NanoCube-boy
New member
Oh okay, because that is about at least 20lbs of LS. I have over 12lbs in of LR in my display part and 1.5 in the rear of refug. That should be enoguh...
High nitrate problem, please HELP!!!
- Thread starter NanoCube-boy
- Start date
MadSkillzMan
New member
ive got the same problem, im using onea those Fish Med er whatever ones..u know the fish with the dr's hat
my ammonias ALWAYS read .25, and nitrate is ALWAYS 20...its 2 separate bottles, do FW/SW
now when i use the nitrIte test kit from my old FW/SW kit (the only one that hasnt run out) it shows 0...so whats that tell you?
now im not using RO/DI (will be soon as i get $$) but thus far with about 30lbs of LR (20gal tall) a SB of about 2-3" with seeded LS in it, seaclone skimmer, and HOB refuge with chaeto and the val junk..my 2 clowns are super happy, waters crystal clear, and i dont noramlly change much water but every week or so
sometimes that dumb kit says my fish should be dead. on freshwater it shows up 0 across the board...doesnt seem to like salt...theres one g uy on here with the same kit, reported his ammonia at beyond 8, yet everyone was fine..now ot to say there isnt SOMETHING in the water, but i think some kits are way too off
my ammonias ALWAYS read .25, and nitrate is ALWAYS 20...its 2 separate bottles, do FW/SW
now when i use the nitrIte test kit from my old FW/SW kit (the only one that hasnt run out) it shows 0...so whats that tell you?
now im not using RO/DI (will be soon as i get $$) but thus far with about 30lbs of LR (20gal tall) a SB of about 2-3" with seeded LS in it, seaclone skimmer, and HOB refuge with chaeto and the val junk..my 2 clowns are super happy, waters crystal clear, and i dont noramlly change much water but every week or so
sometimes that dumb kit says my fish should be dead. on freshwater it shows up 0 across the board...doesnt seem to like salt...theres one g uy on here with the same kit, reported his ammonia at beyond 8, yet everyone was fine..now ot to say there isnt SOMETHING in the water, but i think some kits are way too off
NanoCube-boy
New member
Yea, I got that fish dr what ever that Master Kit is... That kit sucks... USELESS. I switch to salifert for nitrate and I'm planning to switch the other Nitrogen test kit to saliferts soon.
Yea that kit aren't accurate, now it just sit my my cabinet while staring at me using saliferts. HAHAH
OH! BTW, my nitrate when down to 40ppm when I did my 1 gallon water changes. I plan to do a 2gallon next week.
Yea that kit aren't accurate, now it just sit my my cabinet while staring at me using saliferts. HAHAH
OH! BTW, my nitrate when down to 40ppm when I did my 1 gallon water changes. I plan to do a 2gallon next week.
NanoCube-boy
New member
this is what I used before and I hate it now...
MadSkillzMan
New member
yup thats what ive got, and thats the problem ive got
works on FW
works on FW
Mighty Quinn
New member
Why are you using filter floss? I would only recommend using filter floss during tank maintenance and cleaning to help remove detritus from the water column. You really don't want any kind of mechanical filter running continuously in your tank. What you do want is for all of your nitrates to be generated at or near nitrate-reducing environments in your live rock and sand bed.
Q
Mighty Quinn
New member
It is really tough to keep a live sandbed that is teeming with critters and functioning properly in a tank as small as yours. Search the web for Ron Shimek's articles on how to design a proper sand bed for more information.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6700223#post6700223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NanoCube-boy
Is my sand bed deep enough?
Q
NanoCube-boy
New member
I need feed floss because I it collects small left over food from the tank. I change it every 4 days...
MadSkillzMan
New member
agreed. besides, the skimmer will get what it should, and the food provides food for plants...assuming you have some in ur fuge?
NanoCube-boy
New member
Well I don't have a skimmer but I have a fug. I don't know if it's a good idea to leave to food going into the fug and decay. Though pods my eat them but I'm not sure how many pods I have in there. Maybe very little.
MadSkillzMan
New member
hey im glad i found this thread, i was gonna post my own on that darn testkit! u ahve no idea how insaine its driven me! ive been sitting here pondering, why after 3 months, of constant filtration, waterchanges, LIVE ROCK, and killer circulation, do i have ammonia..even after i added bacteria colonies (nitromax DOES work, cut it in half in one day)..
moral of hte story, get a better kit
moral of hte story, get a better kit
NanoCube-boy
New member
What is wrong with you kit? What kit do you have?
NanoCube-boy
New member
yup... true....
NanoCube-boy
New member
Should i removed my floss? I think the refugium can take care of left over food right? I should I have listen before, my bad...
MadSkillzMan
New member
yes, remove the floss, its nothing but a nitrate factory
NanoCube-boy
New member
Yea
Mighty Quinn
New member
Just to clarify for Nanocube Boy, because this can be a confusing point, your tank is going to produce nitrates and there is nothing you can do about it. The trick is to produce the nitrates near anaerobic environments where they can be reduced back to nitrogen and leave your tank through gas exchange. In your tank, live rock and possibly live sand serve as the anaerobic areas. A bit of filter floss that collects food will significantly outcompete your live rock and sand for nitrate production.
So, when you use filter media that collects debris, most of your nitrates are produced in the filter media, not in the live rock and live sand where you want them to be produced. Therefore, your nitrates will tend to rise. Consequently, many people refer to these filters as "nitrate factories".
NanoCube-boy
New member
I know. I off I understand LR and LS are bio-filters, but not filter medias. Filter media hold and store bacterias.
