Okay I have to ask this...

[suzi1780]

I have been trying to research this questions but haven't found the idiot proof answer I am looking for so here we go...
Are the carbon power filters good for saltwater tanks? What are the pro and cons? I am talking about those "whisper" brand filters that people use for freshwater.
I ask this because my nitrite and ammonia levels are a little high and I am looking for ways to help it. All I have right now is a protien skimmer. I have done a water change, still it is high. I have been reading everything on this board I can to try and do stuff to lower it. I can't remember the reading right now, I am at work and don't have it in front of me. I am 55g, fowlr, i have 4 clowns just added 3 hermits, 3 turbo snails and a starfish

 

[the monkey]

eh... They work. I personally wouldn't use one for a 55 though.
Liverock, a skimmer and good flow. That - teamed with weekly 10% waterchanges should do just fine for most systems.
If you're stocked with a lot of stonies, kalk reactors or calcium reactors are next on your list...

 

[danedodger]

If you've got nitrites and ammonia you've gotta still be cycling. It's unfortunate that you have livestock in the tank while it's cycling but what's done is done. You'll just have to carefully control how high the ammonia and nitrite levels go with frequent small water changes.
No filter is going to just get rid of ammonia or nitrites. That being said though it sounds like you're talking about one of those hang on the back filters. Many people feel those are just nitrate traps. Personally I use one and don't think it's a problem. You do have to be really strict about changing out the carbon every month and washing any detrious out of the box but if you do that it should be fine.

 

[suzi1780]

Right now I only have one power head... should I get another? Would that help? It is up in the left part of the tank, i'd say maybe 3 inch down from the top of the water. I would say I have 50 lbs of LR, but it does have a lot of space in it, the fishes love to swim all around it!

 

[suzi1780]

I cycled for a month, then did a water change then waited a week with all my levels perfect before adding fish. I thought that if a went a week with 0 nitrite and ammonia I was over my cycle?

 

[oozy]

hi,
nitrate levels seem to be the bane of saltwater...
many people have a constant reading of .20
FYI, you should not add a starfish, any inverts or fish if your levels are higher than .20.
starfish esp! whats the type of star?
-as this will either kill your inverts, or increase nitrate levels with more fish.
ways to controll:
make sure you are not overfeeding. feed 1time a day, what your fish can eat in 3 min.
OR
feed 2 times/day what they can eat in 1 1/2 min. (this is what I do.)
you should post ALL your levels
Ammonia
tries
trates
ph
salt
this will help people help you.
your filter should be fine as long as it has a high gph rate.
if all you have is a skimmer, this is NOT enough!
you say you have ammonia, has your tank cycled???
ammonia should be at 0 before you add ANYTHING to your tank!!!
if you have not cycled your tank, get your live stock out! or they may all die.
I have a penguine 330 filter, it will work great on a tank like yours and is around $50
to me it sounds like your tank has not, or hasnt finished its cycle, in which case, it will need to complete this, before you can have any live stock, please read about CYCLE on this site, it will save you time, and $
you will also need to include, LR, LS and how many lbs of each.
I hope this helps, and goodluck, also beware or advise from your LFS as they are trying to make $ off you...
-oozy-

 

[danedodger]

If you're going to go the filtration route of just using a skimmer and liverock you'll definitely need to get some more rock, I'd say.
Powerheads won't help or hurt your nitrite and ammonia problem. You just use them to create water currents. Some animals like some types of coral and such really need more water flow and so you'd need more than one to create more turbulent flow. For fish I think they appreciate at least some flow but it's not as necessary.

 

[the monkey]

You don't necessarily need more rock. You're probably experiencing a mini-cycle from adding 4 fish to a new tank. Do a 20% waterchange and retest your nitrites/nitrates.

 

[suzi1780]

nitrates are fine, it is the rites that are a problem. as for what type of starfish, hmmm i am not sure. I got him from a friend, he is brown and is a sand stiffer. I can't post the level as I am at work, I am going to run home during lunch and get it.

