Nitrates!!

[Burray]

Similar tank size....similar corals, +bta's.....2 clowns, red band shrimp, emerald crab.
I feed every 2-3 days. 1/3 frozen cube myis, 5ml of Reasea AB+, pinky size of benefit reef food, 6 pellets, 1/4 pinky flake. Last 2 are sometimes. I am fighting low nitrates.

Everywhere I read it says to feed twice daily so of course I feel bad not doing so. This makes me feel better, I will start feeding once daily and do a larger water changes. Thanks

 

[Burray]

dfsdf

I am sorry but I didn't understand. I just got back to reefing after many years and am unfamiliar with the term.

 

[elorablue]

I find it interesting that nobody asked how your tank was doing. Just automatically assumed that higher nitrates means disaster.

So, how are your fish and coral doing?

 

[Burray]

I would also look into ProBio to help with your nutrients and to fee the coral. @Kenneth Wingerter

I just started using Reef Energy Plus AB+ to feed my corals but not every day.

 

[Burray]

I find it interesting that nobody asked how your tank was doing. Just automatically assumed that higher nitrates means disaster.

So, how are your fish and coral doing?

The water is clear, corals seem happy and my fish are doing great. I lost my Mandarin a few weeks ago but it was eating great and seemed happy so not sure what happened and I also lost my GBTA but it seemed sick since the day I brought her home. I had her for about 3 months. Salt 1.026
PH 8.0
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 20 ppm
Calcium 360
Alk 7.7
Mag 1350
Phosphate 0.1
3 days ago, today Nitrate back at 40ppm.
Thank you for asking.

 

[ZoWhat]

I let my no3 climb to 40 over the Summer. I started dosing 80proof Vodka and in 6weeks my no3 is now down to 2ppm

 

[Burray]

I let my no3 climb to 40 over the Summer. I started dosing 80proof Vodka and in 6weeks my no3 is now down to 2ppm

How much did you use and how often? Also how many gallons is you tank?

 

[ZoWhat]

@Burray

220g total water volume

Dosed a shotglass (30ml) full of 80proof Vodka every evening until it got down below 10. Expect a Nitro-bacteria (good bacteria) cloudy milky outbreak. Also have skimmer running full power.

I still dose a shotglass every 2-3 days

 

[Burray]

@Burray

220g total water volume

Dosed a shotglass (30ml) full of 80proof Vodka every evening until it got down below 10. Expect a Nitro-bacteria (good bacteria) cloudy milky outbreak. Also have skimmer running full power.

I still dose a shotglass every 2-3 days

Thanks I will have to reduce the vodka to accommodate my 32 gal but will consider it. Thanks

 

[GradientHurdle]

I have been battling high Nitrates for several months at 40, it's lowered to 20 but not for long. I have a Fluval flex 32 gal equals approx 29 gal of tank space, 2 clowns, a coral beauty, a golden head Goby and a BiColor Blenny. I have been doing 5 gal water changes weekly, I've used DeNitrate twice, Prime daily for days and nothing. I have several corals, Xenia, Ricordea, Frog Spawn, Toad Stool, Star Polyps and a couple of Feather Dusters. I would like to get 2 more fish, a Green Mandarin, a Watchman Goby and a green Bubble Tip Anemone. I feed twice daily, Flakes or Pellets in the morning and half a frozen chunk in the evenings. Should I only feed once daily? Is it ok to get the Anemone I want? What about the fish I'd like to have? Help!!

How old is your tank is the first place to start I think. Before getting a dragonette, make sure you have a substantial copepod population that is self sustaining. Are you feeding with an auto-feeder and are the fish actually eating it. Are you utilizing any bacterial such as MicrōBacter, BioSpira, or Dr. Tim's one and only? Have you confirmed that you have not ammonia?

 

[Burray]

How old is your tank is the first place to start I think. Before getting a dragonette, make sure you have a substantial copepod population that is self sustaining. Are you feeding with an auto-feeder and are the fish actually eating it. Are you utilizing any bacterial such as MicrōBacter, BioSpira, or Dr. Tim's one and only? Have you confirmed that you have not ammonia?

My tank is about 5 months old. I purchased copepods when I cycled the tank (2 16 oz bottles) and again about a month ago (2 20oz bottles) a couple of days after I put those in the tank was when my Mandarin died. I've just been feeding everyday at about 9:30 and again at 6pm. I test the water 2 to 3 times weekly and ammonia has always been at 0 and I've used Seed a couple of times, Prime several times but not the others you've mentioned.

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

I would also look into ProBio to help with your nutrients and to fee the coral. @Kenneth Wingerter

PNS Bacteria: Denitrification Powerhouses

Conventional methods for removing nitrate include water changes and chemical treatments, both of which are generally costly and laborious. Natural methods of nitrate removal are comparatively inexpensive and simple. One particularly effective tool is denitrification. Denitrification is an...

www.hydrospace.store

 

[GradientHurdle]

My tank is about 5 months old. I purchased copepods when I cycled the tank (2 16 oz bottles) and again about a month ago (2 20oz bottles) a couple of days after I put those in the tank was when my Mandarin died. I've just been feeding everyday at about 9:30 and again at 6pm. I test the water 2 to 3 times weekly and ammonia has always been at 0 and I've used Seed a couple of times, Prime several times but not the others you've mentioned.

