Ask Nano Questions and Find Information (Nano Expert Albert Thiel)

[alberthiel]

Albert,

I asked this over in the lighting forum but I figured I would ask over here as well.

I have an LED fixture over my 5.5 gallon nano. it is an 18x 3 watt CREE system that is brand new , but unheard of and no longer manufactured. it is mounted approx 6 inches above the water and water is 12 inches deep. It has 8 blues and 10 whites with I believe 60 ° optics on them.Due to the un-changeable programming of the light, it ramps up the lights over a 4 hour time span and then they are all on for 6 hours and then a 4 hour ramp down. I cannot change this. what I can control is the overall brightness of them. right now and for the last two weeks I have had the blues at about 25% and the whites at about 10%.

now that the background is laid out, I guess I am asking how high do I need to run these lights? I have Zoas and a frogspawn in the tank and they just dont seem anywhere close as happy

in my system at home, i cannot color tune the LED's. it is a 180 tank with 126x 3 watt CREE/Bridgeluxe that I run at 90% on 1/2 of it and 100% on non dimmable side. I also have 120 watts of T-5.

I tested night before last and my nitrates were about 25. I did a 50% water change the next day. Salinity is 35ppt, ammonia and nitrite were un-detectable.

I would slowly raise the intensity a little at a time and let the light run that way and see what results you get. Not familiar with that light but what you now have the settings for seem low.

Nice that it ramps up and back down automatically .... Let me know how it works out for you but go slow in increasing the intensity and let it run at the new one for a few days before increasing it further would be my suggestion

 

[alberthiel]

I feed 2 times a day but maybe feeding too much. My clown fish are beast and barely leave anything for the others so I tend to drop in a bit more once they (the clown fish) get their fill. Besides that I do water changes every 1 and a half.

The pH was tested last night at 8:30pm or so, so yes it is low.

My plan of attack/correction is to do a 5gallon water change today and add the Furan 2 to the new saltwater going in as well has some Marine Buffer to raise the pH.

From what I understand I should remove my Biocube filter during the treatment correct?

Also I've been reading and many hobbyist speak negatively of the bio balls in the back on the tank. I'll be honest with you I forgot to clean those curbing the last water change. Smh.
Is it you recommendation to do away with the bio balls as well Al?

Here's the pic of the repositioned powerhead. Just lowered it and angled it more towards cross the tank to reduce the movement on the tanks surface. Power head is a Marineland 400 if you're wondering.


I moved the power head lower and pointed it more towards the opposite corner across the tank rather than the top of the tank. Will post pic of re positioned power head.

Will get back to you on all of this later as I have an outside apppointment but on the Bioballs ... the water that runs over them should be pre-filtered with floss so they do not trap detritus. that is what gave them that negative reputation .. I have used them for 30 + years and never had issues with them BUT I prefilter the water that hits them

 

[Sun1914]

Modding the biocube w/ in tanks media baskets. Also order a new power head/pump to upgrade the one the tank came with as well has some poly filter, chemo pure elite and purigen. All which go in the media baskets. There's also a space for a fuge but haven't decided if I'm a go that far yet. Ordered all today and hope to have by some times next week. Am going to do my water change tonight and begin treatment so by the time the items get here I can install them during my next water change.

Hopefully this will help me not only lower ny nitrates but keep them low and I can begin to look into lighting and coral.

 

[Sun1914]

so figured out my back chambers are DISGUSTING!!! full of all types of waste which is why my nitrates are so high. No way I'm a get them down or all the chambers clean in one water change but at least I can begin to correct the problem.

 

[Sun1914]

Update

Tested water and my results were better but not yet where they need to be.
SG 1.26
pH 8.3
ammonia 0 ppm to 0.25, it went up but I'm sure its because I removed the filter while medicating the tank
nitrite 0 ppm
nitrate 20 ppm, still high I know but it went down 40 ppm after one cleaning of the bio balls and a water change, I'm hoping after a cleaning out of the first chamber and another water change to have a lower read.

Engineer's eye is doing better after just first treatment. Suppose to start the 2nd today.
Am a bit worried I'm stressing my fish too much especially my Yellow Tail Damsel, who turns pale during my water changes. Not to mention my Domino Damsel keeps chasing the Yellow Tail around. Added more live rock and so there is more than enough places for them to hide but it's still a 29g. Think I may have to take out the Domino if this keeps on which I don't see it stopping any time soon.
The chambers are so dirty that my tank goes extremely dark and I'm afraid the nitrogen levels are going to get too high with the amount of detritus that is coming out of these chambers. If anyone has a tip on how to clean them out without shocking my fish or sending my tank into mini cycle again I"m listening.