 

[danedodger]

You don't necessarily need more rock.
No? I use a skimmer, cannister, and hob so I'm not experienced with the method of filtering only with a skimmer and liverock. I thought if you were going to only use skimmer/liverock that you'd need more like 1.5-2 lbs per gallon though?

 

[suzi1780]

Hopfully I will have a wet-dry set up by this weekend. I have a guy building me one with a 10 g, bio balls (yes, yes I have read about bio balls) and a plastic kitty litter box! This is how he made his! It should be interesting, but hey his works and it is free!

 

[jdragunas]

you need to remove that sandsifter star immediately!!! It'll starve to death because you don't have an established tank like you need.
Carbon doesn't remove nitrties or ammonia, it removes other chemicals from the tank, so that's not going to help at all.
You have high ammonia and nitrites because you added 4 fish at one time. You can only add 1 fish at a time per every 2-4 weeks. You've basically just kicked your tank into another cycle, and there's really nothing you can do to stop it. You just have to let it take it's course. This happened because you did not have enough bacteria to process the amount of ammonia produced by 4 fish. this is why you can only add 1 fish at a time, so your tank can get used to that added bio-load, but it's not enough to kick your tank into a cycle.

 

[danedodger]

Hmmmm could you explain how he does this? Maybe he could come in and explain his method? Or could you post a picture or something when you get it? It seems like a litter pan would be too shallow to work well and then what about overflow and such? Just wildly curious as I've never heard of anyone doing one in a litter box!

 

[jdragunas]

and yes, you definately need more LR if you're just going to be using that and a skimmer as your filtration. when you have a filter on your tank, that provides a place for the dentrifying bacteria to grow. If you don't have that, you have to replace it with something else - LR. You really need about 2#'s per gallon if you don't have another filter on your tank.

 

[suzi1780]

The LS I have came from another person's tank, will that help the star? See my problem (so to speak) is the guy that is "helping" me, he gave me the clowns, bascailly just showed up at my home with them, he is also the one that gave me the star and again just showed up. What I do is listen to him and then come back on here and check stuff out because I trust you guys more then him

I just hope he doesn't start reading the board!

 

[suzi1780]

I am curious too! He is using one of those pails that you buy litter in, so deeper then a real litter box. I will post pics after it is done

 

[jdragunas]

IMO, return the starfish. Ask ophiura, but this type of star rarely survives in captivity. Even with an established tank, they sift through all of the sand quickly, and eat everything in a short time, and then slowly starve to death over the next few months. It's quite sad.
And you should tell this guy, as politely as you can, that he's really not helping, but making things worse...

 

[suzi1780]

I agree, I just hate to hurt people's feelings

but I like you guys better

I will see if my lfs can take the clowns and star and give me a credit. I also growing little tried of this guy putting moves on me, hahaha, he has met my boyfriend!

 

[mrstwig]

you need to remove that sandsifter star immediately!!! It'll starve to death because you don't have an established tank like you need.
I too made the unfortunate mistake of thinking that I was getting GOOD advice when the guy at the store told me that the sandsifting starfish would be a good addition. So far it is fine but I would like to return it if it is going to die a slow death. I am new to this and wonder how exactly you go about asking the store to accept a return or exchange?? I bought him last Wednesday night. I also bought a coral banded shrimp and I'm wondering if that was such a good idea in my 29 gal tank. He too is fine but I hope to eventually add some soft corals and I have since read (ahhh.....the "research after it's a done deal syndrome" ) that it might like to munch on them. I would just like advice on how to deal with the LFS and my chances of them exchanging those two items and how on earth I go about bagging them up to take back if they go for the idea.

 

[the monkey]

40 lbs of liverock is fine = as long as you add the fish slowly (IE: not 4 at once )
Don't feel the need to get more rock.
The other false or misleading piece of information in this post is the "...and there's really nothing you can do... " regarding the nitrite levels.
A 20% or more waterchange should lower them. Thankfully you have clowns which being damsels are less likely to be effected by poor water quality.
May I ask why 4? And what type?