Help please!!!!!!!!!!

F

fishkeeprian

Active member
Hello,

I have set up a fluval edge 46L tank, it has been running for around 1 month. I have purchased two Hydor Koralia Nano 900 Circulation and Wave Pumps but I am unsure where to position them as it is a short tall tank. I have position them in various places but I'm seem to be still getting dead spots, any advice is must appreciated.

Also I am struggling to keep my Nitrates under control I have been doing regular large water changes but they keep creeping up. When I syphon the water out I do remove waste extra. In regards to mechanical filtration I am running Carbon and Rowaphos, I threw the sponge away because I thought this maybe causing the spike in Nitrates.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1:
 
fishkeeprian said:
Hello,

I have set up a fluval edge 46L tank, it has been running for around 1 month. I have purchased two Hydor Koralia Nano 900 Circulation and Wave Pumps but I am unsure where to position them as it is a short tall tank. I have position them in various places but I'm seem to be still getting dead spots, any advice is must appreciated.

Also I am struggling to keep my Nitrates under control I have been doing regular large water changes but they keep creeping up. When I syphon the water out I do remove waste extra. In regards to mechanical filtration I am running Carbon and Rowaphos, I threw the sponge away because I thought this maybe causing the spike in Nitrates.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1:
Click to expand...


Continue water changes. Nitrate spike is probably the end of the nitrogen cycle since it's only been a month. You might have a quick algae bloom and will eventually disappear. It actually took me about 1 1/2 months to get Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate to 0. I'm also using the Seachem Denitrate in my canister filter along with Algone Nitrate remover and carbon. After the nitrogen cycle its pretty much a breeze.

I've used Red Sea Coral Pro salt. That's all I use for water changes. I do not add any supplements. I've tested the salt mix and the Calcium is 400-420, pH 8.0, 12dkh for alk. at 1.025. The salt mix seems to have the right amount of elements necessary for a reef tank. I'm in my 3rd month, and hopefully to test not changing the water for a month and see how the parameters change.

As for the waves, I used to use Hydor, but, it didn't seem like the water was naturally blowing and it wasn't getting my dead spots either. I've switched over to Jaebo and controller, its great powerhead and inexpensive. It can make the waves in your tank making everything look more natural. I have a 25g with WP10 and it's amazing, I switch it to slow down at night, and in the morning I'll run it fast and you can see all the debris blow. It really doesn't matter, remember in the ocean waves change all the time dependent on the weather, so I'll switch it up whenever just to give change. It's definitely cleared up my dead spots. You'll have to play around with positioning it, but the pulsing and variations of speed give you much more ability in controlling the current in your tank. It's an alternative to the Vortech which is way more expensive. Check out the review here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXfEwdNG_wg

What is currently in your tank? Live Rock? Fish? Corals?
 
Also maybe have you considered a clean up crew to clean the debris? snails, hermit crabs, sand shifting starfish, cleaner shrimp, sea cucumber, etc. just to agitate the sand a bit.
 
Hi,

Thanks for your reply, I currently have 1 x Cleaner Shrimp, 1x Fire Shrimp & 4 x hermit crabs.

I had snails but took them out because they seemed to produce a lot of waste, and because I am having trouble with the positioning of my two power heads, it seems I am getting a lot of dead spots, and the waste was continually building up. I currently use iQuatics Ocean Reef Coral Pro Coral Aquarium Salt.


Click to open expanded view
 
How much rock do you have in your system and was it alive or dry? Most of our filtration in a reef tank comes from rock and sand. These things take time to establish in a new tank.
What are your other parameters (I.e., ammonia, nitrite, phosphates?)
Sounds to me like your tank is still cycling. This just takes time.
 
I worked on the basis of 1kg per 10l of water so I got 5kg in total the Rock was live the Ammonia & Nitrites read 0 the Phosphates are also next to nothing. I though once the Ammonia & Nitrites read 0 the cycle is over??
 
Last edited:
Right so that should be plenty of live rock....
I wonder if relying on only water changes to export waste in a system as small as yours is causing the problem. It's so little that there's nowhere for the waste to go...
I assume you are feeding a limited quantity....
I'm.thinking and hoping someone who has more knowledge with systems this size jumps in....
 
