I can't raise my nitrates

[terraincognita]

Not that this helps any figure out at all what's going on, but since you said WC's help.

Have you tried doing like 4 big 50% WC's within a week period? The tank is only 30G right?

I'd try to do 15G WC's every other day for a week and see if that possibly helps just fight off whatever bacteria that is and let your other healthy bacterias populate enough to out compete that bacteria for anything?

seems this bacteria is in the water column if it's turning into jelly and then being filtered out.

Also are you making your own water? What's your RODI source like?

 

[TnFishwater98]

I can send you some tank water from one of my tanks! Jk
Following.....

 

[Chlorinated]

I can’t answer that, but in new tanks, it’s really hard to have phosphates and nitrates. Both my tanks have none.

Could you be really overfeeding ? Are you adding other nutrients in the tank ?

Well the tank definitely is not new. Like I said well established 6+ years.

I feed once daily, but I give quite a few pellets in the ring for just 2 clowns. Quite a few fall and hut the sand. I'm sure my hermits find a few. Seems over feeding to me. I do feed lighter too, but I was trying to get nitrate up.

Feeding corals always has an effect too. Usually a mix of reef chili, selcon, RedSea AB. Sometimes toll drop some pellets on the Duncan, favia and trumpets too.

 

[Chlorinated]

Not that this helps any figure out at all what's going on, but since you said WC's help.

Have you tried doing like 4 big 50% WC's within a week period? The tank is only 30G right?

I'd try to do 15G WC's every other day for a week and see if that possibly helps just fight off whatever bacteria that is and let your other healthy bacterias populate enough to out compete that bacteria for anything?

seems this bacteria is in the water column if it's turning into jelly and then being filtered out.

Also are you making your own water? What's your RODI source like?

I could try. Tough during the week, but may have to just get it done. Willing to try anything at this point.

I can send you some tank water from one of my tanks! Jk
Following.....

I'll try it! Haha

 

[terraincognita]

I could try. Tough during the week, but may have to just get it done. Willing to try anything at this point.


I'll try it! Haha

Yeah, Big WC's have always reset my nano's beautifully.

Up to 40G I'll do 50% WCs in succession a few times and always get a BEAUTIFUL "reset" that last for months

I do it if my params go super off like 11 ALK and 370Calc and 1300MG or, if 1 or 2 colonies seem to be "ticked" and I can't figure out why, or if I get a random algael or bacterial bloom, I'll do it as well with a goob scrubbing of my AIO chambers and all media change out.

 

[Koh23]

Sory to hijack your thread, i have same problem, no bacterial bloom as i use uv, but rest is almost identical.

Undetectable nitrates, slow growing and not too happy corals.... Even plain mushroom is small and pale in color (blue and green, red are colored but no growth at all), xenia and anthelia not growing, i have three smal patches of xenia on rock, three months is passed, still small patches...

Have 4 small fishes, 3 hermits,milions of snails....feed 3-6 cubes of frozen food (copepods, plankton, oyster) along with home made food, i even throw shrimp in sump to rot, hoping to raise nitrates, also comercial food, flakes, pelets....

Still undetectable, no algae, no coraline, just brown dots and small patches on glass.....

Tried no water change - no luck.

Any advice how to raise nitrates, i saw some fertilizer recomended, but no such product over here.....

 

[Lavey29]

Since you have a smaller size tank and apparently think it's a bacterial problem in the water column why not get one of those cheap hang on UV and run it at night. Maybe take out the bad bacteria which will then allow your nitrates to rise and promote beneficial bacteria?

Since I have been following this thread, I woke up this morning to cloudy water and thought dang algae bloom my numbers must be off. Checked everything, looked good so I'm thinking maybe my bag of carbon needs to be changed. Can't understand why I'm getting this bloom now. Then I see my snails dropping their junk in the water and I realize why my water got cloudy.

 

[Chlorinated]

Yeah, Big WC's have always reset my nano's beautifully.

Up to 40G I'll do 50% WCs in succession a few times and always get a BEAUTIFUL "reset" that last for months

I do it if my params go super off like 11 ALK and 370Calc and 1300MG or, if 1 or 2 colonies seem to be "ticked" and I can't figure out why, or if I get a random algael or bacterial bloom, I'll do it as well with a goob scrubbing of my AIO chambers and all media change out.

Certainly worth a shot. Very busy during the week but can try to a few in.

Sory to hijack your thread, i have same problem, no bacterial bloom as i use uv, but rest is almost identical.

Undetectable nitrates, slow growing and not too happy corals.... Even plain mushroom is small and pale in color (blue and green, red are colored but no growth at all), xenia and anthelia not growing, i have three smal patches of xenia on rock, three months is passed, still small patches...

Have 4 small fishes, 3 hermits,milions of snails....feed 3-6 cubes of frozen food (copepods, plankton, oyster) along with home made food, i even throw shrimp in sump to rot, hoping to raise nitrates, also comercial food, flakes, pelets....

Still undetectable, no algae, no coraline, just brown dots and small patches on glass.....

Tried no water change - no luck.

Any advice how to raise nitrates, i saw some fertilizer recomended, but no such product over here.....

Wish I could help....

Since you have a smaller size tank and apparently think it's a bacterial problem in the water column why not get one of those cheap hang on UV and run it at night. Maybe take out the bad bacteria which will then allow your nitrates to rise and promote beneficial bacteria?

Since I have been following this thread, I woke up this morning to cloudy water and thought dang algae bloom my numbers must be off. Checked everything, looked good so I'm thinking maybe my bag of carbon needs to be changed. Can't understand why I'm getting this bloom now. Then I see my snails dropping their junk in the water and I realize why my water got cloudy.

I have debated UV but not looking to add extra equipment if I don't have to. Just another thing to clean/maintain.

