A
Anonymous
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Replace the word Anaerobic with Anoxic and I'll buy in.
Nitrates are permanent?
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I've decided to skip the calerpa buying for now...there will always be calerpa to be had should I decide to get some. I don't want to defeat my purpose by adding more problems. Algae is not an issue in this tank at all. In fact, I'm working my butt off trying to get coralline to start. The rock is getting "pinkish" and I think we have a start, but with the nitrate problem....well, coralline and nitrates are not good friends. There is NO algae on the glass or bad algae on the rocks, nothing. The damsel swims about as if he were in a perfect ocean and the snails crawl around and find what few algae bites they can...but the tank, in appearance, is pristine...then I add something...next comes death....if the tank can't support a clean-up crew...it certainly can't support any coral or new fish...
And yes, there was a period of little to no maintenance...I had back surgery last May and was not allowed to even lift a gallon of water, let alone try water changes....bad thing is....I will be having a second back surgery in March...so I need things straightened out by then......geez.....what a fix.
And yes, there was a period of little to no maintenance...I had back surgery last May and was not allowed to even lift a gallon of water, let alone try water changes....bad thing is....I will be having a second back surgery in March...so I need things straightened out by then......geez.....what a fix.
maybe you missed what i mentioned earlier... maybe you don't think it is feasible.. i don;t know but i am throwing at you again...
three huge redlegged hermits could make for many dead smaller hermits within a 20 gal tank in very short order.
if there is nothing for them to eat they will eat one another even faster than they normally do.
three huge redlegged hermits could make for many dead smaller hermits within a 20 gal tank in very short order.
if there is nothing for them to eat they will eat one another even faster than they normally do.
Yes, I think the red-legged ones in there could do away with most anything. I don't remember getting any that size...medium maybe, but not giant, so they've definitely grown, more like doubled in size in about the month I've had them! They could definitely graze their way through small hermits!
How about this...I leave the biowheel thing on there, but remove all filter media, wash everything thoroughly...this will make the wheel nothing more than than a water mover for some extra circulation. I'm going to take out the crappy power head that's in there...one of those Wal-Mart special emergency type ph...lol Put a quality medium flow power head, and this evening (have to let the water get ready) do something in the neighborhood of a 33% water change.
For what it's worth...I have another smaller tank (30) I am going to have to go through the same procedures with...I'm just doing one tank at a time. And a freshwater 10 gallon (for my little sister who is handicapped) with a biowheel and high nitrates. I know that belongs in another forum, but sounds like similar problem. Boy, these small tanks are a hassle...lol I'd rather have a big one anytime. Sold my big one...lol
So, what does everyone thing of my idea...leaving the biowheel on there but empty for circulation? It would give me a way to stick in some charcoal or something later if I needed to do some extra filtering.
How about this...I leave the biowheel thing on there, but remove all filter media, wash everything thoroughly...this will make the wheel nothing more than than a water mover for some extra circulation. I'm going to take out the crappy power head that's in there...one of those Wal-Mart special emergency type ph...lol Put a quality medium flow power head, and this evening (have to let the water get ready) do something in the neighborhood of a 33% water change.
For what it's worth...I have another smaller tank (30) I am going to have to go through the same procedures with...I'm just doing one tank at a time. And a freshwater 10 gallon (for my little sister who is handicapped) with a biowheel and high nitrates. I know that belongs in another forum, but sounds like similar problem. Boy, these small tanks are a hassle...lol I'd rather have a big one anytime. Sold my big one...lol
So, what does everyone thing of my idea...leaving the biowheel on there but empty for circulation? It would give me a way to stick in some charcoal or something later if I needed to do some extra filtering.
that's the way i do my tanks, my "filters" (sumps) are just water movers for aeration and a place to heat water, place carbon, and a skimmer. let the live rock "filter" you water. it can do more than a filter could ever do. like someone else said get another test kit for the nitrate. two years ago i was beating my head against a wall with all my tanks suddenly having high nitrates. i tried all kinds of methods for removing nitrates (which i had never had problems before). eventually i tested my RO water and it came up with over 80ppm. which if you know anything about water quality standards in the US, that is over 10 times the "safe" level for human consumption. went out that day and got a new kit. nitrates where unmeasurable (0ppm). turns out i sat the reagent bottle on my canopy earlier the week that i started testing high. the canopy is warm from the lighting and i believe this caused the chemicals in the reagent to change and no longer work. lessoned learned - if a doctor tells a non-smoker he has lung cancer - get a second opinion!
If you want to restore this tank to like new condition you will have to break it down.
Take the time and do it right. Remove and replace the bio wheel with a new clean one or better yet, replace a with a small hang on skimmer
Remove and clean all rock by vigorously shaking in clean freshly made saltwater of = salinity and temp to your current tank.
Remove and replace withsubstrate with fresh live sand.
Restore rock and or even better, replace with 50% new rock.
Readd live stock - your 1 fish and crabs.
Enjoy.
You can mess around with little things or you can spend about 4 hrs and be done and have peace of mind and know that its done right.
