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nitrate problem

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coreyk View Drop Down
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    Posted: December 18 2003 at 5:26pm

i've been having a little bit of a nitrate problem with my tank (55 gal ) ... i think it will go away and its nothing that i cant keep under control with water changes, but i'm curious what you guys think it might be and what you would recommend. i wasnt sure what info i should post... so, ask away... thanks for any ideas!

everything was totally fine with 0 nitrates and 0 nitrites, over the course of the last month and 1/2 i added a bunch of frags. compared to what i have seen in other peoples tanks it doesn’t seem like a ton ( all of them are pretty small – I left lots of room to grow everything out ), however my nitrites have gone up slightly and my nitrates are staying up. both have have been coming down very slowly, but it would be nice if they were gone. J

i have chaetomorphia in my refuguim (15 - 18 gal ) and thought maybe if i got some calurpa it would help with more of the nitrate uptake. ???

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jfinch View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jfinch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2003 at 6:29pm
The fact that you have nitrites means the tank is cycling.  Somehow the "biological filter" has been disturbed.  Was the sand bed disturbed, rocks removed, chemicals added, fish added, ect.  If they're dropping then just give it time, let nature reestablish itself.
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coreyk View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coreyk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2003 at 6:34pm

thanks jon... that is kind of what i thought ... i do have a pistol shrimp that has been digging quite a bit and i actually added more live rock about a week ago thinking that this would help ( forgot to mention that  ). the rack came straight from another persons tank though. So i didnt think i would get any sort of a cycle from it.

guess i'll just ride it out... i'm wondering about adding calurpa though, i have about 1/2 the space in refugium that i could add to. would it help and is it better for uptake?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jfinch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2003 at 7:13pm

Calerpa racamosa is one of the very best at nitrogen and phosphorous uptake.

Anytime you pull rock out of the water, there's potential for some biological die-off, imo.

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Marcus View Drop Down
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How long has the tank been running? How deep is your sand bed? How much live rock do you have? How many fish do you have? Are you skimming? How many times an hour are you turning you water? Do you know what ORP is and what is your level? Do you gravel vac? Do you gravel vac correctly? Everthing you can write will help in determining this issue.
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coreyk View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coreyk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2003 at 10:18pm

How long has the tank been running?
7 month

How deep is your sand bed?
3 1/2 - 4 inches

How much live rock do you have?
70+

How many fish do you have?
8 - all very small except a flame angel that is a little big + some shrimp

Are you skimming?
yes

How many times an hour are you turning you water?
mag7 on my return - so maybe 600gph

Do you know what ORP is and what is your level?
nope ???

Do you gravel vac? Do you gravel vac correctly?
i don't

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Mark Peterson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2003 at 8:25am
If you moved the LR always submersed in water then the rock could not be the cause of increased Nitrogen compounds.

From what you have said it could be the frags(exposed to air) or the shrimp.

Unless there is something else that has changed like increased feeding, temperature change, etc. then N should come back down within a week.

Many people don't know what I mean by "moving LR in water". I would be happy to explain upon request.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2003 at 2:08pm
Mark said, "If you moved the LR always submersed in water then the rock could not be the cause of increased Nitrogen compounds."
I dissagree, something could have died from different parameters in the new system, thus turning into excess nutrient.

As far as frags creating nitrate, unless they were:
a. dying
b. relasing a LOT of waste
c. sliming from something like being exposed to air
then I don't think they would be the cause. Are any of those things happening? But you would be able to notice any of these things happening.

From your response to my questions, everything looks okay. IMO, I feel that gravel vacing is very beneficial but I am a minority on this. But, try moving a tank that has never been gravel vaced before. You said that you nitrates have gone up, but unless I missed it, what is the level at? IMO, I also feel that water changes are very beneficial but I doubt 50% of the members here do water changes frequently. Maybe your tank just NEEDS water changes more than other tanks do.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coreyk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2003 at 4:31pm

mark - ok... i'll bite. what is "always submersed". the LR did come out of the water for a little bit.

there weren't any other big changes... but, i do wonder about that shrimp digging around.

marcus - i did have one frag of zoos die on me. maybe that contributed also. other than that i think things are pretty normal. I just thought that maybe i missed something

i think for now that i'll add some calurpa and ride it out. thanks agian for the help!

 

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