It is hard to get powerheads just right, each tank is different. Something that might help is adding another one, but you already have a good amount of total flow in the tank, so you would want to have it behind a rock, or pointed at a wall or such to keep from having a hurricane in there. The positioning of your rocks might be adding too the dead zones too.

But in a one month old tank, it's pretty normal to have some nitrates. I wouldn't call it a problem. Especially if you added a significant amount of ammonia to get the cycle going. The cycle isn't ever really "over" and the nitrate reducing bacteria come slower than the others. Your rowa and carbon aren't for nitrates, a skimmer might help though. Nutrient control in these little, sump less tanks can be a challenge, you may find some good ideas in the nano section of the forum too http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=75

What is your nitrate level now?
What sort of things are you hoping to keep in the tank once it's all settled?

EDIT: post 4 says "click for expanded view" is there supposed to be a picture there? It's not showing for me.
 
Last edited:
Hi,

They are still fairly high, the rock is situated in the center of the tank. I have some cleanup crew in the tank, and a damsel. It seems doesn't matter how many water changes I do I can't keep them under control. I noticed this morning there is a fair amount of waste on the sand bed which I'm trying to position the power heads so they move the waste so it eventually gets sucked into the filter but this is not happening. I have attached a link so you can see my current sent up.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4klt03kfy8o3hp6/2016-03-09%2017.04.51.jpg?dl=0
 
Hi,

They are still fairly high, the rock is situated in the center of the tank. I have some cleanup crew in the tank, and a damsel. It seems doesn’t matter how many water changes I do I can't keep them under control. I noticed this morning there is a fair amount of waste on the sand bed which I'm trying to position the power heads so they move the waste so it eventually gets sucked into the filter but this is not happening. I have attached a link so you can see my current sent up.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4klt03kfy8...04.51.jpg?dl=0
 
I have the same Tank, I fitted a nano skim filter /protein skimmer and a fluval light with just some cuts, I also run two power heads at the top back of the tank, dead spots will just Happen, I have it cut crammed with live rock and to battle nitrate I do weekly water changed and use red sea po3 po4-x, it's a small tank do livestock should be very low. Still cool looking tank even though it's hard to reach into.

image.jpg
 
I completely removed the top glass so it’s completely open top with a hangover lighting unit, this makes maintenance a lot easier. I have around 5kg of live rock in there, isn't really much more room in there. I use I iQuatics Ocean Reef Pro Coral Salt - Aquarium Salt which seems to be good.
 
Ok so one thought is that whatever is producing nitrates in your tank..Iive rock, feeding, tank still cycling, is still producing them so water changes aren't gonna to "fix" the problem until your tank is mature enough or you add something to it to handle nitrates.
Water changes are a good practice, but they won't take away a process that is still happening.
You could look into carbon (vinegar or vodka perhaps) dosing as a means of encouraging your beneficial bacteria, but mostly I think you are still in a process.
Obviously if there were any possible way, a skimmer would help a lot and I would be cautious about the dosing without one...
 
How many ppm nitrates do you have? Fairly high could be anything.
That link didn't work for me either. Try tapping "go advanced" below where you type the post, and attaching the pic.

IMO you shouldn't dose a 1 month old tank with carbon. If you have stuff settling on the sand then you should deal with that, vodka would be a bandaid. 2 reactors, a skimmer, a filter, and a daily dosing regimen is getting awfully complicated for such a new tank. You can get yourself in trouble chasing numbers like this.

I don't see a damsel thriving in an 11 gallon tank. The best way to get a nutrient problem is overstocking. You are very limited on reasonable fish in this tank. Choosing carefully will keep you out of trouble. I'd put one fish on the sand, like a clown goby or yellow watchman; and one that swims in the water like a firefish or possum wrasse. You'll want some kind of screen top to keep the fish inside.

I'm wondering if what you think is settled waste might be diatoms or cyanobacter.
 
Hi currently have 1 x Damsel, 1 x Cleaner Shrimp, 1 x Fire shrimp & 4 x Hermit crabs. I think I might remove the damsel and give it back to my local fish shop, and get myself a Goby. Is a Common Clown too big for my 46l tank? was thinking of an anemone and clown when the tank has matured a bit?
 
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