 

[Koh23]

I was the same, but i had terrible bloom, that last for almost a month, cheap 15w uv cleared things in 24hrs.....

Cleaning every few months is maybe hassle, but in my case it saved the day

As far as nitrates and corals..... Only thing that seems very happy in my tank is blasto and ricordea....

So really not sure it this in my case lack of nitrates issue, or maybe something else.....

Thanx for support

 

[Lavey29]

Certainly worth a shot. Very busy during the week but can try to a few in.


Wish I could help....


I have debated UV but not looking to add extra equipment if I don't have to. Just another thing to clean/maintain.

I don't think you would need to employ it very long just till you get your bacteria imbalance corrected hence the small hang on the side type used at night.

 

[Lavey29]

I know someone else mentioned this also but do any of these blooms coincide with your big leather coral shedding? Just curious, maybe it has outgrown your filtatration system capacity.

 

[Chlorinated]

I was the same, but i had terrible bloom, that last for almost a month, cheap 15w uv cleared things in 24hrs.....

Cleaning every few months is maybe hassle, but in my case it saved the day

As far as nitrates and corals..... Only thing that seems very happy in my tank is blasto and ricordea....

So really not sure it this in my case lack of nitrates issue, or maybe something else.....

Thanx for support

I will keep that in mind. Appreciate the info on your experience!

I know someone else mentioned this also but do any of these blooms coincide with your big leather coral shedding? Just curious, maybe it has outgrown your filtatration system capacity.

Not that I've noticed. Also never heard of of coral out growing the filtration system, though could be possible I suppose.

I actually thought it was the leathers shedding initially, but when I realized it fluctuated with nutrients, I settled on it being bacteria. Leathers may be contributing though. Idk how the shed layer co tributes to nutrients....anyone know?

 

[Lavey29]

I will keep that in mind. Appreciate the info on your experience!


Not that I've noticed. Also never heard of of coral out growing the filtration system, though could be possible I suppose.

I actually thought it was the leathers shedding initially, but when I realized it fluctuated with nutrients, I settled on it being bacteria. Leathers may be contributing though. Idk how the shed layer co tributes to nutrients....anyone know?

Just speculation because your tank looks fine albeit nitrates low but that doesn't mean there are no nitrates in the tank.

You have a small filtration system which matches the tank size but nice mature corals. Just wondering if a leather releases any toxins when it sheds and perhaps due to the size your carbon can not clean it completely and it contributes to this gel like substance you mentioned clogging your filtration?

 

[Chlorinated]

Just speculation because your tank looks fine albeit nitrates low but that doesn't mean there are no nitrates in the tank.

You have a small filtration system which matches the tank size but nice mature corals. Just wondering if a leather releases any toxins when it sheds and perhaps due to the size your carbon can not clean it completely and it contributes to this gel like substance you mentioned clogging your filtration?

Leathers definitely release toxins, but that's what the carbon is for. I run about 2x recommended because of it

 

[Chlorinated]

Another thought I had. I see lots of debate on this, but cleaning the sand.

I have a sand bed that's 1/2-1" all around. I have historically used my baster to clean all the sand I can find each wc. Some people say only do 25% at a time with the worry of disrupting the bacterial balance. On the other hand, some people rip-clean their tanks and flus their sand with tap water, and after their tanks come out better.

So could this be contributing? I will continue to clean the sand. No question that if you have sand it HAS to be cleaned, but is doing the whole bed each time too much? Could that have started this viscious cycle of bacteria blooms?

 

[Rmckoy]

Another thought I had. I see lots of debate on this, but cleaning the sand.

I have a sand bed that's 1/2-1" all around. I have historically used my baster to clean all the sand I can find each wc. Some people say only do 25% at a time with the worry of disrupting the bacterial balance. On the other hand, some people rip-clean their tanks and flus their sand with tap water, and after their tanks come out better.

So could this be contributing? I will continue to clean the sand. No question that if you have sand it HAS to be cleaned, but is doing the whole bed each time too much? Could that have started this viscious cycle of bacteria blooms?

Every water change I vacuum the sand .
But with only 1/2”-1” of sand.
The only crud would be detritus that you can see .

 

[Chlorinated]

Every water change I vacuum the sand .
But with only 1/2”-1” of sand.
The only crud would be detritus that you can see .

Yes, agreed. You can see when it's dirty. But would cleaning all if it each time cause issue or is that a reach?

 

[Rmckoy]

Yes, agreed. You can see when it's dirty. But would cleaning all if it each time cause issue or is that a reach?

I’ve always done my entire bottom what I can get to ….
A lot is under rocks and wouldn’t be able to reach without moving everything .
But I believe it would depend on too many variables .
How old it is , how many fish , how long between cleaning , amount of food ,

what ever you stir up I always make sure I am sucking out the dust cloud created if you go too fast .

 

[Chlorinated]

I’ve always done my entire bottom what I can get to ….
A lot is under rocks and wouldn’t be able to reach without moving everything .
But I believe it would depend on too many variables .
How old it is , how many fish , how long between cleaning , amount of food ,

what ever you stir up I always make sure I am sucking out the dust cloud created if you go too fast .

I don't use a gravel vac...not enough room between rocks and coral to get much.

I use a baster and blow down in the sand to mix it all up and get it I ot the water column. I then turn my pumps up a few notches for a bit to move it all to the filters. Some resettles obviously but a lot ends up in the floss which I then chnage out.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

I didn't read through all these pages, but from your initial post you have surface debris.

You need more flow and flow that will agitate the surface. That won't fix the slime on the surface, but a good protein skimmer will.

Nitrates, what test are you using? Any filter media like Marine Pure balls or Brightwell media? Too much media will lower nitrates to 0. So if you want them to come up, you'll need to remove about half if the media and see how that works.