problems with nitrates &nitrites

[Southern Boy]

I have just started to make the change to a refugium. As of know I have it built but have no sand ,rock rubble or calairipa in it yet. So I basicly have an open sump with water flowing through it. My nitrates were up at 50 p.p.m. and nitites were at 0.2 p.p.m and I did a 25 gallon water change. They dropped to around 5.0 on the nitrates and 0.05 on the nitrites. That was the night before last . Tonight they are back up again. Not quite as high but close. Could this be because I removed the biological that was in the wet dry from before??

 

[Chago09]

well if you had bioballs in there before then yes that is why. You took out a main source or biological filtration in one minute, making your live rock try to play catch up in a uphill race. It will take time for your biological filter to catch up. I wouldn't do a water change because you may only slow down the cycle.

 

[jer77]

Do you have any fish or inverts in the tank as of now? Did you have nitrites present before you took the wet/dry filter out? Did you take out the bioballs? It may be that you took out the filter or bioballs to quickly and this may have caused the rise in the nitrites. I'm assuming this is the 125g with 200lbs of LR. If given enough time for the cycle to finish the LR should lower both the nitrites and the nitrates.

 

[Southern Boy]

Itook the bio balls out about a month ago. All I had in the sump was a thick layer of large crushed coral pieces and some filter media.I did have some nitrates present before the change, and yes there are a total of 14 fish and alot of invertes. I just strted getting high nitrates the last week or so.I also have around 225 pounds of LR now. Everything in my tank was doing great until I noticed my elegant literly start to disenegrate the other day. The only other problem that I have seemed to have was some recordia I got a couple of weeks back dissolved with in 2 days. Yet I have at least 15 heads of recordia that have been in the tank for months that are doing great. This tank has been set up for about 3 months now. I tansfered everything including bio from a smaller tnk into this one . I am getting 20 pounds of sand tommorrow and the calairipa should be in by then. I already have 2-3 pounds of rock rubble for it.

 

[Southern Boy]

I have a fluval 404 I just took Off my 48 gallon last night. It has been running for about 9 months now. Should I put that on it for now to help with the bio until the refugium is 100% runnig?

 

[Southern Boy]

anyone

 

[virginiadiver69]

I would keep up with water changes as long as you have nitrites. I personally like cheato better than calairipa, you do not have to worry about it getting into and taking over your display, and god help you if it goes sexual.

 

[jer77]

I would just let the cycle complete itself. But do as many water changes as you can to keep the fish and corals alive. And get the reugium going even with the caulerpa. Maybe add some poly-filter pads too.