civitan.erichanson June 28, 2008 Share June 28, 2008 I am running 20 PPM Nitrates for over a week and a half noon now. I have not feed the fish in three days and I do water top off (at least a gallon) every day. Did a 5 gallon SW change a few days ago and a least 15 gallons in the last week. I will admit to likely overfeeding, and I started adding DT Phytoplankton about three weeks ago. Could DT be driving my Nitrates? Is the only solution to get these down a massive SW change? Thanks, Eric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawns June 28, 2008 Share June 28, 2008 remember how you were asking about a tds meter? your add/top off water could be trash. how much dt's are you adding? you could add a fuge to help export nutrients. you've gone 3days w out feeding ?!?!? please feed your fish. if you think that you're overfeeding, just feed less not less often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civitan.erichanson June 28, 2008 Author Share June 28, 2008 I am tonight - they do not appear any worse for the wear. Yeah I need the meter - let me know when I can borrow it - I am going to check the nitrates in mt top off. Thanks, Eric. remember how you were asking about a tds meter? your add/top off water could be trash. how much dt's are you adding? you could add a fuge to help export nutrients. you've gone 3days w out feeding ?!?!? please feed your fish. if you think that you're overfeeding, just feed less not less often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawns June 29, 2008 Share June 29, 2008 you plan to do a nitrate test to your top off??? a tds meter wont tell you what your nitrates are, only what the level of tds is. most of the tds is PO4, but im sure that some hidden nirates could be in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civitan.erichanson June 29, 2008 Author Share June 29, 2008 Nope, no Nitrates in the water from the RODI. 1 - 2 oz every other day of DT. Thanks, Eric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach June 29, 2008 Share June 29, 2008 Cut your dts down to once or twice a week it will help with nitrates also make sure your dts was refigrated properly I have left it out and then it caused a nitrate spike...as for the amount a capful is sufficent if you turn off your power heads and protien skimmer(protien skimmers will pull out dts) depending on the size of your tank... I use a capfull every 3 days and I have a 34 gallon tank it says up to 55.. anyway I used to poor on the dts, but my clams would just grow and nothing else so I cut it back to the recomended dosage in addition what kind of filtration are you running any new fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civitan.erichanson June 30, 2008 Author Share June 30, 2008 I have an ASM G-1. 75G tank. Added 3 yellow tailed damsels and a dragon wrasse (still MIA, he is either still in hiding or jumped and dog got him - have not seen him in the sump and most of the time egg crate is on the top). Two weeks ago. I want to eventually add a flame and copperband and a dragonet. Tank was bought used fully stocked, now just shy of two months old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach June 30, 2008 Share June 30, 2008 How long have you not seen your dragon? He might be dead and spiking the nitrates give it a week or two as for the rest of those fish some get big and put off alot of poo. I wouldn't add any more until the nitrates go lower anyway hope it helps Troy MY advice would be to get a refugium this will help in a few diffrent ways for one you will most likely kill both the mandrin and the copper banded without a refugium as they will terrorize your pods this will raise your nitrates a little, but more importantly you won't be able to feed them if they don't transition quickly to other foods the mandrin may never! Make sure your refugium is not blocked off by a pump as it won't let pods in! The second way it will help it will pull excess nitratogen and phosorous out of the water and you remove cheato after it over grows and this will remove the nitruents.... Watch how much your feeding I feed my whole tank 20 pellets once and either live brine or black worms about a 1/10 of a portion and then 20 more pellets before bed "these are micro pellets" the size of a grain of rice! They get dts phyto once or twice a week... I do a slight water change every 6 days empty the skimmer pull out some cheato and top off daily and turn on and off my lights manuelly and thats about it... testing happens every week on the average or longer... My tank has never seen tap water... always di/ro and I was trucking it anyway hope it helps Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civitan.erichanson June 30, 2008 Author Share June 30, 2008 How long have you not seen your dragon? He might be dead and spiking the nitrates give it a week or two as for the rest of those fish some get big and put off alot of poo. I wouldn't add any more until the nitrates go lower anyway hope it helps Troy Have not see my dragon since the 18th. He may be the contributing factor, but I expected to at least see an ammonia spike and that has not occured. Yeah, no new fish for a while, and no Mandarin until the tank hits 6 months. MY advice would be to get a refugium this will help in a few diffrent ways for one you will most likely kill both the mandrin and the copper banded without a refugium as they will terrorize your pods this will raise your nitrates a little, but more importantly you won't be able to feed them if they don't transition quickly to other foods the mandrin may never! Make sure your refugium is not blocked off by a pump as it won't let pods in! The second way it will help it will pull excess nitratogen and phosorous out of the water and you remove cheato after it over grows and this will remove the nitruents.... I have a 20 gallon sump with rubble now. My stand would take a 30 gallon tall (I think). Could I convert by inserting baffles? What do you nean by not blocked off by a pump? Watch how much your feeding I feed my whole tank 20 pellets once and either live brine or black worms about a 1/10 of a portion and then 20 more pellets before bed "these are micro pellets" the size of a grain of rice! They get dts phyto once or twice a week... I do a slight water change every 6 days empty the skimmer pull out some cheato and top off daily and turn on and off my lights manuelly and thats about it... testing happens every week on the average or longer... My tank has never seen tap water... always di/ro and I was trucking it anyway hope it helps Troy I have flat packed food, so size is all relative. I feed frozen Rod's Reef and Mysis. I have some of Scott's home made, but I am using up Rod's Reef first. I thankfully have RODI water, tank only saw distilled water when I set it up b/c I I ran out of RODI - not fun/ Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach June 30, 2008 Share June 30, 2008 DO NOT block off by a pump.. Simply means the copods will not live if they get lifted by a pump... so in my opinion having a hang on refugium is best if you can do it... some people I've heard use a in tank... as for the mandrin I would wait until 6-12 months and I would seed your tank with copods from either someones tank or the store... Don't just pour them in though you need a refugium... your fish will eat them quicker then you can shake a stick! "I made that mistake:)" A pump is like a fan with blades spining to lift the water living copods won't make it in the tank whole atleast:) Oh and one more thing if you have your refuguim setup in a way that your uv sterlizer is in the plumbing this will kill them as well.... Hope it helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civitan.erichanson June 30, 2008 Author Share June 30, 2008 I was thinking about an HOB refugium. Does anyone have a DIY plan or recommendation? I used about 10 pounds live sand when I set the tank up, and I have a 4 inch bed - but have not seen anything that looks like a Pod yet. Thanks for thye explaination of the pump/pods issue. Thanks, Eric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach June 30, 2008 Share June 30, 2008 "live sand" sometimes will have pods anyway the vats at most places are higher in salenty to kill hitch hikers.... I normaly get pods from other people or I buy them and put them in a refugium... anyway at night my pods are everywhere! For what its worth I've been using aquatraders hang on the back unit for a while... its pretty normal refugium.... but they have very poor costomer service and no directions and the skimer doesn't work at all.... as for do it yourself your welcome to come visit and look at mine for ideas... or what not. Anyway best of luck to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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