Nitrate Spike???

[BL1]

All salt mixes have those elements and minerals, different brands just have different levels. You'll be able to start keeping corals with any salt, until you start keep a lot of hard corals you won't need to worry about dosing for anything.

 

[Sir Alex]

:shock::shock::shock:

I got home after being gone for 4 days and tested the nitrates. They were a little over 20. I just did a water change today and then tested the nitrates. They were almost 40??? :frustrat::frustrat::frustrat:

The only thing I can think of was that when I was doing the water change he had a ginormous poop. He also has a bit of a wound. Could that be leaking nitrates out in to the water???

 

[Reef Nutz]

I meant instant ocean reef crystals instead of regular instant ocean salt. Don't I need to use reef crystals to bring the calcium and stuff up? And I do want to keep SPS eventually (in my 75 at least).

This will raise it some, but your going to dose CA anyways, why use it?

 

[little_fish]

You wont get nitrates from the wound, but yes he could have had huge poop. But just for giggle, check your WC water before you put it in next time and see if its reading zero.

 

[Sir Alex]

You wont get nitrates from the wound, but yes he could have had huge poop. But just for giggle, check your WC water before you put it in next time and see if its reading zero.

I tested the tap water and the nitrates were zero. Could the salt have nitrates in it?

 

[little_fish]

its highly unlikely. I think you have two possible sources, your dad feeding and leaving uneaten food in there, or just simple you have a big fish who has big poops and makes a big old mess.

 

[Sir Alex]

its highly unlikely. I think you have two possible sources, your dad feeding and leaving uneaten food in there, or just simple you have a big fish who has big poops and makes a big old mess.

My father doesn't feed him. He's a pain but he doesn't lie.

He's the only fish in the tank and I don't feed him as much as most people feed their eels, such as Sharkie. I'm just surprised that one fish who isn't overfed would be able to make the nitrates go up so suddenly.

 

[Reef Nutz]

It happens. He stir up the tank at all, and release some trapped debre?

 

[Sir Alex]

I did vacume out the sand, but I had just completely vacumed it out just a little more a than a week ago.

 

[Bifferwine]

Quit touching the sand!!

 

[Reef Nutz]

Quit touching the sand!!

:rofl: .

 

[Sir Alex]

Quit touching the sand!!

But it get's all green...

I haven't cleaned out his PVC ever really. I guess that's probably a nitrates factory...

 

[Reef Nutz]

The sand is green? What is your flow rate in that tank??

 

[Sir Alex]

The sand is green? What is your flow rate in that tank??

I'll explain why I have algae problems:

One, I hardly have any water flow; two, the nitrates are a bit high; and three, I have old bulbs...

Right now this tank isn't the priority. It's just to keep the eel alive and happy. I doubt he minds a little algae on the sand...

 

[Reef Nutz]

Got ya.

 

[Sir Alex]

I think I found the problem.

Today I was looking around the tank and noticed one of the snails was in the same place it had been for more than a week. So I picked it up to find a half empty shell full of bristle worms.

RIP Mr. snail. He live 4 years and survived the great nitrate depression... :cry:

 

[wontonflip]

Hrm....i doubt a snail would've caused a nitrate spike....if anything, maybe he died because of the high nitrates.

 

[Sir Alex]

Hrm....i doubt a snail would've caused a nitrate spike....if anything, maybe he died because of the high nitrates.

It made it through the 3000 ppm nitrates. It was 4 to 5 years old. How long do they live?

I guess your right though. It was probably from me stirring up the sand bed...

 

[wontonflip]

It may have survived the high nitrates, but after a while, it just got weak.

I once had a beta for l ike a year....i got lazy, and only fed and topped off for months....one day, I did a partial water change. He died the next day. Didn't survive the extra stress. Same thing could've happened to yours.

 

[Sir Alex]

It may have survived the high nitrates, but after a while, it just got weak.

I once had a beta for l ike a year....i got lazy, and only fed and topped off for months....one day, I did a partial water change. He died the next day. Didn't survive the extra stress. Same thing could've happened to yours.

The nitrates have been low for a few months now. I guess that probably shortened his life quite a bit...