Water parameters, adding LR

[kdfrosty]

I have a couple of questions.....
Yesterday I check my water params:
Temp 79
Salinity 1.024
pH 8.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20
I did a 10% water change
Today I checked my water params:
Temp 79
Salinity 1.024
pH 8.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20
What gives? I know a nitrate reading of 20 isn't anything to freak out about, but ideally it should be 0. I though a water change would do the trick. Any suggestions?
Also, I want to add more LR, but am worried about starting a mini cycle. I can purchase cured LR at my LFS, so dieoff would be minimal. I don't have an extra heater, powerhead, tank, or rubbermaid. Any suggestions? Can I add 1 or 2 lbs at a time w/o a problem?
My filtration is as follows:
330 Biowheel
Magnum 350 Canister
SeaClone 100 Protein Skimmer
15lbs LR
LS

 

[mbrands]

Consider that you only did a 10% water change. I don't honestly know if it is a linear relationship, but that would only remove 2ppm of the 20ppm that you tested. On your color chart I'm sure 18 would look a lot like 20, right? Water changes help to keep nitrates down, but won't necessarily remove them.
If the LR from your LFS isn't out of water for long, then I'd think you could add it directly to the display tank without problems. How far of a drive is your LFS? 15 minutes? 2 hours?

 

[kdfrosty]

I just dont think that theory is correct, mbrands.....with what you are saying, I have to do a 100% water change to get rid of 20ppm nitrates?!?! Hmm....Granted a 10% water change is not much, should I do another change, but this time 15%? 20% Should I even worry?
My LFS is only 10 minutes away. I'll think I'll be ok as long as I add little amounts of LR at a time.
On a lighter note, I am going to Phoenix on Friday for the weekend....Mmmm, baseball, bratwursts, and.....steroids?

 

[tizzo]

This is what mbrands is saying...
Take one cup of water and add 4 drops of red dye. If you remove 25 percent (1/4 cup) and replace that with clear water your water is still fairly red. 50% or even a 75% change will not completely remove the red. 100% will.
As far as nitrates, it would be more detrimental to do a 100% change so regular 20% changes will dilute it down to 0 eventually. You also need to find the reason for your trate levels and correct it. Over feeding? To many fish? Unvacuumed CC? What could it be??

 

[tizzo]

As far as your LR question, I add pieces on a regular and my LFS is an hour away. If the pieces are cured and the store is close die off would not be significant enough to matter.

 

[kdfrosty]

Thanks for the clarification on that...makes complete sense. So just doing my regualr weekly water changes of 10% should eventually do the trick, and maintain nitrates at a reasonable ppm? should I do larger weekly water changes?
The problem might be related to overfeeding. I only have one fish (a tomato clown), 2 Peppermints, and 1 Cleaner, and I usually feed Prime Reef flake. I only feed him enough so that he can eat for one minute, two times a day. I also occasionally (at feeding time) throw in pellets for the shrimp....one pellet a piece. Should I decrease the amount I'm feeding?

 

[hopkins6]

Hey, its me, thanks for all of your help with me. How do you like your seaClone? is it noisy? When i get my 55 i think i will get one?

 

[mbrands]

Frosty - Tizzo explained (probably with better verbage) what I meant. I never meant for you to do a 100% water change. Nitrates in a FOWLR tank aren't considered high until they are over 40. Yours are doing fine.

 

[kdfrosty]

The Seaclone 100 is still getting broken in on my tank. I recently finished my cycle, and it does collect junk in the cup, but it is not what some people have been describing with other skimmers. The waste in my cup is a light to medium brown, and smells heavily of salt. Teh skimmer origianlly created tons of tiny microbubbles throughout my tank, but has since gotten better with time. I collect about 1/4" of waste a day.
MBRANDS- Haha...I see what you are saying now, and no....I didnt go do a 100% water change. In fact, I haven't done anything but add a piece of **** Jebo light to my tank, which I wish I never did at this point. I am going to stick to my 10% weekly water changes, remove ceramic media from my biowheel, and change the cartridge in my canister (from carbon back to micron cartridge). My goal is to eventually eliminate the canister filter all together, but I want to add more LR first.
Thanks for all your guys' help, BTW.