Chemistry problems - what is wrong?

C

ChristBearer2111

Premium Member
Tank has been up and running for almost a month now and I just can't get the water right. About the set up:76 gal with a sump (filter floss, bio balls HOB skimmer). Hit a moving sale and  got about 80lbs of live rock (purple, along with some tag along mushrooms, snails and hermit crabs) and about 40lbs of sand and 30 gal of cycled water to get me home. Set up tank and mixed up saltwater (distilled) to top off the tank (about 40-50 gal).Tank began to cycle as expected. And for a couple of weeks now Ph, Amonia, Nitrite and silinity have been spot on but my Nitrites have been high (40ppm) according to API test kit.Water is cristal clear.i have done 3 water changes (20-25gal) and no change in Nitrates.I have not added any fish yet (wanted to be good and cycle the tank) but my patience is running out. what have I missed? Thanks for the help.
 
Is the API test kit current or expired? Nitrates are hard to test accurately. Maybe try a different brand to test with. I use Nyos for nitrates.
 
<hr />Thanks for your thoughts, the Exp date is 10/2020but I may order another brand or take some water in to get tested - I live out in the country so it is about 45+min to the nearest aquarium store so it makes it tough to just run out grab it.
 
1/2 to 2/3 of the sand was used - 20lbs new (CaribSea) and all the live rock came out of active aquariums. Also used about 30-40 gal of water that came with the rock.No major spikes in the cycle but did see it go through the cycles (ammonia up then drop, Nitrites up then drop, but Nitrates have stayed up even after several water changes (20-25 gal). Water was a little cloudy during the cycling but now has been cristal clear.
 
I wonder if there was just lots of organics that are just dying off in the sand and rock. Might try blowing all the rock in the tank with a poweredhead or baster and then vacuum the sandbed. Then just keep doing large water changes every few days until they get under control. Sometimes you want to speed up the process by getting all the live stuff but then just ends up taking longer to get things under control and stable. 
 
Where are you getting your water?  Some municipal water is already high in nitrates especially after rain because of farm runoff.
 
Nitrate can only come from two places.  Either you are introducing it with the water changes (shouldn't happen with distilled water) or it is the breakdown of organic matter in your tank.Something has died and it is decaying.  It will just take time and water changes.
 
Yes, thank you all for your help. Vacuumed the sand and rock and did another water change and levels are getting better, I think I have a handle on it. We will see what happens when I start adding fish. Taking it slow and see how it goes.
 
Glad to here! Sounds like you have a good game plan. Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions!
 
Posted by: ChristBearer2111 Tank has been up and running for almost a month now and I just can't get the water right. About the set up:76 gal with a sump (filter floss said:
Hi,Are you using the bioballs in the sump as a wet/dry filter or how are they being arranged?Do you have an excessive amount of algae and how often are you cleaning the glass?
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I don't see it mentioned here so I'll add more: There is more than one way to export nutrients.  I've started a number of tanks with several balls of chaeto floating around the display to suck things out.  It's a bit ugly up front, but it works and removing chaeto from a display really isn't that hard.  Otherwise you may be changing a lot of water until the rock and sand is done giving things up.  Those mushrooms will consume some, but nowhere near the amount that macro will.  I would avoid anything that roots like caulerpa unless you have a tang.
 
Filtration is filter floss then trickle over bio balls, protein skimmer and then I had some space in the sump in my return so I have added some rock that I got that had some caulerpa on it with some sand and a ball of chaeto. I have a plant light on the sump that cycles counter to my display lights.have not really seen any algae growth and have only been cleaning the glass every couple of weeks. I added the reugium area in the sump about a week ago and then had to leave town, I will be ingested to see if there is any change when I get back Saturday. My wife has been topping off the sump (I really need to build a ATO) but she doesn't know how to do any water testing so don't know where the level is at currently - it has been pretty consistent at about 20-40 before i left town.thank you for all of the ideas and information, I am learning a lot.
 
Look into Marine Pure Bio media, either the spheres or the blocks.  Stuff is incredible.  Really boosts up the available surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow, and provides the deep anaerobic zones needed to convert nitrates to nitrogen gas.  
 
Posted by: ChristBearer2111 Filtration is filter floss then trickle over bio balls said:
My initial thought is your high nitrates are probably due to that trickle filter with the bioballs. Adding a product as Mike suggested may work however BRS had done some testing and found that they may not work very well at removing nitrates.Water changes are an option and for a tank your size you'll probably burn through a good amount of water trying to keep them to a low level. You may want to think about a plan to change around the filtration some and remove the wet/dry filter part of the equation. Use caution and actually make a plan for this though, don't just change it without planning it out and thinking about the effect it'll have.Found this good article that might help shed some light on the topic: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/8/chemistry
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Posted by: Mike R Look into Marine Pure Bio media said:
The jury is still out on this claim.  Bulk Reef Supply is conducting some tests right now too see if the Marine Pure really reduces nitrates.That being said, the media is fantastic.  Even though I feed heavily my nitrates stay close to zero.
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How can additional surface area for bacteria growth do anything BUT help in the reduction of nitrates?
 
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