HELP!! (Pics)

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finnley10

New member
okay! I started a 46 gallon bow front in july 05 and in december of 05 i made a huge mistake and put 45 pounds of uncured rock into my tank and it crashed. So i sent everything to my friends tank. Now it has been 3 months sense the crash. I added addtional 30 pounds of rock around the same time after the crash. Now the i have a total of 120 pounds of rock. MY PROBLEM is that my phosphates and nirates will not go away. Phophates are at 1.o and nirates at about 25-30 pp. I have done 50 % water change with no results. I feed every other day. I have a canister that i added purigen-de-nitrate-and phosphate media all by seachem (7 days ago after 50 % water change. NO results. I use tap water with a pur filter. I tested it and i think it may have some phospahtes maybe like 0.15 all else is 0. My refugium has a sand bed of about 1/2 inch deep is this the problem/or tap water/ HELP me before i quit. HEre is the link to my webpage with pics http://web.mac.com/sopris/iWeb/Site/Jon's Tank.html
 
you mentioned that you tested your PUR water straight from the filter, and it had phosphates in it? i dunno, i would try to find another water source. i would try to find a water store and get the most filtered water they sell (or at least buy a little and test it before buying gallons and gallons of it) or find a way to get RO/DI water.

do several large water changes and see if that helps to lower your at least your nitrates..

i'm battling some nitrates myself; but doing water changes every day is helping bring them down

I'm definitely no expert, so if anyone else to help finnley, be my guest. i'm here to learn :)
 
i am looking at the filter guys. They have an ro/di system for 158 shipping included. 75 gallos per day. any better places to look. Oh yea how about my fish. will they be okay
 
Definately look at an RO/DI www.buckeyefieldsupply.com has great units and they are a sponsor. The problem with having any phosphate in your fresh water is that they concentrate through evaporation. A skimmer, and your corals can't take that much phosphate out. You could also try dosing Kalkwasser as it will precipitate phosphate.
 
about 4 weeks for the marrons and i have a hi fin goby that survived everything. tough sob. I emptyed the entire tank after the crash and i thought he was dead but he must have been in a rock. The maroons are eating great and the hi finned as well
Thanks for your help all.
 
Looking at your tank, I wouldn't be too worried. Your inverts may not like the Nitrate, but your fish are likely fine. Are you having algae blooms? I agree with the above about finding a better source of water. That and maybe adding a ball of chaetomorphia to the refuge.
 
oooh! post a picture of your goby! i love those

if your fish keep eating, i guess thats a good sign

try and change your water source asap, and keep up with those water changes :)
 
i cant get the pic to post will try later, Im14abeer. in june i plan on upgrading lights and starting to add corals. Then what? will the lower themselves with time if i get the ro/di and do some water changes.
 
Let me get this straight, you have 120 pounds of live rock in your 46G bowfront? I don't do well in math but it seems that you have reduced the water volume of that tank.

Nonetheless, let me just tell you that your 46G bowfront is addicting to look at. Great rockwork. I adore both of your maroons. I love maroons actually.

How is your waterflow? sometimes the tough thing about too much rocks in a tank is that it leaves room for idle water. When dead spots are present, there's a possibility that detrius may settle in those spots and give you nitrate and phosphate problems.

You might want to either rearrange your rocks to with the intention of discouraging deadspots, or put some powerheads in between those rocks to constantly blow water within them or something. Or a combination of both. But your bioload might be coming from dead spots in your tank due to immense amounts of rocks and the squeezed rock work.

My two cents.

Other than that, GREAT TANK!!!!!!!
 
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I'd say nothing to get too worked up about. I should have asked before, are the Nitrates rising, or are they steady around 30? You may still be "burning off" some decay in the rock. Good flow is also important, besides keeping detrius suspended (so your filter/skimmer can get it), it helps move water in and out of the core of the rock. This is another place where Nitrate can be dealt with. I also should have asked what the light schedule for the fuge is. You might consider a reverse photoperiod for it, if you don't light it 24/7.

Just some things to think about/research. There are other ways, IMO not necessary in your situation. Search dsb, algal scrubber, sulfur denitrator, and vodka dosing, if lesser means do not suffice. Also couldn't hurt to double check your tests against another test kit.

I really like what you did with the rock. Looking good to my eye.
 
Allright, I guess I shouldn't have been messing around while writing that last post. Archie beat me to flow and complimenting your rockwork.
 
thanks guys yes a lot of live rock! my nitrates seem to be staying at around 25-30 ppm, however the phosphates are going up. I have two seio 600 on each side of the tank and a rio 800 behind the rock work, including the canister is that enought. But last week i thought i may vaccum the sand a bit and wow there was a lot of junk- hopefully i didnt take to much good bacteria but i dont think so because i cant get behind the rock work. Oh my! moving that much rock would suck and i have it to the point where i love it and coral placement in the future. someone said awhile ago and i love it "nothing good happens fast in reefing" yea the fuge is lit at night when the tank lights turn off. Thank you again for your time guys. I am getting a ro/di unit today on-line and will start water changes and mess with helping out those dead spots.
 
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