Sprockett
New member
I've been keeping a daily log of my tanks parameters, took me a little bit to get all the numbers in line but currently here is what I'm tracking:
Ammonia Less than .25 (but not 0)
PH 8.2
Alk 240
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 20 ppm
Temp 78.1
Salinity 1.024
I've got a 12 g nano, with the following livestock:
3 small hermits
1 very small margarita snail
2 Turbo snails
1 peppermint shrimp
2 very small yellow gobies
1 super super small mushroom
1 small Zoanthid corral
1 small Kenya tree
The tank has 1-1/2" of LS and about 10lbs of Live rock, including lots of worms, critters, feather dusters and one HUGE bristleworm that we see sometimes at night
I'm using a 35 watt PC to light the tank with a 12 on/off schedule and a night light, everyone seems healthy and the only loss has been a peppermint shrimp that we think was killed by the remaining one (he didn't last the first night actually but the other is doing great).
I'm doing water changes every couple of days (about %10) and change the carbon filter every other week or when it starts looking clogged up. I feed lightly every other day, I do have a BIO wheel but the LFS store told me to just leave it in, she uses them in most of her tanks and said that it should be just fine.
The one thing that I have not been able to control is the Nitrates, I can't get them to 0, they always seem to float around 20. I'm working on adding a sump/fuge to the setup but am still planning out what I want to do and how (lots to research) and I know that will help (i'm looking at doing a 25g sump/fuge).
Just seeing if there is more I can do to bring down the nitrates? I'm sure the sump/fuge will be a great help but I'm not just going to run and grab one, I want to make sure I get something that will meet my needs.
Thanks for any advice...
Ammonia Less than .25 (but not 0)
PH 8.2
Alk 240
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 20 ppm
Temp 78.1
Salinity 1.024
I've got a 12 g nano, with the following livestock:
3 small hermits
1 very small margarita snail
2 Turbo snails
1 peppermint shrimp
2 very small yellow gobies
1 super super small mushroom
1 small Zoanthid corral
1 small Kenya tree
The tank has 1-1/2" of LS and about 10lbs of Live rock, including lots of worms, critters, feather dusters and one HUGE bristleworm that we see sometimes at night
I'm using a 35 watt PC to light the tank with a 12 on/off schedule and a night light, everyone seems healthy and the only loss has been a peppermint shrimp that we think was killed by the remaining one (he didn't last the first night actually but the other is doing great).
I'm doing water changes every couple of days (about %10) and change the carbon filter every other week or when it starts looking clogged up. I feed lightly every other day, I do have a BIO wheel but the LFS store told me to just leave it in, she uses them in most of her tanks and said that it should be just fine.
The one thing that I have not been able to control is the Nitrates, I can't get them to 0, they always seem to float around 20. I'm working on adding a sump/fuge to the setup but am still planning out what I want to do and how (lots to research) and I know that will help (i'm looking at doing a 25g sump/fuge).
Just seeing if there is more I can do to bring down the nitrates? I'm sure the sump/fuge will be a great help but I'm not just going to run and grab one, I want to make sure I get something that will meet my needs.
Thanks for any advice...