Also, my clown fish tend to stay together along the back wall of the tank. they didn't seem too happy with me scrapping off the algae from the back wall but it need to be cleaned, My question is, is that normal for them to stay along the wall like that or what can I do or not do to have them move about the tank more?

I just want to have a social tank and if I have to rearrange what I have in the range as far as fish or aquascape I'ld like to know.
Thanks

 

[skinz78]

Happy birthday Albert!

 

[LukeG]

Happy birthday!

 

[Sun1914]

Has anyone heard from Albert? Hope all is well.

Here's 2 videos of my tanks flow.
1 using a maxi jet 400 (500gph)
2 using a hydor koralia 425 (425 gph)
Huge difference on the surface, wondering which one is better for this size tank.

Thanks

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/hfxdeo0o7w8mhob/Nz0BdY89gV

 

[LukeG]

I'm actually worried that something happened to Albert now. Anyone heard from him?

 

[Sun1914]

Still no word from Albert? Wow, does anyone be his personal contact info? Reach out please, let him know we are concerned.

 

[Xrod]

Nothing yet?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Sun1914]

Okay, so checked Albert's facebook page and he's been active in the last few days so he is alive. Guess he's just been busy but at least we know he's safe.

 

[alberthiel]

A lot of people will remove a lot of what is in the back and replace it with a tray that can hold floss to trap dirt and detritus and small bags in which one can put chemical filtration media e.g. GAC, GFO or another PO4 removing compound or a resin that removes more than just PO4, or as I do in HOB filters, put Poly Fitlers from Poly Bio Marine ... etc .. but you may already have done all of that, and of course water changes to lower nutrients should they get a little too high

 

[alberthiel]

so figured out my back chambers are DISGUSTING!!! full of all types of waste which is why my nitrates are so high. No way I'm a get them down or all the chambers clean in one water change but at least I can begin to correct the problem.

Yes one water change may not do it .... sometimes it takes 2 or 3 or 4 or even more depending on how high the NO3 is and where it is ... e.g. in the back, on the rocks, in and on the substrate or in a combination of all of them ...

 

[alberthiel]

Happy birthday Albert!

Thank you ....

 

[alberthiel]

Has anyone heard from Albert? Hope all is well.

Here's 2 videos of my tanks flow.
1 using a maxi jet 400 (500gph)
2 using a hydor koralia 425 (425 gph)
Huge difference on the surface, wondering which one is better for this size tank.

Thanks

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/hfxdeo0o7w8mhob/Nz0BdY89gV

Thanks for the Vids ....

and yes I am OK ... had surgery last week and was out of commission for 8 days ... today starting to feel a little better but am going to take it easy ... hopefully tomorrow all will be ok again ... just do not seem to have the energy yet ... but thanks for your concerns ...

 

[alberthiel]

Still no word from Albert? Wow, does anyone be his personal contact info? Reach out please, let him know we are concerned.

Thanks for the concerns ..... I am ok .... well nearly back to normal .... energy not there yet

 

[alberthiel]

Okay, so checked Albert's facebook page and he's been active in the last few days so he is alive. Guess he's just been busy but at least we know he's safe.

All OK, well sort of ... as I explained in the other messages. Thank you to everyone and to Sun1914 for your concerns and wishes ...

 

[Sun1914]

Not a problem Albert, it's great to have you back and answering our questions but even greater to know you are doing well and getting better.

Welcome back.

 

[Sun1914]

Guys I need help...
not sure whats going on. keeping up with my 2x a wk water changes in order to lower my Nitrates
but I tested my water today and I'm still not right.
Results:
SG - 1.026 (Dope)
ph - 8.3 (Perfect)
Ammonia- 0.25 (NO GOOD)
Nitrite - 0 ppm (NICE!!)
Nitrate - 20 maybe 40 ppm , hard to tell color was close (NO BUENO)

I cut my feeding to once a day. Gonna cut it to every other day now and see if it drops.
My skiimer is putting in work. I see it collecting, not as much as I would like but its working. I left it running while I did my water change and moved around the live sand and it almost filled the collection cup which lets me know my substrate is really dirty but I don't know what else to do besides what I'm doing.
Any other suggestions?