Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate levels

[Richard_Verity]

Hi everyone,

Can someone please give me some advise on Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrate.

Im pretty sure my cycle has finished. So I added a couple of fish (now have 3 damsels, 1 lemon peel tang and 5 turbo snails which i've just added and i've got a algea eating blennie in my QT)

The ammonia is between 0 and 0.25 and nitrite is also between 0 and 0.25 but its difficult to tell if its closer to 0ppm or 0.25ppm.

My nitraite is somewhere between 10ppm and 20ppm. I have been doing a water change every week for the past couple of weeks and just did a 60 litre change on Sunday. The tank is about 300 litres with another 80 litres in the sump.

Im using Zeolite which I thought would help with the Nitraite but doesn't look like its doing much (i've got enough according to the instructions).

Can someone recommend something to put in the tank to reduce the Nitraite and is 0.25ppm for the ammonia and Nitrite ok for the fish (remember reading somewhere that its ok and its difficult to get to completely 0).

A LFS told me that a blue sponge they sold eat nitriate and could survive with out anything, problem is he could only tell me the chinese name and I can't find anything out about it. Are there any other plants or inverts which help with reducing Nitriate ?

BTW I don't over feed and only feed once a day. I make sure I don't feed more than the fish can eat.

Thanks,

Richard

[madmac]

Ignoring the numbers, what's your main concern about NO3 at 20ppm? At that level, fish and softies wud live, most LPS too.

If you feel, its not reduced enough, you could export,... add an algae scrubber, skim wet, syphon dirt; or control imports,... maybe reduce feeding.

In a close system like our tanks, the nitrogenous compounds are tightly cycled and closely coupled to one another... unfortunately no two ways around it.

[Richard_Verity]

Im getting to much algae so but i've reduced the amount of time the light is on per day.

Whats an algae scrubber ?

The main reason is that a lot of people say 20ppm is to high and Im not sure myself.

I also wan't to add some sponges and the information I've found says they don't like high nitrate but nothing says what is too high or just right.

Thanks

Richard

[May&Bruce]

For an LPS and fish tank, NO3 of 20 is no problem. I have run a reef tanks with NO3 at anywhere between 10 - 30 with no problems whatsoever.

For that sized tank I would suggest you use a good skimmer, if you aren't already - rule of thumb is get the biggest that you can afford.

Are you using DI water for your makeup water? Algae probrlem could be due to phosphate in your makew up water. If phosphates are measurable in your tank consider using rowaphose, phosban, etc., to reduce it.

Any other information that you can share with us to help you? E.g. do you have a DSB? How much live rock? How long since you started the tank?

[madmac]

Im getting to much algae so but i've reduced the amount of time the light is on per day.

Whats an algae scrubber ?

The main reason is that a lot of people say 20ppm is to high and Im not sure myself.

I also wan't to add some sponges and the information I've found says they don't like high nitrate but nothing says what is too high or just right.

Thanks

Richard

Algae. Ok where are they growing on? Glass, sandbed? rocks? If its the glass, then you have a water issue, if its on your sandbed or rocks, thats the place where its leeching nitrogenous compounds. You'll need to remove the source or clean it.

Your system is turning into one thats supported by algae instead of bacteria. When your lights come on, its algae thats takin in the CO2 and your N compounds. Thats why you think its low, when its not. If the algae keeps growing, you have excesses. It'll still work though, its an aesthetic thing.

Sponges require very, very 'clean' water.

[jervismun]

Wow Madmac you are a real expert! I am having high Nitrates and Phosphates (2 week tank). And no algae yet. I guess that's not too bad a news after all.

I added a piece of RowaPhos Sponge to reduce Phosphates and to stop any algae outbreak as the box claims to control algae. So Richard, you might wanna try that. It's kinda exp though, $40+ for 5 thin pieces.

[Richard_Verity]

Algae. Ok where are they growing on? Glass, sandbed? rocks? If its the glass, then you have a water issue, if its on your sandbed or rocks, thats the place where its leeching nitrogenous compounds. You'll need to remove the source or clean it.

