Filtration 101 ~ Help Needed

[dmatt56]

Hello Everyone,

 

My softies tank has been running without any problems since June (I purchased an established FOWLR tank that had been running for years). Here is brief rundown of my current parameters:

 

Current tank components:

 

[Jon Lazar]

I would add the protein skimmer and HOB refugium since you already have them.

 

I would not dose anything, including lugols. If you're not already doing water changes, I would start doing a monthly water change. This should help with your nitrates, which aren't bad for a soft coral tank. Keep an eye out for nusiance algae though...you have excess nutrients and no herbivorous fish, which could result in a hair algae bloom.

 

Otherwise it sounds like your tank is doing great and I wouldn't change much.

[dmatt56]

I would add the protein skimmer and HOB refugium since you already have them.

 

I would not dose anything, including lugols. If you're not already doing water changes, I would start doing a monthly water change. This should help with your nitrates, which aren't bad for a soft coral tank. Keep an eye out for nusiance algae though...you have excess nutrients and no herbivorous fish, which could result in a hair algae bloom.

 

Otherwise it sounds like your tank is doing great and I wouldn't change much.

 

There isn't any green hair algae right now. What would be the most likely cause for the phosphates and nitrates - feeding and not enough water changes? Would the Chemi-Pure Elite be a good upgrade from standard Chemi-Pure for the phosphates? I need to change my CP, so this would be the time to switch.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[dmatt56]

I would add the protein skimmer and HOB refugium since you already have them.

 

I would not dose anything, including lugols. If you're not already doing water changes, I would start doing a monthly water change. This should help with your nitrates, which aren't bad for a soft coral tank. Keep an eye out for nusiance algae though...you have excess nutrients and no herbivorous fish, which could result in a hair algae bloom.

 

Otherwise it sounds like your tank is doing great and I wouldn't change much.

 

 

Also, should I remove the sponge on the return pump and the white/blue filter that catches incoming sump water for the large pieces of waste?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[dmatt56]

I would add the protein skimmer and HOB refugium since you already have them.

 

I would not dose anything, including lugols. If you're not already doing water changes, I would start doing a monthly water change. This should help with your nitrates, which aren't bad for a soft coral tank. Keep an eye out for nusiance algae though...you have excess nutrients and no herbivorous fish, which could result in a hair algae bloom.

 

Otherwise it sounds like your tank is doing great and I wouldn't change much.

 

 

Hi Jon,

 

My nitrates are getting high ~ 40-80 and phosphates are ~1. The nitrite and ammonia are both 0. I'm wondering if my 2 month old bags of Chemi-Pure are becoming a phosphate and nitrate trap. They haven't been rinsed since I added them.

 

Also, when I replace the chemi-pure with fresh bags, will the quick and dramatic reduction of nitrate and phosphate shock the system? Am I better slowly reducing the nitrates?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[lanman]

Hi Jon,

 

My nitrates are getting high ~ 40-80 and phosphates are ~1. The nitrite and ammonia are both 0. I'm wondering if my 2 month old bags of Chemi-Pure are becoming a phosphate and nitrate trap. They haven't been rinsed since I added them.

 

Also, when I replace the chemi-pure with fresh bags, will the quick and dramatic reduction of nitrate and phosphate shock the system? Am I better slowly reducing the nitrates?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

 

Did you add a refugium and/or protein skimmer?? How are the monti caps looking?? They are usually a pretty good indication of high nitrates; they will lose color and polyp extension.

 

How often are you doing water changes? How much??

 

For reduction of nitrates, or any other impurity in your tank, a 10% water change will reduce it 10% (assuming the replacement saltwater has no nitrates). A 20% water change will reduce it 20%, etc. But two 10% water changes will only reduce it by about 18% (law of diminishing returns). So if you want an instant 50% nitrate reduction, do a 50% water change. Looks like chemi-pure is probably carbon. Other than making your water clearer, so that the lights might be too bright for the corals, I don't think it will 'hurt' anything to change the filter media. Even for your predominantly softies tank, I would try to keep nitrates under 25.

 

Skimming helps keep organic material from ever becoming nitrates - it doesn't reduce nitrates directly. A good, growing refugium will do wonders for reduction of organics/nitrates.

 

bob