Removed some LR now i have cyano and nitrate problems

[snaza]

Hi,

i have a 4x2x2 and had about 120lb of live rock. lots of the rock at the back was covered with aiptasia so i just took it out. so now i have around 100lb of rock and have found ( a few weeks later) my nitrate has jumped to 20ppm (usually 5ppm) and i have cyano.

i tried the lghts off for 2 days and that seemed to help cyano and i:ll do a 50% water change to get the nitrate down a bit but could the removal of LR cause this?

thanks

[Sk8r]

could, possibly. YOu didn't say how many g, but probably a lot---also possible you kicked up some sandbed getting the rock out.

[snaza]

4x2x2 plus sump i:d say 130g

[t-bone2]

yeah the missing rock and aiptasia < it filters water too is leaving you alittle lite on filtration

[rjrobert]

Do you have sand in the display? If you do I bet you kicked up the sand bed and released nutrients that the sand bed absorbed. In a tank that size I find it unlikely that aiptasia would be that big of an impact on nutrient export.

I would continue the water changes and also get a phosban reactor and run 300 gal an hour through it. Change out the phosban media after 2 weeks.

I would be willing to bet that you will be in good shape after that. (also you need to have a good cleanup crew)

If your running bare bottom then I have no clue :)

[demonsp]

Im guessing here but a i think the lack of flow over time let uneatin food,waste, and other debris to collect on , around , under and in the SB and LR. Whene you removed you kicked it all up.To help doing a water change of 20 to 30 % after you removed the rock would have helped. Without knowing whats used for flow and the water source its hard to tell.

[snaza]

thanks everyone. i have a 4inch DSB in the display. should i get some more LR in there?

flow is about 35x. got 2 x seio m1500 and a K3

[demonsp]

Still not sure on the tank size. A 50% change is to much.Best not to go more then 33% weekly. And if its a 130 gallon the flow is weak. I woudl increase flow and weekly 25% changes then whene readings drop then reduce amount changed. You could also blow the sand and rock with a turkey baster type device but only small areas and right before the water change to help remove as much as possible.