nitrate problem

[StraightZALE]

tested my tank last night and my nitrates are between 20 and 30 ppm. im starting to grow green algae. the system is pretty new, a few months old. its a 10o gallon tank with a 60 gallon sump/fuge. I have a shoppes s-200 skimmer, about 70to pounds of live rock and cheato. I have a koran(juvenile), eibli, starry blenny, two small perculas, Auriga butterfly, 2 peppermint shrimp, a cleaner shrimp and 150I snails and hermits. any digestions? do I need more live rock? I have to get back to work. any ideas would ne greatly appreciated. thanks

 

[Krish]

Nitrates are usually associated with newer tanks. It took my tank about 9 months to drop from 10 ppm of nitrates down to 0 so it does take some time. What are you using for water? Also, what is your maintenance schedule look like (ie water changes - how often and how much water)? Do you run a sandbed and if so, what type and how do you care for it. Lastly, do you run any sponges, filter socks etc in your system and if so, how often are they changed or cleaned?

Just a few questions for starters. Nitrates and algae is typical like I said with newly set up tanks as they need time to mature and find their balance, but there are other things that can contribute to elevated levels so maybe we can figure it out. If you have a picture of your tank, post a picture. Something may stand out. Also, over feeding is also another thing you have to be careful of as well as having in- adequate flow.


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[StraightZALE]

honestly I've never done a water change. this is the first test I've done where it made me a little worried. I haven't cleaned the sand, its 1-2" bed. I run a filter sock on my overflow and I clean that once a week. I feed half a cube of mysis or blood worms twice a day. I know my flow should ne better. I run to kind of weak power heads and my 1100 return pump.

 

[fall0n]

Speaking of Krish - with a 1"-2" sandbed what type of maintenance can we do on it. I seen some disasters if you really get is stirred up ( shifts the bio filter properties until is settles/re-established). What do you recommend?

 

[JJMoneyman]

Usually on a system we want to do about a 10% water change every week to help remove some of those yuckies out of the water. Without doing water changes they will start building up like you are seeing. Looks like it should be easy to remedy for you.

 

[Krish]

honestly I've never done a water change. this is the first test I've done where it made me a little worried. I haven't cleaned the sand, its 1-2" bed. I run a filter sock on my overflow and I clean that once a week. I feed half a cube of mysis or blood worms twice a day. I know my flow should ne better. I run to kind of weak power heads and my 1100 return pump.

As mentioned, nothing that a little maintenance won't help. A filter sock as an example serves no purpose if the waste it catches remains in it sitting in your tank. All it is doing is rotting/decaying degrading your water quality. Same with your sand bed. It's just accumulating waste. That stuff has to be removed out of your system so your filter sock needs to be cleaned atleast every few days and I'd look at doing weekly water changes of no less than 10% of your tank's volume where you can vacuum your substrate the same time. I'd imagine your phosphate levels may be a little high as well. Lastly, you said you were using chaeto. Do you just let it grow and do whatever or do you trim it? If you don't trim it much I would start trimming it back periodically. As the algae binds up the excess nitrates and phosphates in the water for it's growth, it needs to be exported out of your tank which is done through trimming it back so it's good to trim back any algae to export the bound up excess nutrients.


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[Krish]

Speaking of Krish - with a 1"-2" sandbed what type of maintenance can we do on it. I seen some disasters if you really get is stirred up ( shifts the bio filter properties until is settles/re-established). What do you recommend?

Saw your question on the sand thread so I answered it over there.


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[StraightZALE]

and no I have not trimmed it back. it has strands that fall off, should I take those out also?

 

[StraightZALE]

what are your thoughts on a deep sand bed ? can I add more sand at this point?

 

[Krish]

Yea, I'd start trimming regularly as it grows and remove what's laying around. If the chaeto starts to die off it will just add fuel for algae to grow. Decaying matter is fuel for algae. You are basically at a point where you have enough nutrients in your tank to fuel both chaeto and hair algae to grow so some tank maintenance needs to be done.

As for a deep sand bed, I've never kept one so can't comment much on them. Maybe someone else who has will chime in with their two cents on it.


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[StraightZALE]

thanks for all the info krish

 

[Krish]

thanks for all the info krish

Anytime! Anything else pops up just ask away!


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