Discussing my tank with you ... what do you think ??

I have a 30 gallon Nano tank with live rocks running for about 4 months and cycled well
Ammonia=0
nitrite= 0
Live rocks + protein skimmer
no other filtration equipments
For my nitrate =10 - 25 mg/l , i got a nitrate filter (anaerobe cultivating system) and preparing it now for doing its job.
i am putting all this equipments in tank ... No sump

what do you think about all this system ????
and if i succeed to lower nitrates to 0 ... anything else i have to take in consideration .... ???

wish list ::: anemones +crabs+clowns+dwarf angels
i have anemones now and crabs (suffering from high nitrates)

 

keeping them down LOL inj a smaller system that is the hardest part IMO

 

Keep what down ??? ....

 

Your nitrates I believe is what rc was talking about. And I agree. You are trying to remedy with the nitrate filter. Good luck. You may want to look into a RODI filter as nitrates are allowed in tap water at quite high levels and you will always have troubles with them until you do get a RODI filter.

 

Nitrates are difficult to keep low in smaller tanks is what I believe he meant.


Lowering nitrates to 0 should not be your goal IMO. All things in moderation, chasing the numbers is pointless if your fish and corals looks like crap.

Cycle is an extremely misleading term. Tanks are ever evolving with waxing and waning biological filters. The size and effectiveness is not a constant. Time is not the only variable: feeding, water quality, bio-load, available medium for growth.

How many pounds of live rock do you have?
What type of skimmer?
How often are you doing water changes?

Trying to keep a 30 gallon with Anemones as a ultra low nutrient systems seems unrealistic.

 

around 30 pounds of live rocks
weipro 2012 hang on back P skimmer
change 20 every 2 weeks

 

Change 20gal every 2 weeks?!?!? Thats a big water change and for things that are sensitive to fluctuations such as anemones and certain fish may lead to more stress and do more harm than good. Nitrates are not the devil, having them at 10 or 20 will not harm anything except the most finicky animals.

I am not sure if it helps or not, but I dont use a skimmer or a sump on my tank and my nitrates are between 0-5ppm. I have a large colony of xenia which some people use in place of an algae scrubber, as well as some jasmine polyp and mushrooms. All are known to use nitrates as food and prefer the water to not be pristine. Same is true with goniopora and avleopora species of corals which actually do better in unskimmed systems and tend to struggle in pristine systems.

Now when I set up my next tank I will surely use a sump!!! If you have the ability to do so DO IT!!! for many reasons. When it comes to nitrate control you have to stock light, watch everything that you put into your tank (esp. food) to help reduce adding nitrates to the system, have a nice liverock and live sandbed, and choose some corals or macroalges that will help consume nitrates in the system. I change 10% if my water weekly regardless of readings to keep up on any possible problems before they pop there head up since I do not use a skimmer.

 

i meant 20 %

 

you might wanna post some pics of your set up. It would probably get you some more answers.