Your system is turning into one thats supported by algae instead of bacteria. When your lights come on, its algae thats takin in the CO2 and your N compounds. Thats why you think its low, when its not. If the algae keeps growing, you have excesses. It'll still work though, its an aesthetic thing.

Sponges require very, very 'clean' water.

Thanks for the advice.

The Algae started on the glass and moved to the sandbed and then the live rocks.

I've cleaned it away several times and vacumed the sand, some of the algae gets trapped under the sand (will it die or keep growing)?

I don't paticularly want to take the sand out, that would be a pretty big job.

My LFS who installed the tank used standard tap water with some conditioners to remove the chlorine and other things which arn't needed. I've been doing all of my water changes with purified tap water (not RO/DI). The water purifier removes pretty much everything according to the instructions. The nitraite level is just under 5ppm and zero phophate in the purified water according to my test kits.

I have a 2 to 3 inch DSP, a few live rocks and some normal rocks.

My lighting is on 8 hours a day (reduced from 12 hours) and some days I leave it off. The algae on the live rocks goes away when the lights are off for 2 days.

but it doesn't die on the sand (stays at the same level and starts growing again with the lights).

What about using chemicals to get rid of the algae ? its red and I think its cyano.

Will chemicals kill anything else in the tank ?

My protien skimmer is on and seems to be working well but it isn't skimming anything. The water goes through several filters before its skimmed.

This was setup by the LFS - their advice hasn't been the best.

Thanks for your help.

Richard

[jervismun]

Wait a minute, where u find those red algae? Does it look like this growing on the rocks? If yes, keep them... they are beneficial red coralline that will stop green algae from growing on those spots. If on the sand bed, then must get rid... I've not seed red algae on sand bed leh? Can show photos?

Try not to rely on chemicals so much... that's what I've been advised. You must fix the root of the problem, not keep adding chemicals to fix the surface of the problem. Hehe my 2 cents.

Try the so-called "Turkey Baster". Use a fork or something, run through the surface of your sand, let the algae buried, no harm that way, they will die eventually (I think, need confirmation from other bros).

Hope this helps.

[totoro17]

Wow Madmac you are a real expert! I am having high Nitrates and Phosphates (2 week tank). And no algae yet. I guess that's not too bad a news after all.

I added a piece of RowaPhos Sponge to reduce Phosphates and to stop any algae outbreak as the box claims to control algae. So Richard, you might wanna try that. It's kinda exp though, $40+ for 5 thin pieces.

care to show a picture? what brand? do you have the box or anything? so far i only find phosphate remover...like tt kind of stones n liquid....not in the form of sponge....

[jervismun]

care to show a picture? what brand? do you have the box or anything? so far i only find phosphate remover...like tt kind of stones n liquid....not in the form of sponge....

You can check it out at reefdepot.com.sg under the filter media section.

[madmac]

What about using chemicals to get rid of the algae ? its red and I think its cyano.

Will chemicals kill anything else in the tank ?

My protien skimmer is on and seems to be working well but it isn't skimming anything. The water goes through several filters before its skimmed.

This was setup by the LFS - their advice hasn't been the best.

Thanks for your help.

Richard

Oh that.

Theres also some coverage here but maybe not so extensive,... do a search on red-carpet algae or cyano.

If you can read this link covers it quite extensive : Say Bye-Bye to red algae.

or use Chemiclean by Boyd. Difficult to get in this part of the world.

If you're going with Erythromycin, an antibiotic, then stick to the recommended method, and dosing amt. It won't affect the good bacteria or your corals. Although some has argued that it may affect SPS corals...

Increasing your flow will help a great deal. I've read that some have experienced this and diatoms, in the setup of a new tank but after a while, it goes away.

Is there a way you could reverse the setup, such that the skimmer comes first, then the mechanical filtration... or remove the mechanical filtration altogether and crank up your skimmer.

[madmac]

Jervis, malu man!. No expert here, jus sharing what I know...

[jervismun]

Jervis, malu man!. No expert here, jus sharing what I know...

We are in the Newbie section... so we are all "blind leading the blind" lo!