120galtank
Reefing newb
It's definitely sand. All of my filtration media is in the canister filter.
New to forum and in need of help and guidance from experts.
- Thread starter 120galtank
- Start date
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
I stand by my suggestion, then. Ditch the canister since it's still new, then water change, water change, water change ;) Or build an algae scrubber.
little_fish
Moderator
+1 wonton
120galtank
Reefing newb
Then what would I use for a filter?
Trigger Happy
Reefing newb
Could your LFS supply a nitrate reducer bag that would goin your canister filter? And can you find that phosphate removing sponge? It's usually pale green. I put that and the nitrate bag in my canister filter and finally got my ntirates to 0 and phosphates down.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
In saltwater, the live rocks and live sand serve as your filter. A skimmer is a good addition, as it removes organic gunk from the water column before they break down. A canister filter has no useful place in saltwater tanks, except maybe to run carbon on emergencies. As you Will learn. Freshwater technology is different from saltwater.
little_fish
Moderator
+1 Wonton
Northstar24
The Tang Herder
Looks like the ladies have you covered. I would remove the canister filter and the sponges/balls etc from the system - if it has been established for a year this is most likely where the nitrates are coming from.
In saltwater, your filtration is 1-2 pounds of live rock per gallon, live sand, and a good protein skimmer. If you do not have a skimmer I would seriously think about investing in one - they remove dissolved organics from the water, which is a primary source of nitrates. I see that you listed only 80 pounds of live rock. If you can, I would try to get a hold of either some additional live rock, or base rock. Since you already have some live rock, base rock can be used (and will become live in time)
Canister filters are really a freshwater technology, and do not work well in saltwater setups. That being said, they are handy to use once in a while for running various chemical media like carbon
I'm sorry you may have been frustrated by the amount of questions by others here, but in reality we do need a full system breakdown to help answer issues like this. If we only have half the picture we can't give you very good advice.
I would start by removing the canister filter / bio balls etc and stepping up water changes temporarily to see if you can get the nitrates under control. This may mean doing two water changes a week (or one larger one) for several weeks to get things where they need to be
Welcome to the reef, and dont forget to start a tank showcase thread
In saltwater, your filtration is 1-2 pounds of live rock per gallon, live sand, and a good protein skimmer. If you do not have a skimmer I would seriously think about investing in one - they remove dissolved organics from the water, which is a primary source of nitrates. I see that you listed only 80 pounds of live rock. If you can, I would try to get a hold of either some additional live rock, or base rock. Since you already have some live rock, base rock can be used (and will become live in time)
Canister filters are really a freshwater technology, and do not work well in saltwater setups. That being said, they are handy to use once in a while for running various chemical media like carbon
I'm sorry you may have been frustrated by the amount of questions by others here, but in reality we do need a full system breakdown to help answer issues like this. If we only have half the picture we can't give you very good advice.
I would start by removing the canister filter / bio balls etc and stepping up water changes temporarily to see if you can get the nitrates under control. This may mean doing two water changes a week (or one larger one) for several weeks to get things where they need to be
Welcome to the reef, and dont forget to start a tank showcase thread
lilmatty5dimes
Reef enthusiast
I can add about the water changes. Did a 45g change yesterday on a 90g and the nitrates went down half. I'm going to do it again on Sunday and hopefully get the same results. But if the nitrates are at 160ppm and you do a 25% water change then it would only go down 25% to 120ppm. Here's before and after pics. You might be able to see the differences in the pictures.
Before
After
Before
After
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
And that's also assuming your nitrates are really 160ppm, and not really severely off the charts. If it's real at like 200+, those small water changes once a week won't do anything.
Cheeser
I Love Reefer
the algea scrubber is the filter...basically
