pulling my hair out over NITARTES

The tank is drilled in the bottom right hand corner that is also the return flow it run across the top where it is then sucked by a powerhead down to about 4" off the sb in the left front and pushed back to the right side. I'm keep track of it because in the last 4 days I now have a mico bubble problem in the return from my sump but it's help to check the flow

 

OK but I have well water and it will clog up the filter .I won't even drink it . It clogs the screen in the kitchen sink ever 2 weeks and as far as the water I'm buying from lfs it's the only one in 30 ml.

 

oh ok, its most likely the bio balls then, i would slowly take them out, and turn it into a fuge. as you said, research it! lol

 

dude you live near the ocean! much better option than your tap! i own a home down there! Buy your self 2 big plastc trash cans! fill them up in the ocean! run a uv sterilizer throught them and adjust the salinity to your tank! Save ya alot of cash that way!

 

Cool I was always told not to use ocean water but like u said. A UV and save. $ I'm in

 

dude! i'm not saying to use it! i'm saying its better than the iption you have! untill you get a RODI which s your bes option! If your gonna use ocen water invest in alot of trash cans and load them up! The challenge is to clean that water and keep ot stable at a PH and salinity!

 

OK I think I got the answer on the nitrate problem but what about the coraline die off?

 

I've been using a product from the US now for the last 6 mths on my 120 gal fish only, its called Algone, I've found that it works very well, it brought my nitrates down from 50 to between 1 and 3 in a couple of weeks, now I add 2 new sachets a mth and it keeps the nitrates right down.

 

I should mention the K on your lights is a little low, generally for saltwater you want 10k to 20k. Although if it's fish only, you can do 6.5k, but this spectrum promotes algea growth more than the higher K's. Also adding 10 ppm nitrates with each change is a def problem. If your params are off, you're gonna see the coraline receed. What is your cal, alk and mag at (sorry just reread and seen them, cal is high and alk is low so need to work on that)? You need these three to be in balance for things to thrive, including coraline algae.

Be careful of sea water. if you are using sea water you have to get it from far offshore or you'll only be doing more harm to your tank. The waters close to shore have all kinds of "stuff" in it from us and along the shore that you don't want. Collecting it offshore means you get the water that has been dilluted out and is "purer" saltwater. (think of looking at a picture of a river delta from over head, at the mouth it is all silty, but as you get further out in the ocean the water clears).

Also you say the LFS tested nitrates and phosphates and said they are okay. First, the strips are garbage and notoriously unrealiable. I do use them every couple days, but I don't use them to do my tests, just as a quick reference to see if something has gotten out of whack. If so then I get out the big test kit sooner than I would have. Secondly, if there is algae in the tank, you are getting a flase reading on the nitrates and phosphates because the algea is eating them up before you can measure them.

As for the cause of the high nutrients, what do you have in the tank for stock? How much and what do you feed?

Getting rid of the bioballs will def help with the nitrates, as if they aren't maintained regularly they become nitrate factories (have you ever removed small portions of them at a time and cleaned them?) Just remove a little at a time, you do have a fair amount of live rock already but you could add more if you wanted. Between the live rock and a good skimmer, that should be all the filration you need.

 

No I haven't cleaned them I was just reading up on that I will do it this weekend when I do my wc . As far as algae I do have a small amount of green on the glass. When I got the tank it was covered in green Hong hair the first thing I did was a clean up crew . I agree whith u on the dip stick test. Can u recommenda good 10k or should I go highter to help with the algae. It was a used tank so I may have started behind the 8 ball. What I have in it is 1 maroon clown 1 domino damsel 2 yellow tail damsels. 2 anemones. And a pep shrimp . For the clean up crew a margaritas snails, nasuraus snails red leg id hermit crabs. A hand full of each and 2 Turbo snails as Far as feeding it was a but now I hand feed every 3 to 4 days instead of throwing a quarter size piece of frozen brine shrimp in everyday.