Is this your first saltwater tank. If so, 5 months is a tank in its infancy and it needs much more time to mature and one should consider on slowing down the desire to get the cool stuff. Just my opinion, but since your tank is so new I would suggest is starting a fresh cycle using the one of the suggested types of bacteria. I have over the years become a big fan of Brightwell Aquatics products (in fact im gonna start up a 60 gallon frag tank and exclusively to BA product on it). I suggest you look at their website and follow the directions specifically to get your fauna and a healthy population of beneficial bacterial. This takes months for your tank, regardless of size to completely cycle and really up to a year before the tank really becomes "stable" and you have the ability to maintain a healthy pod population for your more advanced fish. It seems that you are not over feeding and the nitrate issue appears to be more a young tank syndrome that has not fully cycled. If you have filter socks or other types of filter material and you do not see pods in them when you clean them out, then most likely your pod population is not able to feed a mandarin. My mandarins are 5 years old, and even today they will not eat prepared food such as mysis that they will suck in, chew a bit and spit back out as they like the pods. I some of this helps.

 

[Burray]

Is this your first saltwater tank. If so, 5 months is a tank in its infancy and it needs much more time to mature and one should consider on slowing down the desire to get the cool stuff. Just my opinion, but since your tank is so new I would suggest is starting a fresh cycle using the one of the suggested types of bacteria. I have over the years become a big fan of Brightwell Aquatics products (in fact im gonna start up a 60 gallon frag tank and exclusively to BA product on it). I suggest you look at their website and follow the directions specifically to get your fauna and a healthy population of beneficial bacterial. This takes months for your tank, regardless of size to completely cycle and really up to a year before the tank really becomes "stable" and you have the ability to maintain a healthy pod population for your more advanced fish. It seems that you are not over feeding and the nitrate issue appears to be more a young tank syndrome that has not fully cycled. If you have filter socks or other types of filter material and you do not see pods in them when you clean them out, then most likely your pod population is not able to feed a mandarin. My mandarins are 5 years old, and even today they will not eat prepared food such as mysis that they will suck in, chew a bit and spit back out as they like the pods. I some ofI

I had a 90 gal over 15 yes ago but didn't really know what I was doing so I researched tons of stuff before starting and cycled my new 32 gal for 10 weeks with live rock in hopes all would work. The Nitrates started rising about 4 months ago and I've been able to drop to 20 but still go back up to 40 or 50 depending on the test kit I use. My local aquarium store tested my Nitrates and they said they were low using the API test kit. Thanks for your information I have some Bright well A and B, Prime, Seed bacteria, Eight.Four, Coral amino and reef energy plus AB+ along with other stuff. I would like to just have what I really need to keep my tank healthy and to help keep my Nitrates down.

 

[GradientHurdle]

We all had to start somewhere and there is so much info online that is great but a lot of information is contradictory. I have found that less is more. With the exception of calcium and alkalinity that I have on an auto-doser, I use BA MicrōBacter 7 as instructed, Red Sea A&B 3x weekly, Phytoplankton from Algae Barn 2x weekly, and then trace elements and iodine once a week. My PO4 hovers between .06 and .12 and Nitrates rarely get above 6 and usually hold between 1-3. I run a reef octopus skimmer on a 110 gallon display and 44 gallon sump. All my reef rock, 50 lbs of it is real rock and I turn about 4500gph. Check out this website as it has great info on it and you can kick start your tank even though it's already running. I would suggest following the steps exactly with fishes cycle and that should provide you with a good solid base for denitrification. Cheto works really good as well in the sump and a great breeding grounds for your pods.

 

[Burray]

We all had to start somewhere and there is so much info online that is great but a lot of information is contradictory. I have found that less is more. With the exception of calcium and alkalinity that I have on an auto-doser, I use BA MicrōBacter 7 as instructed, Red Sea A&B 3x weekly, Phytoplankton from Algae Barn 2x weekly, and then trace elements and iodine once a week. My PO4 hovers between .06 and .12 and Nitrates rarely get above 6 and usually hold between 1-3. I run a reef octopus skimmer on a 110 gallon display and 44 gallon sump. All my reef rock, 50 lbs of it is real rock and I turn about 4500gph. Check out this website as it has great info on it and you can kick start your tank even though it's already running. I would suggest following the steps exactly with fishes cycle and that should provide you with a good solid base for denitrification. Cheto works really good as well in the sump and a great breeding grounds for your pods.

I don't have a sump, I tried to keep Cheeto in a net bag my display but I guess my fish ate it. I have a bottle of Fluval Cycle if you think that works and was looking into Aquaforest Pro Bio S. Thanks for all your help.

 

[GradientHurdle]

I don't have a sump, I tried to keep Cheeto in a net bag my display but I guess my fish ate it. I have a bottle of Fluval Cycle if you think that works and was looking into Aquaforest Pro Bio S. Thanks for all your help.

Without a sump, it’s gonna to be very challenging to achieve what you want.

 

[Murphs_reef]

That's a chunk of fish in your tank for a kick off.. second

Don't add anything until you learn how to manage nitrates, your failing. Large water changes are in order and larger water changes required if that's how you are dealing with nitrates.

^^ this

 

[Burray]

Without a sump, it’s gonna to be very challenging to achieve what you want.

Tx

 

[HuduVudu]

I have been battling high Nitrates for several months at 40, it's lowered to 20 but not for long.

Can I has some of those.

My tank eats them like cat food in a crazy cat ladies house.