trates

taznut

taznut

Active Member
this is driving me crazy... i have been fighting with getting nitrates down for about 3 weeks now... i have a 20gal with 30lbs ls, 20lbs lr, seaclone 65 protien skimmer (i think thats what it is), HOB filter...
readings:
sg- 1.026
alk-300
pH-8.00
gh- 425
trite-0
amm-0
trate-80+(my test), 20(lfs test)
calcium-460
tank 4 months old, doing 2 or 3 3gal water changes a week, nothing is dead in tank, all new corals die though, snails and crabs are all fine, i cant see any problems but all the new corals die... i dont have the alk, gh, calcium tests and dont know what they are suppose to be at so are these readings ok??? the pH is low because of all the water changes... about ready to give up...
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
forgot- i think my test is off of trates because the snails and my fox coral are all good... i do the drip acclimation method for no less than an hour each time... my hammer died, GSP hasnt opened completely, got a condy 2 days ago and it is almost dead (just did another water change and condy opening up a little more)... what is wrong? why are somethings dieing and others are fine???
 
poniegirl

poniegirl

Active Member
What kind of HOB filter is it? What specific filter media does it use?
20 gallon tanks run along the nano tank border, they are a bit more difficult to keep stable.
 
mandarin w

mandarin w

Member
I would not get a cleaner clam. Clams need good water quality. If you have corals that keep dieing, all you are doing is risking its life. Yes clams use up nitrate, but at small levels. You need to find out what the problem is, then fix that problem. Some suggestions are: Your hang on the back filter, what type is it. How often are you changeing out the filter pads. These filter pads trap waste and free floating junk in the water, once in the pads it sits, after a little while this will start raising your nitrates up. The pads are good, but need to be changed every week.
The anemone could be dieing not from trates, but lighting, what type of lighting do you have over the tank?
You didn't mention what the temp of the tank is.
Is you Sea clone actually pulling junk out of the tank. How often are you emptying the cup.
You said you tank is only 4 months old, maybe it just isn't old enough to support corals yet.
I would keep up with the water changes for now. at least 10% every week, and change out the filter pads too. That will probley help alot.
The problem with nano tanks, is they are so small, there is
"NO ROOM" for error. If a level of something shifts the slightest, it will really have an impact on the tank.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
live sand can help with trates, but honestly, if your trates are at 20 then you're doing fine. your filter media may be giving you trates, just make sure you're cleaning it. plus, if you have bio balls, keep them clean, but trates of 20 aren't anything to worry about--you have a 20 gallon tank, you don't have enough water to get them down to zero.
edit: didnt realize it was a coral tank. nm on above :p
 
hatessushi

hatessushi

Active Member
If you are concerned about trates you might try a larger water change like 20% to 40% but not any more then that.
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
i took out the carbon part of the HOB filter because that was a suggestion i got a few weeks ago... i have done several water changes since then and it hasnt helped... it was a condy anemone, i thought those didnt need light, i have a 130w 50/50 pc... i am emptying the cup every 3 days now (i turned it up so it sucks out more stuff)... and there is never any free floating stuff in my water it is clear as can be (unless its feeding time then the skimmer goes nuts and sucks up half the food)... thank...
oh temp is 80
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
Originally Posted by mandarin w
I would not get a cleaner clam. Clams need good water quality. If you have corals that keep dieing, all you are doing is risking its life. Yes clams use up nitrate, but at small levels. You need to find out what the problem is, then fix that problem. Some suggestions are: Your hang on the back filter, what type is it. How often are you changeing out the filter pads. These filter pads trap waste and free floating junk in the water, once in the pads it sits, after a little while this will start raising your nitrates up. The pads are good, but need to be changed every week.
The anemone could be dieing not from trates, but lighting, what type of lighting do you have over the tank?
You didn't mention what the temp of the tank is.
Is you Sea clone actually pulling junk out of the tank. How often are you emptying the cup.
You said you tank is only 4 months old, maybe it just isn't old enough to support corals yet.
I would keep up with the water changes for now. at least 10% every week, and change out the filter pads too. That will probley help alot.
The problem with nano tanks, is they are so small, there is
"NO ROOM" for error. If a level of something shifts the slightest, it will really have an impact on the tank.
i took out the carbon part of the HOB filter because that was a suggestion i got a few weeks ago... i have done several water changes since then and it hasnt helped... it was a condy anemone, i thought those didnt need light, i have a 130w 50/50 pc... i am emptying the cup every 3 days now (i turned it up so it sucks out more stuff)... and there is never any free floating stuff in my water it is clear as can be (unless its feeding time then the skimmer goes nuts and sucks up half the food)... thank...
oh temp is 80
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
Originally Posted by HatesSushi
If you are concerned about trates you might try a larger water change like 20% to 40% but not any more then that.
im going to do a 6gal change tomorrow after work and i hope this helps...
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
live sand can help with trates, but honestly, if your trates are at 20 then you're doing fine. your filter media may be giving you trates, just make sure you're cleaning it. plus, if you have bio balls, keep them clean, but trates of 20 aren't anything to worry about--you have a 20 gallon tank, you don't have enough water to get them down to zero.
edit: didnt realize it was a coral tank. nm on above :p
im not sure the trates are only 20... my tests says 80+ almost everytime i check it... and if the trates are only 20 and all other levels are fine (im assuming no one has said any of the other levels posted are off) then i dont know what is killing the corals...
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
is there a reason y my fox is doing so well? ive had him for about 2.5months and he hasnt ever looked bad... and none of my snails die... and the cc star was doing good until i took him out (he ate half my hammer)... is there something im missing???
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
bump... can anyone help??? do i need to change/wash out the bio part of the filter... i was told not to do this before but that is the only thing i can think of doing at this point...
 
apolyom

apolyom

Member
now im no expert but from what i have read on other posts....... corals need calcium suplements, i'd say get a calcium test kit (you mentioned you didnt have one) and then get the additive etc and see how that goes
 
cdangel0

cdangel0

Member
I'd also reccomend getting a new Nitrate test, if your reading and the lfs are that far off then you really do not know what you are truely dealing with. Get a new Nitrate test and check your level again.
Do not wash the Bio part of the filter, this is where your biological filter is living. Make sure you're changing the filter media regularly (every week or two), put the carbon back in, and test your levels again.
Another thought - what type of water are you using, have you checked the nitrate level of the "fresh" water you're using to do your water changes?
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
sorry it has been so long... i have kept doing water changes and got the levels down to where they are suppose to be... im using bottled RO water for different places around town... the trate levels are 0 in that... i have been gone for nearly 2 weeks now and wont be home for another week so i hope things are still okay when i get back... (i have some one taking care of them for me but they really dont know what they are doing so i hope it works)...
 
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