Help with my Nitrates!!

skrume · #1 12/16/2007, 01:24 PM

I have a 55g that has been set up for about 1 year with me, and atleast 3 years with previous owners. Livestock includes a porky Puffer, a foxface Rabbitfish, and a newly added anenome. I did have a Picasso Trigger until 3 days ago. Everything tested fine except for nitrates (which were embarrasingly off the charts- approx 100ppm). I recently upgraded from undergravel filtration with power filter on back, to a canister filter. I did a major waterchange last night which brought the nitrates down to approx 20ppm. Tested this morning, it is back up to 40+ppm.
HELP!!

Timinator · #2 12/16/2007, 01:40 PM

It's probably leeching out of the filter. Keep up on your water changes with that kind of setup and those kind of fish. Because I'm sure they are hoggs, lol. The filter is going to be a problem for you in the nitrate area, because that's the problem in using them. When your able to upgrade again get you a sump or look around on here and get some ideas on building your own. Keep up with weekly cleaning on your canister and Bi-weekly water changes if you feed alot. Sorry you lost your Picasso, love those guy's along with the Clown Trigger.

sokin · #3 12/16/2007, 01:43 PM

You may have to wait alittle, if you just recently removed your undergravel filter you probably disturbed alot of stuff. If it where me keep and eye on the level and do 10 -15 gallon water changes for a few days. you could also add a remote deep sand bed.

skrume · #4 12/16/2007, 01:50 PM

Thanks Tim. Porky definately lives up to his name, lol. Are there any filter mediums I may be able to add to help control the Nitrates?

skrume · #5 12/16/2007, 01:56 PM

Thanks sokin. I have not removed the undergravel plate as of yet, just the tubes and powerheads. I siphoned as much as I could from under the plate, but was afraid to disturb too much.

Sk8r · #6 12/16/2007, 06:50 PM

Water changes of 10% a week, Amquel [do not use except for emergency], and possibly a 1-micron filter in that cannister for a few hours. Underfeed for a week or so. Way underfeed. Run carbon.
A fish that fills its mouth once a day will not lose weight.

Just read your bit on not pulling the undergravel: good. I'd say, for starters, get some bristleworms and turn them loose down there. They may grow to the size of ship's cable, but down there, the puffer can't get them, and they'll start working on the crap down there.

You may at some point have to run a sand change, which will mean pulling everybody to quarantine and keeping them there for several weeks as your tank re-cycles and comes up clean.

There is one other thing I could think of, but not something I'm willing to advise somebody to do without help and a readymade qt tank standing by to hold livestock. A one-micron filter cannister CAN suck the total crud of a sandbed up from the water and save your tank. Keep a spare 1-micron handy.

Back in the old wild days, I'd put the fish in clean water, pull that sucker, stir the sand for good and all, and run successive 1-micron filters [they clog fast: actually, I used successive chalk loads in a diatom filter, same difference] and pull absolutely all the crud out inside two hours. Sparkling water. The only problem with that scenario is that your sandbed won't have layers any longer and therefore won't work as it should, which can mean ammonia and fish death...so they'd still need to be in quarantine until the tank sandbed can re-establish. THat's a shorter time than a complete cycle with new sand, but it is still a time of non-function, meaning fish can't live healthily in there until it's done.

skrume · #7 12/17/2007, 02:16 AM

Wow! Thanks Sk8r. If it does come down to a sand change... my substrate is actually crushed coral. Would that make any difference? I also have noticed that I have LOTS of small shrimplike creatures (my mind has drawn a blank as to what they are called) living in the substrate. I have read that these are good things, but can there be too many? When siphoning the tank, I got rid of a lot but there are many more. As for the bristleworms...are you saying to turn them loose under the old filter plate?
I have also looked at various chemical media (i.e Nitra-zorb). Would anything like that possibly help before having no choice but drastic measures?

uscharalph · #8 12/17/2007, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by skrume
Wow! Thanks Sk8r. If it does come down to a sand change... my substrate is actually crushed coral. Would that make any difference? I also have noticed that I have LOTS of small shrimplike creatures (my mind has drawn a blank as to what they are called) living in the substrate. I have read that these are good things, but can there be too many? When siphoning the tank, I got rid of a lot but there are many more. As for the bristleworms...are you saying to turn them loose under the old filter plate?
I have also looked at various chemical media (i.e Nitra-zorb). Would anything like that possibly help before having no choice but drastic measures?

Probably pods and yes they are good.