High nitrAtes

[Turbovr3six]

No problem.

IMO, If your getting that much detritus with the baster that you can collect it with a net, then I'd definatally say that is your problem.

 

[rambler67]

No problem.

IMO, If your getting that much detritus with the baster that you can collect it with a net, then I'd definatally say that is your problem.

+1
Imo You might want to get a sock and it will catch most of that stuff.

 

[mbg75]

My sump currently does not have a filter sock...but I did buy one when the LFS suggested I try the purigen instead of chemipur...the only sponge like thing in my sump is the black foam that came glued into the sump and it's full of amphipods, baby brittle stars and bristle worms...shoud I take that out? As far as denitrate, is that something other than Prime? Do you recommend anything? and will up my water changes to 20 gallons...when I get the cheato today, I will bring a water sample too... Thanks for all your info!!!

Where on long island are u?

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[shark32]

Thanks turbovr3six...the detritus is alot in the tank...I was looking into buying a better vacuum also.. I the python substrate cleaner... I use a Lee one right now that is 'eh'...
rambler67-- I have a filter sock, just not put in my sump yet...I was hoping to get rid of my problem before using it
mbg75-- I am in Bohemia
Thanks again guys it's nice to have such great support

 

[mbg75]

Bohemia not too far from me, I have a diatom filter your welcome to borrow, will clean all the debris out of the water in a couple of hours.

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[mbg75]

Get the filter sock in and start turkey basting to get everything suspended.
You might need a second sock to switch out once the first one clogs.

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[thirty5]

Get the filter sock in and start turkey basting to get everything suspended.
You might need a second sock to switch out once the first one clogs.

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+1
The filter sock will help get rid of the problem. You need to catch that stuff..

To make it easier on you get a small power head with some thin tubing and use that instead of the turkey baster. The baster works, but it sounds like you have a lot of basting to do. The you can use the hose to get into and around the rocks to really blow that stuff around. You can then if you want get a large fine net and try to scoop some of the bigger stuff out. Otherwise it will go into your sump and then into the FilterSock (as long as you install it)

 

[shark32]

Thanks guys,
that was probably part of my problem...what I didn't catch with the net, went into the sump and then back into the tank...I have to pick up an extra sock, I only have one at the moment...I really appreciate all the advice

 

[thirty5]

Thanks guys,
that was probably part of my problem...what I didn't catch with the net, went into the sump and then back into the tank...I have to pick up an extra sock, I only have one at the moment...I really appreciate all the advice

Get it in asap tho. The longer you leave that stuff the worse it may get. You can always clean it out. Just rinse it out in some ro water.

 

[shark32]

Will do, when I get home from work...Thanks!

 

[reefnhard]

Prime can be used 5x the dose in emergency situations but u must have a good biological filteration they have the instructions on the back for nitrite but the same goes for nitrate ...heres the link from seachem themselves http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/showthread.php?t=2808

 

[shark32]

Thanks reefnhard for the link
Moving forward with the battle of nitrates.....
Thanks again to all

 

[thirty5]

Im curious to see a pic after you take off the filter sock for the first round! Pictures tell a gazillion words! Especially in the reefing hobby!

 

[shark32]

When I get home from work, I will tank a FTS shot of the (ulgy) now and then will take one after the filter sock and diatom filter use...Hopefully my pretty purple coraline algae will be visable again!!

 

[jscarlata]

All of the above is great advice.
160lbs of rock in a 75g tank, to me, sounds like overkill and that there may not much open space. That, combined with low flow is easily causing uneaten food and poop to settle on your rocks which would cause the Hi nitrate for sure. Maybe a re-aquascape is in order to make the tank flow better over all your rock and the bottom. Definitely not a fun job but if you're going to powerwash your rocks you might as well. One idea would be to use a separate large trash can to drain your water into, take the rocks one by one and wash them off in the bucket. This way the detritus isn't going back into the tank and re-settling on the rocks. If you blast all your rocks and start draining water, a good amount of the detritus is going to settle before you get it out. With a 75 a good rule of thumb would be to do 10g changes every week, double or triple it if you skip weeks. I would think that until you get the nitrates under control more frequent waterchanges are in order.

 

[shark32]

jscarlata,
My rocks are kind of like a wall with holes in through the middle of the tank...water flows around the rocks but I guess because it is not flowing enough the detritus is settling on top of them...that is a good idea to rinse the rocks off in a separate container...I don't know if I want want to rescape too much because all of my fish have their favorite spots in the rocks as well as my shrimp and starfish...given that I am having a nitrate problem, I do not want to stress them and they get sick or something by rearranging their home...I am definately upping the flow though...and water changes and I are going to be BF's for the future...Thanks!

 

[jscarlata]

I hear ya. I don't like messing with rocks either. Just my exp this weekend...while I don't have any detectable nitrates on an API test, I had one spot of gha that was not being eaten by my cuc, prob because it was too long. During a 30g waterchange i said eff it, and I removed one rock at a time and did what i explained to you, put the rock in the drained water barrel and remove the gha by hand/tweezers. Not fun. After I got the rock back in place and filled the tank back up, which took almost 2 hours, my fish were no worse for wear or stressed, they ate and went about their business. My mystery wrasse cruised thru all the new holes and such looking for pods or whatever he eats. You need to do what your comfortable with as you know tour tank inhabitants best. I've noticed over the time my 90 has been running with fish that when they were first in the tank, all my fish were easily spooked whenever I did stuff in/with the tank. Now they go about their business. They run and hide in the beginning, but then come out and confirms thing while I clean away. Also, I only altered a few rocks one one of my 2 rock islands, from what I gather your tank is more of a wall scape and would probably be a full tank re-do. It's a tough choice, good luck and keep everyone posted

 

[mbg75]

Pm sent about the vortex, Add some more flow. How's the skimmer working? Have to empty often? Is the macro in the fuge growing well?
I had nitrate of 30 after my tank transfer..with the fuge and skimmer cranking, they dropped to 0 in 3 weeks

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[Turbovr3six]

When you get the filter sock in, start a siphon from the DT into the sock with an air line. 'Vacuum' with the airline, everything you can and empty the sock. Repeat until most detritus is gone, then do a W/C. This will speed things up a bit instead of blowing it all over the DT and hoping that it makes it into the sump.

 

[shark32]

jscarleta,
I wll keep everyone posted...I was picking GHA off with tweezers too just the other day and MAN does it stink...not my idea of fun...LOL Once I get my nitrates under control, maybe I will move some of the rocks...the last time I added a powerhead to my tank, my flame hawkfish and my dottyback, were on the sand gasping for air...I freaked out, tested my water, which was fine, did a water change (I don't know why, I did I was panicking) and nothing...my other fish were fine..the only thing that was different was the power head and when I took it out the next day they were semi-back to normal...and the day after that they were swimming around...I never want to see them upset like that again...even though I have only had for a little over a year they are like family LOL....
mbg75...I clean the skimmer box every two weeks...that's why I was thinking of changing the skimmer...it used to pull out dark green/brown guck and now it brings out brown thin water with a little guck..what I did notice was the O-ring on my skimmer broke off and the box was lower (granted it could have only been two weeks that it was low) I have since replaced it, but the thin water still stays...I have two balls of cheato in my sump right now, that while they have not grown at all, they have not died either...there is no flow in the middle of my sump where the cheato is though...Thanks again for all of your patience and advice