You can add all the plant life you want and it wont solve your problem. You can do 40 little water changes and that wont solve the problem.
You can replace the bio wheel and even add skimmer that still wont solve the problem.
The ENTIRE tank needs a cleaning, the rock, the sand, everything.
Having broken down more tanks than I care to remember this is the BEST solution and you will be better for it.
Take the time and do it right. Remove and replace the bio wheel with a new clean one or better yet, replace a with a small hang on skimmer
Remove and clean all rock by vigorously shaking in clean freshly made saltwater of = salinity and temp to your current tank.
Remove and replace withsubstrate with fresh live sand.
Restore rock and or even better, replace with 50% new rock.
Readd live stock - your 1 fish and crabs.
Enjoy.
You can mess around with little things or you can spend about 4 hrs and be done and have peace of mind and know that its done right.
You can add all the plant life you want and it wont solve your problem. You can do 40 little water changes and that wont solve the problem.
You can replace the bio wheel and even add skimmer that still wont solve the problem.
The ENTIRE tank needs a cleaning, the rock, the sand, everything.
Having broken down more tanks than I care to remember this is the BEST solution and you will be better for it.
About the only thing I could scrub off the rock would be the new coralline that is starting. Over 50% of the rock is new, just put it in over the past week. Cured it out for over a month, although I received it as "cured". I still cured it and cleaned it myself and added it one little piece at a time over a week's period. There were 4 pieces, medium or so. Cleaning the biowheel is no problem. The sand...I've just added about an inch and a half of new sand and the old sand seems to have a good amount of life in it.
So, starting all over seems like it would kill more than it would save. I will get a new test kit today and test either this evening or tomorrow after than tank rests from today's activities. Everything appears so clean, I don't have the heart to wash it!
So, starting all over seems like it would kill more than it would save. I will get a new test kit today and test either this evening or tomorrow after than tank rests from today's activities. Everything appears so clean, I don't have the heart to wash it!
one word of caution:
nitrate kits can measure one of two forms of nitrates. nitrate-nitrogen and total nitrogen. The fast test kit measures nitrate- nitrogen whereas aquarium pharm***** (can't spell that :lol: ) measures total nitrogen.
You multiply nitrate-nitrogen by something like 4.3 to get total nitrates. So a reading of 10 on the fast test kit is 40 on the aquarium pharm***** test kit. From the same tank water with the same amount of nitrates.
Just something to keep in mind. Eventually both should read unmeasureable. But until that point it is possible to feel one or the other kit is bad unless you know what is being measured.
nitrate kits can measure one of two forms of nitrates. nitrate-nitrogen and total nitrogen. The fast test kit measures nitrate- nitrogen whereas aquarium pharm***** (can't spell that :lol: ) measures total nitrogen.
You multiply nitrate-nitrogen by something like 4.3 to get total nitrates. So a reading of 10 on the fast test kit is 40 on the aquarium pharm***** test kit. From the same tank water with the same amount of nitrates.
Just something to keep in mind. Eventually both should read unmeasureable. But until that point it is possible to feel one or the other kit is bad unless you know what is being measured.
Well, with the Red Sea test kit....and all the drops...I got these readings: ph is 8.2, alkalinity is "high", and nitrates......well, test said <2.5. Another mystery has also been solved. After three days of missing at sea, the little pink-tipped anemone has surfaced between two rocks, all flowered out as if it never disappeared. I guess that means time for a meal. So, would everyone agree that I can now try out the new light (it should arrive any day) and is 130 watts power compact and make a couple of small additions to the tank? One will be a clownfish and one coral, don't know what kind yet?
If everyone agrees this tank is in adequate shape...I will go ahead and remove the bio-wheel tomorrow...obviously the new filter media will not cause immediate problems overnight...and then I can start working on the same problems with the 30 gallon.
Thanks, thanks, thanks to all who replied and helped...let me know if you think I am now safe. Will spend some time working on a sump/refuge, but will not hurry with it.
THANKS VERY MUCH!
If everyone agrees this tank is in adequate shape...I will go ahead and remove the bio-wheel tomorrow...obviously the new filter media will not cause immediate problems overnight...and then I can start working on the same problems with the 30 gallon.
Thanks, thanks, thanks to all who replied and helped...let me know if you think I am now safe. Will spend some time working on a sump/refuge, but will not hurry with it.
THANKS VERY MUCH!
i wouldnt trust the red sea test kits to save my life throw them away and get salifert or just about any other brand....
you may not have any issue at all with nitrates either depending on the strips used.
And unless your nitrates are more than 40ppm NNO3 (10ppm N03) I wouldnt be too concerned
(in case most of you couldnt tell most of that beautiful tank is just the picture on the back of the glass....)
you may not have any issue at all with nitrates either depending on the strips used.
And unless your nitrates are more than 40ppm NNO3 (10ppm N03) I wouldnt be too concerned
(in case most of you couldnt tell most of that beautiful tank is just the picture on the back of the glass....)
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