My Ocean In A Box :)

[-Nemo-]

Normal for pH to raise and decrease like that... would get a second opinion on the ammonia reading.

 

[seffieuk]

Normal for pH to raise and decrease like that... would get a second opinion on the ammonia reading.

Seconded

 

[Chris_C]

Normal for pH to raise and decrease like that... would get a second opinion on the ammonia reading.

Seconded

Not got chance to go for a second opinion today or tomorrow and i'm off to Wembley this weekend for the football. I have just ordered a salifert ammonia test kit so hopefully that will arrive tomorrow. Then i have 2 different test kits to check against and should get a better idea of what is going on.

 

[Chris_C]

I have been testing for the last week or so now and ammonia has been at 0 for a while with 0 nitrite and a stable ph of 7.8 but my nitrates are quite high at around 40.


What would be the best course of action? i was thinking of doing a 50% water change to bring the nitrates down. Also alot have said my ph is to low so what should i do to raise it? i have plenty of surface agitation. I was thinking maybe aragamilk which woody suggested? Im not in a position to mix my own salt water at the moment so cant buff it using certain salt etc..


Im fairly sure my tank is cycled now and just need to get my nitrates in order then the tank should be ready. I have plenty of algae growth now and brown stuff on my sand.. diatoms i think its called? so there is plenty for my CUC to eat once im ready to add them.

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[woody88]

Hi mate. A good wc should reduce your nitrates by a good margin. You could also use seachems de-nitrate nitrate remover. I'm currently running this but don't plan to replenish the media once it's exhausted just so I can monitor the difference.

If you don't plan to mix your own salt (which I strongly recommend) then there are a number of buffers on the Market you could use but when I looked for one, aragamilk always seem to crop up so I went with that and it done the trick.
The only prob I found with it was you need to continue dosing with it and while your trying to stabilise you can get ph and kh swings which obviously isn't going to be good for the inhabitants.

Good surface agitation also helps but IMO mixing with a decent pro reef salt is the best way.

Is there any particular reason why you ain't mixing your own mate?

 

[Chris_C]

Hi mate. A good wc should reduce your nitrates by a good margin. You could also use seachems de-nitrate nitrate remover. I'm currently running this but don't plan to replenish the media once it's exhausted just so I can monitor the difference.

If you don't plan to mix your own salt (which I strongly recommend) then there are a number of buffers on the Market you could use but when I looked for one, aragamilk always seem to crop up so I went with that and it done the trick.
The only prob I found with it was you need to continue dosing with it and while your trying to stabilise you can get ph and kh swings which obviously isn't going to be good for the inhabitants.

Good surface agitation also helps but IMO mixing with a decent pro reef salt is the best way.

Is there any particular reason why you ain't mixing your own mate?

I have a bottle of the seachams prime but after buying a read that it just masks the nitrates from test kits picking them up rather than removing them. As for mixing mate it's mainly the cost in one lump of getting the salt. Once I'm more stable finance wise I will start to mix my own.

 

[sorgan]

W/C to remove nitrates as this will also add all the trace elements, calcium, magnesium etc that gets sucked out of your water.
if you have a high bioload then biopellets, miracle mud or cheato (or all 3) can also be used to munch those pesky nitrates, carbon dosing also works but needs a skimmer to work (as do biopellets)

 

[seffieuk]

Chris dont be tempted to add anything to the water yet - do a 50% water change, test in 24 hrs and if <10 put in your cuc. Plan to invest in a phosphate and nitrate reactor, chaeto or the new redsea no3/no4 system.

SEffie x

 

[Chris_C]

Chris dont be tempted to add anything to the water yet - do a 50% water change, test in 24 hrs and if <10 put in your cuc. Plan to invest in a phosphate and nitrate reactor, chaeto or the new redsea no3/no4 system.

SEffie x

Ok will do a 50% water change today


The redsea system you mention i can only find an no3/Po4 system not no4 system?


If i was to invest in a phosphate and nitrate reactor would i be able to run both in my cabinet going through my external filter i am running?

 

[seffieuk]

The redsea system you mention i can only find an no3/Po4 system not no4 system?

Oh heck, that was what i should have typed

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Red-sea-NO3-PO4-x-Nitrate-Phosphate-Reducer-1L-/370454832335?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item5640d424cf

There are a couple of us trialing it at the moment, so wait a while and see what happens

I dont think you will be able to run them in your cabinet unless you have a sump, the pump they use is about the size of a matchbox

 

[Chris_C]

The redsea system you mention i can only find an no3/Po4 system not no4 system?

Oh heck, that was what i should have typed

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Red-sea-NO3-PO4-x-Nitrate-Phosphate-Reducer-1L-/370454832335?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item5640d424cf

There are a couple of us trialing it at the moment, so wait a while and see what happens

I dont think you will be able to run them in your cabinet unless you have a sump, the pump they use is about the size of a matchbox

Thanks Seffie so if this redsea treatment turns out to be effective would i not need to bother with a nitrate/phosphate reactor?

 

[seffieuk]

Thanks Seffie so if this redsea treatment turns out to be effective would i not need to bother with a nitrate/phosphate reactor?

No, they actively tell you not to, you do have to run your skimmer though

 

[Chris_C]

Thanks Seffie so if this redsea treatment turns out to be effective would i not need to bother with a nitrate/phosphate reactor?

No, they actively tell you not to, you do have to run your skimmer though

I have been looking into skimmers in the last few days .. is there any you can suggest for my 50 gallon which dont cost the earth?

sorry for all the questions

 

[seffieuk]

I would look at a secondhand mce 300 hob

Seffie x

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/DELTEC-MCE300-Protein-Skimmer-tanks-up-300ltrs-/390305450179?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item5ae00488c3

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/DELTEC-MCE300-SKIMMER-/110676110626?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item19c4cf6d22 a good clean with vinagar would have this one sparkling

 

[jaylam]

I used a Deltec MCE600 and it's brilliant, a really good skimmer.

It's a bit over kill for my 57g tank but I wanted to go +1 just in case, glad I did as im now carbon dosing and the skimmer is going mental.