What am I doing wrong?

[chroniccoral35]

Okay, I have had my 28g JBJ for about a month 1/2 now. Though I transfered my 15g to it I still did not add anymore livestock then what their already was for 3 weeks. the back chamber is completely gutted out, it's packed with LR rubble. I have an 11W bulb over micro algae I bought from my LFS (Which I may be replacing with chaeto soon). I feed my fish twice a week, and I hand feed my Long Tent. Plate a piece of krill twice a week that he eats right away. I do a weekly 4.6g W/C, my water is from the LFS. My problem is nitrates.....they are at 20 right now, they don't seem to go PAST 20 but I can't never seem to keep them at 5 or below, any advice would be appreciated. Also everytime I do a W/C pieces of the micro algae get shot into the tank and go all over, is this a problem? it clears up but I just don't like it.

 

[subielover]

I would say if you start mixing your own water you may get a better grasp on what is going on, not sure otherwise

 

[sdiehl999]

Do you have any filter floss under the surface skimmer? You could be getting detrious trapped in the LR rubble. IMO, LR rubble is just as succeptible as bioballs for trapping detrious, and proper care must be taken to maintain the rubble and/or bioballs to keep the trates down... Enough macroalgae in the refugium will help with trates and phosphorus, but it's not a fix...Other than that, look around for any dead CUC members?
The other thought is... what kind of water are you using for your salt mix? Hopefully you are using RO water, because tap water can contain nitrates.
HTH
Stacey

 

[sdiehl999]

sorry, missed that you get water from LFS... test it for trates before adding it to your tank and make sure you top off w/ RO water!
Turn off the pump(s) when doing a water change...
Stacey

 

[chroniccoral35]

The water I use is Natural Sea Water from my LFS, due to I get major deals on it...I've used it on other tanks and never had problems. I didn't clearly understand the detrious part...what is it? and how do I stop my LR rubble from trapping it? I have no filter floss btw. I only bought a bit of micro algae...I figured it would grow quick but I think I need to buy more...

 

[sdiehl999]

Sorry for the really long post, but I think this will help ya!
Detrious is a general term for waste products... decaying organic material : fish poo, CuC poo, uneaten food... It settles all over your LR in the DT AND in the rubble in your back chambers. It's going to be tricky getting it outta your rear chambers if it's packed full of rubble... What I do may not be what everyone else does but...lol
here's my suggestion to you:
Go to walmart and get their green packaged pillow fiber(it's all natural, no chemicals, etc...) It's what a LOT of people use as filter media. Toss it in the back chamber under your surface skimmer so the water pours onto it before passing into your rubble. Do that ASAP. Get ready to do a waterchange ASAP... Before you do your waterchange, get a turkey baster and blast off all the detrious from the LR in the display area and the rubble from the back chamber, it will begin to look like snow in there if there's a lot of it built up. Siphon out the water while the debris is suspended in the water column, and do atleast your typical amount if not more. Add your new water, change your floss after the tank begins to clear up and put new floss back in. You may need to keep agitating the rubble, fuge and DT w/ the turkey baster to get the detrious levels down. Definitely keep up on it until your trates get down to where you want them.
Like I said, regardless of whether it's Bioballs or LR rubble, you have to maintain them and keep some form of filter pad or floss on them to trap the big waste and cut down on the need to do what I listed above.
I hope this helps... works for me.
Stacey

 

[chroniccoral35]

Thanks for the reply. What exactly is this Green Pillow Fiber? there is only one exit and/or entrance to the back chambers from the DT which is the middle chamber where the filter box use to be. I just place the pillow fiber right on top of that? also is their a difference between Chaeto and regular micro algae that my LFS sells a crap load out of a tank?

 

[sdiehl999]

It's polyester fiber that's packaged in a green plastic bag... It's back in the arts/crafts section of walmart... Kinda funny the looks I've gotten when I go back there to get a bag (i'm a dude)...
You can get the same thing at a LFS, but it will cost more $$$ because it usually has pictures of fish on it... ah well.
You want to put the filter floss where the water enters the rear chambers from the DT... I am trying to visualize what you've got going on back there... got a pic?

 

[chroniccoral35]

I do have a nice pic of my back chambers but I can only post them on my girlfriends pc lol. I'll try to explain it. Like I mentioned the whole things LR rubble. the 3rd chamber is my skimmer, the center is LR rubble on the bottom and micro algae on top which I am going to take out and pack it with chaeto once I can make it to my LFS and an 11W light from home depo hovering over it, clamped on to the side of the back. Next to that is where the heater is suppose to go which I do not need one so its also stocked with LR rubble. In the center chamber there is a little opening for the water to go in and out. The water does not fall/drip into the chambers tho it just flows in, the water level in the back is to the top.

 

[peef]

Your LFS should have filter floss for sale for like $1.00 it works very well. If you absolutly can't solve the nitrate problem go to the LFS and get some "kent marine nitrate sponge" it is freaken amazing!

 

[nwdyr]

another reason NOT to pack chambers with LR!!!!!! I also fell victim of listening to people and there "MODS"

I would get the LR out of there! that's the only way to fix the prob. anything else will just be a band aide. I am in the process of doing this also. Take the rubble out little by little ,but keep it in your system. Put it in the tank and re place it with good ol bio balls!! they work , sorry guys I know for some reason EVERYBODY here thinks they don't work but the do!! every 6months or so you have to take the balls out and shake off the debri ,it's allot better then the LR option. Good luck

 

[chroniccoral35]

ugh this tanks become so frustrating...I was told LR is good so I stocked it with it now I am told its not and I have no idea how I am going to get them little pieces of LR rubble out. I have a nano not a biocube. I've never used bio-balls before and have no idea where to put them. I was going to keep the LR in there and just stock the middle chamber with chaeto.