ok...now im furious

fishfry

fishfry

Member
This is absurd. My nitrates have been over 160 since I started this tank. The tank is close to 3 months old and is a 29 gallon. Ammonia is 0, Ph is perfect, Nitrites 0, salinityis perftect. I just did a 30 percent water change and that did nothing for the nitrates...UGGGGHHH....I have a protein skimmer plenty of LR at least 25lbs. The only fish I have is a yellow tang, banded goby, and a saddleback clown, snails, hermits and an arrow crab, along with several corals. WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!
Please someone help me before i shoot myself :help:
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
Are you using RO water? I'd also have a LFS test the water to make sure your test kit is accurate.
 
fishfry

fishfry

Member
Yeah I am using RO water, and i checked the kit with the RO water and it showed 0 nitrates prior to adding it to the tank. Is it possible that after a 30% water change there is no effect...I mean not even slightly...??? This has been so irritating. The fish are all healthy everyone is doing good and corals are growing great...any other thoughts? I will have the LFS test it but I am not very optimistic at this point.
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
With nitrates that high I'd say you should be having noticable problems ... since everything is doing well, I'd say the test kit is wrong. I'd still have the water checked at a LFS to rule this out.
 
monalisa

monalisa

Active Member
Originally Posted by fishfry
This is absurd. My nitrates have been over 160 since I started this tank. The tank is close to 3 months old and is a 29 gallon. Ammonia is 0, Ph is perfect, Nitrites 0, salinityis perftect. I just did a 30 percent water change and that did nothing for the nitrates...UGGGGHHH....I have a protein skimmer plenty of LR at least 25lbs. The only fish I have is a yellow tang, banded goby, and a saddleback clown, snails, hermits and an arrow crab, along with several corals. WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!
Please someone help me before i shoot myself :help:

As stated before, it could be that your test kit is not giving an accurate reading. Either take a sample to your LFS and have them test it, or invest in a new test kit (maybe just invest in the nitrate test).
The only thing, really, that I see wrong with your set up is the fact that you have a yellow tang in a 29gal tank...hmmmm. I have a 37gal that I wouldn't even consider putting a tang into (too afraid of infecting the tank with ich, no thanks). JMO. Hope you figure this out.
Lisa :happyfish
 
fishfry

fishfry

Member
can you explain why a tang in a 29 gallon would be a problem? we only have 3 fish totaling 10 inches and will grow only another 2 -3 inches in total length....well....no thoughts other than the LFS? Hmmm well thanks guys for your input. I have bought some caluepra (sp?) to help with my problem...Hope it helps..thanks again
 
mumbulog

mumbulog

Member
Yellow tangs generally like swimming room. They need atleast 4 feet, but 6 feet is best. He will eventually get stressed in there.
Also I would definitly get the tang out of there until you get the nitrates corrected. I think I read that high nitrates can cause tangs to get hlle. See the disease threads or ask beth. I had a tang die because of this myself, I mean a breautiful large yellow one with orange around the tips.
Gordon
 
fishfry

fishfry

Member
ok....so get him out? lol...where should i put him? Well to be honest he is hateful to everything...I tell the LFS Athens Aquarium and they say they havent heard of an angry yellow tang. But the one I have is crazy evil...You think that is because he is stressed?
 
mumbulog

mumbulog

Member
I had an yellow tang that beat the hell out of a large gold striped maroon clown. Do you have a qt tank, a friend that can take him, or get rid of him. Where are you located?
 
fishfry

fishfry

Member
athens, ga....and yeah i have friends..hehe..but none with sw tanks. I have considered getting rid of him...
 
fishfry

fishfry

Member
I'm using crushed coral..about an inch and a half in the bottom...and using the Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit by Aquarium Pharm....Correction this tank is 5 months old if that matters.
CORRECTION: Im using live sand
 
dragonladylea

dragonladylea

Member
I was wondering because the 160 is the highest that my test kit shows but I was actually at one point well above that. And as far as everything looking good (fish, corals etc ) this is possible with high levels of Nitrates. Doesnt mean its good to have them high but I had alot of high nitrate problems and the only thing I can say "died" in my tank because of it was a Lime green Nep. You will have to be diligent on the water changes 20% every week until your Nitrate levels are right then 10% every week after that. You could also get a refugium which would help. Trust me you'll get there!!
 
fishfry

fishfry

Member
thanks for the encouragement...it is very frustrating but i have always considered this...that recreating what God created perfect is quite a challenge..hehe...so I cannot expect results overnight as I am a noob at saltwater tanks...so Im fightin the good fight...and only time will tell...oh and btw yeah my test kit only goes to 160 so i assume it is at 160 + if only i could get that down....i would be quite the happy camper :)
 
dragonladylea

dragonladylea

Member
Just keep doing the water changes and don't add anything new. The stuff you have has gotten use to the high trates thats why I lost the Nepthea it was something new I tried to add when the Nitrates were to high. You'll be there before you know it. Good luck.
 
cheapfish1

cheapfish1

Member
i also use that stupid cheap test and get super high test results. But if i take it the LFS and they use their tests i almost always read out at under 15
 
H

havunen191

Guest
Originally Posted by fishfry
can you explain why a tang in a 29 gallon would be a problem? we only have 3 fish totaling 10 inches and will grow only another 2 -3 inches in total length....well....no thoughts other than the LFS? Hmmm well thanks guys for your input. I have bought some caluepra (sp?) to help with my problem...Hope it helps..thanks again
can you explain why a tang in a 29 gallon would be a problem? The Yellow Hawaiian Tang, also known as the Yellow Sailfin Tang, or Yellow Surgeonfish, has an oval bright yellow body. It can grow up to 8".A 50 gallon or larger aquarium is necessary to provide plenty of swimming room.
I tell the LFS Athens Aquarium and they say they havent heard of an angry yellow tang. But the one I have is crazy evil...You think that is because he is stressed?
LFS will tell you anything to make a sale. I went through that a lot when I first started now they no not to mess with me. Research the fish before buying. Better safe than sorry.[/COLOR]
we only have 3 fish totaling 10 inches and will grow only another 2 -3 inches in total length....well.... Rule of thumb in saltwater is 1" per 5gal. of water, and depening on how much rock and coral decreses the swimming room.
I would have to say think about trading in the tang or time for upgrade. :joy:
 
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