Nitrates out of control!

[mandown123]

maybe you should just pile handfuls of algae back there with a little light on it. Not sure if I would put sand, but maybe. It looks like such a small area.

 

[jsvokowest]

it is 4 incs wide by23 by 23 in just the area where the bio balls are which gives me about 10 gallons back there. still i think the first priority is a new skimmer.

 

[mandown123]

Hm. I'll bet you can fit some stuff back there then. It's kind of a cool setup too, looks like the pods could grow and escape into the display pretty easily as well.

I'm an algae advocate though, because I am running skimmerless with zero nitrate and minimal water changes.

 

[jsvokowest]

i envy you. nitrites dropped again so i will be moving out some more bio balls tomorrow. seems to be working well nitrates are at 20 still. is there any tyoe if algae that can be collected from LI sound to use safely? heading out to gardiners island for a diving trip this weekend. still hunting for a skimmer but that fish place is stumped as to what can fit in the sump in the back of the tank. so is dr foster. gonna hit thre lfs tomorrow with a template of the size. seems the popular opinion is the airstone. counter current models are outdated.
opinions?

 

[mandown123]

Yeah I'll bet that was it though, your bio balls just got out of hand with nasties.

I belong to the school of thought that would say any algae you can find that is both clean and will survive 80 degrees is good, but others will disagree. I use just the regular hair algae that i pulled off my display rocks, this ball of chaeto from a LFS and the caluerpa, famous on MR as "bobs magic seagrass" lol. It does it's job though.

Sounds like you are on the right track and your livestock is OK. Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[jsvokowest]

did a dilution water change by taking 20 gallon out and adding 10 for a total amount of 4 times. then took out another 25 gallons and replaced it with ro water. everything was down to 0 until the next morning and it went back up to no3 20. gonna take the last handful of bioballs out on monday but going to let the system relax for the weekend (and myself). calling all the tenecor dealers for a recommended skimmer but they are pointing to the one i have airlift berlin 90 and some one that seaclear makes for their systems. it looks very flimsy. so i think i am going with the sump buddy 40 which i can rig into where the bioballs were and will just put the pump where the skimmer chamber is and run the water from there. is it ok to run a skimmer after the mechanical media or is it better before. the remaining free area where the bio balls were will be blocked off and converted in to a refugium. with the algae and mud. might throw in some more live rock and definitly rubble into the open spaces as long as i don;t restrict the pumps. honestly the hooby is one foot out the door. lol any help is deeply appreciated.

 

[Dre]

Did you remember to take a nitrate reading of the crushed coral ?I don't think it would hurt just one less posibility.

 

[mandown123]

That is what i would say, the crushed coral is possibly the nitrate factory. Did you siphon the substrate? Maybe if you do your water changes and vacuum down to the bottom of the crushed coral you can eliminate detritus.

That is why a lot of people warn against using crushed coral from the get go. Take a break man, don't get discouraged. You've made plenty of progress in securing your nitrates long term. You just still have some kinks to work out.

 

[jsvokowest]

well just got back from the holiday and will grab a handful of the substrate and some water to do a check. the readings from frida with no food went to nh3 0 ho2 0.1 and no3 10. added some zoanthid and shrooms before i left after the water change. during the midnight injenuity rants in my mind i imagine the possibilities to cut the baffles in the sump area, and organize with what would fit like an aqua c skimmer with spray injection or the sumpbuddy 40 with downdraft but ther more you research the more the confusion sets in , also a question of cutting the acrylic but with what,hoping not to stress the frame.the onlything i am set on i skimmer frist, mechanical media second, small fuge last chamber return pump and uv now how to i accomplish this Perhaps a beer and a 300am talk with the tank inhabitabts.. i can only vacuum the substrate where there is no rock available not a lot of room there .but the weekends over timer to brainstorm again.what is the evolution of the skimmer, airtstone ...... to the latest which is?

 

[jsvokowest]

update the nitrates are hanging at 20 and i am looking into a pro urchan skimmer if it would fit or a ETSS protean 400 refugium setup. hopefully this works. trying to figure out how to avoid drilling the tank with the ETSS guys. and then would have to figure out what to do with the empty sump built into the tank. 4 " by the length of thank is such a waste empty. Should have just bought a glass box and wouldn;t have to deal with this.oh well sorry for the horrible post before this i am literally exhausted on this.will take some ro water and throw a handil of the subtrate in and test.as well.thanks guys

 

[Imbarrie]

Seems like that space would make a great fuge with a light shining on the back.

Can you make a small sump below the tank that drains from the first compartment. Then pump the skimmer outlet back up into the second compartment where you could have a fuge that naturally drains back into the tank.

The only mod to the tank would be sealing off the first compartment.

 

[jsvokowest]

thats where i was leaning towards. because i would hate to waste that space thanks man. where do you teach padi out of?

 

[jsvokowest]

finally got the refugium from etss and will be drilling the tank tomorrow. going to put the fish in their water in a 30 gal. rock in a separate tub and substrate in another. now the substrate will obviously be disturbed so should i just rinse it lightly by moving it around or really rinse it but think i might go through that new tank syndrome. not going to scrub rock or anything but will be adding 100 more pounds once i am done . sorry for all the questions guys just looking to experience. so which is the best route for that substarte cleaneing as dre was right as it looks to be the cause of the high nitrates. will also lessen the amount by putting 1/3 of it in a 30 gallon once i finish this project. tank will be refilled with ro water so i know acclimation is necessary. any other tips?