Hello All,
I hate for my first post to be an emergency, but I am really struggling here. Although this has been a several month ordeal leading up to this, I will try to keep it brief.
I am new to the hobby (started my first (current) tank in Aug. 2018), but I am very consistent about water changes, I have never missed one.
Recently, my Nitrates went through the roof, not just a little, but 160ppm while my ammonia and nitrite both stayed at or near undetectable. This ended up killing 2 fish, a bicolor blenny and diamond goby (obvious signs of nitrate poisoning) and it made one fish very very sick. I did big water changes and my nitrates would drop, but overnight they would go right back to 160ppm. I started dosing carbon (Red Sea No Pox) and it has helped over time, but my nitrates have started to rise as I begin to lower the dose. Currently, my nitrates are back at 40ppm, corals aren't doing so well, and another fish died a few days ago with the same signs of Nitrate poisoning. I don't want to keep losing fish and coral at such a quick rate.
Please help me figure out the underlying cause here, I am at a bit of a loss and don't want to hide the problem with Carbon dosing.
I am open to any suggestions, I have tried multiple test kits just to be sure the readings are accurate.
Please see tank stats below.
Tank: Innovative Marine Fusion 30 Gallon
Rock: Reef Saver Live Dry Rock
Sand: 1-2" of CaribSea Aragonite Special Grade
Food: LRS Reef Frenzy (1/2"x1/2" Square Per Day-Thawed)
Sicce 530 GPH Return Pump
150W Heater
Ice Cap 1K Gyre
Tunze 9001 Protein Skimmer
Innovative Marine Aqua Shield UV Sterilizer-Currently Off, Used to Clear An Algae Bloom
Aquatic Life 4 Stage RODI Filter-This Water Tests Clean
Innovative Marine Caddy (Filter Floss, GFO, Carbon)
Custom Lighting Solution
Current Stocking:
(1) Clownfish
(1) Bengaii Cardinal
(1) Dwarf Coral Beauty Angel
(1) Cleaner Shrimp
(1) Peppermint Shrimp
(7) Hermit Crabs
(1) Green Star Polyp (Fairly Retracted)
(1) Xenia (Closed, Not Melted...Yet)
Weekly 20% Water Change with RODI Water
Weekly Glass Clean/Vacuum
Dump Out Skimmer Cup Every Few Days
Top Off Water Every Few Days
Clean Pumps, Equipment Every Few Weeks
Current Parameters:
80 Degrees F
pH: 8.2
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: .25 (Normally At 0)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40 (Was 160 About 2 Weeks Ago)
Phosphate: Between 0 and .25 (Kit Doesn't Have More Resolution)
Calcium: 440
Alkalinity: 20 (Consistently Has Been At 9, Bad Reaction From API 8.2 2 Days Ago)
Let me know if any more information is needed, I really appreciate it and look forward to meeting the community on here.
I hate for my first post to be an emergency, but I am really struggling here. Although this has been a several month ordeal leading up to this, I will try to keep it brief.
I am new to the hobby (started my first (current) tank in Aug. 2018), but I am very consistent about water changes, I have never missed one.
Recently, my Nitrates went through the roof, not just a little, but 160ppm while my ammonia and nitrite both stayed at or near undetectable. This ended up killing 2 fish, a bicolor blenny and diamond goby (obvious signs of nitrate poisoning) and it made one fish very very sick. I did big water changes and my nitrates would drop, but overnight they would go right back to 160ppm. I started dosing carbon (Red Sea No Pox) and it has helped over time, but my nitrates have started to rise as I begin to lower the dose. Currently, my nitrates are back at 40ppm, corals aren't doing so well, and another fish died a few days ago with the same signs of Nitrate poisoning. I don't want to keep losing fish and coral at such a quick rate.
Please help me figure out the underlying cause here, I am at a bit of a loss and don't want to hide the problem with Carbon dosing.
I am open to any suggestions, I have tried multiple test kits just to be sure the readings are accurate.
Please see tank stats below.
Tank: Innovative Marine Fusion 30 Gallon
Rock: Reef Saver Live Dry Rock
Sand: 1-2" of CaribSea Aragonite Special Grade
Food: LRS Reef Frenzy (1/2"x1/2" Square Per Day-Thawed)
Sicce 530 GPH Return Pump
150W Heater
Ice Cap 1K Gyre
Tunze 9001 Protein Skimmer
Innovative Marine Aqua Shield UV Sterilizer-Currently Off, Used to Clear An Algae Bloom
Aquatic Life 4 Stage RODI Filter-This Water Tests Clean
Innovative Marine Caddy (Filter Floss, GFO, Carbon)
Custom Lighting Solution
Current Stocking:
(1) Clownfish
(1) Bengaii Cardinal
(1) Dwarf Coral Beauty Angel
(1) Cleaner Shrimp
(1) Peppermint Shrimp
(7) Hermit Crabs
(1) Green Star Polyp (Fairly Retracted)
(1) Xenia (Closed, Not Melted...Yet)
Weekly 20% Water Change with RODI Water
Weekly Glass Clean/Vacuum
Dump Out Skimmer Cup Every Few Days
Top Off Water Every Few Days
Clean Pumps, Equipment Every Few Weeks
Current Parameters:
80 Degrees F
pH: 8.2
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: .25 (Normally At 0)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40 (Was 160 About 2 Weeks Ago)
Phosphate: Between 0 and .25 (Kit Doesn't Have More Resolution)
Calcium: 440
Alkalinity: 20 (Consistently Has Been At 9, Bad Reaction From API 8.2 2 Days Ago)
Let me know if any more information is needed, I really appreciate it and look forward to meeting the community on here.