuts!!!! My star somehow has a big hole in his disk......similar to what happened before with my last stars that died. .... and will probably die

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by alyssia
I will try to post some pics. I have to charge my digital camera battery.
I look forward to it! :jumping:

 

[lion_crazz]

Hey sep, well, I spoke to my marine biologist friend today, and his opinion was that it is almost certain that you have nitrites because your filter does not have enough space for biofiltration, and you don't have enough live rock.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Hey sep, well, I spoke to my marine biologist friend today, and his opinion was that it is almost certain that you have nitrites because your filter does not have enough space for biofiltration, and you don't have enough live rock.
I have no live rock, I am looking to get some next week, then it will take weeks to cure it. Any ideas on what I can do in the meantime??? I can't believe my star has a hole. he is still moving well, but will die because of the exposed area right?

 

[lion_crazz]

No, he won't neccessarily die, but the nitrites need to go down for him to get better.
You could always add a secondary filter in the mean time, maybe something with better bilogical filtration, like a biowheel filter.

 

[sepulatian]

I know, new to salt and freshwater equipment is not necessarily enough for salt, but I have chem pure in the filter, plus a sponge in each chamber, 2 sponge filters, and the skimmer.......still no good? I don't have alot of fish in there. 1 Percula clown, 1 coral beauty, 2 damsels, and then the stars.......I should say star, (I'm sure I won't find a pretty sight in the morning) snails and shrimp. My pearlscale....................

.....

didn't make it I'm afraid. That was weird too, swimming along, I was doing stuff, looked at my tank twords the end of the night, he was laying on his side. I knew he would be gone by morning, sure enough...

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
No, he won't neccessarily die, but the nitrites need to go down for him to get better.
You could always add a secondary filter in the mean time, maybe something with better bilogical filtration, like a biowheel filter.
Honestly I hate biowheel filters. I bought one once, the wheels didn't spin right, thing kept getting clogged, I ended up just throwing it out. Maybe that was just one bad experience, but I have never bought one since

 

[sepulatian]

Thats why I have been adding the amquel plus, and today the biozyme. and it did go down dramaticaly. I'm sure I will find a new surprise in the morning.

 

[sepulatian]

it's only a 55, I have the skimmer's jet pointing to the one corner of the tank that might not get as much flow. All equipment is spaced out.

 

[lion_crazz]

You can have a bad experience with piece of equipment. They hold biological filtration like nothing else. Your current set-up is not holding enough.
The butterfly most likely died because of the lack of live rock, as well as the nitrites. I am really sorry to hear for your loss.

 

[lion_crazz]

Yes, you might be adding all that bacteria, but the filter can only hold so much. There is only so much surface area to hold bacteria. Adding another filter would give you more surface area to hold that bacteria.
Skimmers do not contribute anything to holding biological bacteria.

 

[sepulatian]

follow me to a new thread, this one is getting too long. (please)