Reading is not always understanding.

[Fastlight]

Well now that I have my aquarium up and running, I am realizing I dont understand the whole process as much as I had originally thought. First water changes are a pain in the ass. I have ideas how to make it easier but I need 2 buy some things to do that. Next when I just had water and rocks in my tank my nitrites were 0 and nitrates just about maybe 1 or 2. I added 80lb of carabsea alive oolite sand. Which then I added 2 fish. A clown and a royal Gramma. Now the nitrates are quickly rising. I have already done a 10% water change. I am at 10 nitrates. So let me understand. Ways to get rid of nitrates. Water changes. macro algae and no overstocking and over feeding. I know I have a new system but the rock is plenty established. One thing I have noticed is the algae that was on that rock have pretty much receded I do have a small clean up crew.(2 turbos 10 blue legged hermits 1 emerald and 2 skunk shrimp) I figure alot of that has to do with the crappy lights i have on there. I really need to get some cheato algae in the sump. So here are my questions.
1. Are water changes and macro algae the best ways to get rid of nitrate? Or is there something else?
2. Will with time since my so called live sand is not established will my nitrates go down with time just with the sand maturing?
3. I really have nothing in the sand to keep it sifted should I added some snails? (if so how many)
3. I only empty about 1 cup of water(and a little bit of nasty stuff) from my skimmer every 3 days. I have the tube all the way up just to get that(yes i know more watery) How often do you empty your skimmer cup and how much are you getting? Do you think my skimmer not working right? octo-nw150 and I have checked to make sure there is plenty of air flow.
4. Any other helpful advice or am i just being a newb and need to let the system mature?

Thanks as always

 

[dustin_P74]

1. those two are the best.
2. probably
3. depends on if it need stirring or not, wait and see if it starts growing algae or not
4. let it get broken in, i empty mine every week and the cup is about half full and the stuff is thick and smells horrible
5. let it mature some more

 

[yote]

Nitrates will go down with water changes,but only by what ever % your changeing out.
The sand bed wont really that much with em either,unless you've got a DSB.The macro algae will help too and take up the organic phosphates.
Its always a good idea to have some Nassarius snails and a conch or 2 to help stir the sand.With out something to stir it up,it tends to clump and look nasty.
Give your skimmer some time.They seem to start working better after they've been run a couple of months.
And you'll have some swings in your parameters for a while.Its all part of letting the tank mature.

 

[cthegame]

1. those two are the best.
2. probably
3. depends on if it need stirring or not, wait and see if it starts growing algae or not
4. let it get broken in, i empty mine every week and the cup is about half full and the stuff is thick and smells horrible
5. let it mature some more

Dustin has you covered.

 

[Fastlight]

Ive always sucked at this patience's game. Another question. Ive been buffering up my ph to 8.3 with kents marine powder buffer game. I seem to recall that ph fluctuates during the day? I got to 8.2 but doesnt seem to want to hit that 8.3. I test about 5.to 6 pm before i turn off my crappy lights. Is this tru or did I pull that out of my butt?

How many of you think getting a yellow tail damsel is just plain crazy? I recal the general consensus of damsel are they are just plain aholes....even if it is a yellow tail. Ever since we got our royal gramma and clown and 2 skunk shrimp they tend to hide in a corner...but love to come out and feed. We finaly get some fins in that tank and figures they arent all just swimming about. WTF!!! They are fish damnit...swim lol damn nature

 

[dustin_P74]

getting a damsel well just make the other fish hide more also testing it an hour before the lights go off is the best time. and 8.2 is perfect

 

[Fastlight]

yea i figured that with the damsel. My wife really likes the coral beauty. I do to.. We were also thinking of another clown to. Not getting both at the same time of course. And good Im glad the ph is good.

Cool thing we just found while going thru the tank in the dark with a flash lite. I saw what i thought was a feather duster. But then my wife bumped the tank and it shot back into the rock. Is that a feather duster or a work that looks like a feather duster??? its cool and probably about a 1/4in in diameter

 

[yote]

JMO,But I think that any body that thinks about ANY damsel needs their head checked:D
I'd say the worm you saw,was a feather duster.
And 8.2 is fine on your PH.But you'll want to check it just before turning the lights on for the day.Just to get a feel for how much its dropping with the lights off.

 

[Fastlight]

Ha i figured u would say something like that about damsels. I read alot about how they are just plain aholes. My wife and i would really like a blue fish but there really isnt much out there that we like or is compatible.....oh well

 

[dustin_P74]

you have a 90 gallon so you could get a regal tang for a good while

 

[Bifferwine]

The yellow-tail damsels are much less aggressive (and smaller) than most other damsels. I have one (it was one of my first fish), and it's never been aggressive towards anything. But that could just be mine.

 

[reeffreak]

1. Are water changes and macro algae the best ways to get rid of nitrate? Or is there something else?
2. Will with time since my so called live sand is not established will my nitrates go down with time just with the sand maturing?
3. I really have nothing in the sand to keep it sifted should I added some snails? (if so how many)
3. I only empty about 1 cup of water(and a little bit of nasty stuff) from my skimmer every 3 days. I have the tube all the way up just to get that(yes i know more watery) How often do you empty your skimmer cup and how much are you getting? Do you think my skimmer not working right? octo-nw150 and I have checked to make sure there is plenty of air flow.
4. Any other helpful advice or am i just being a newb and need to let the system mature?

Thanks as always

1-a deep sand bed will also provide denitrification.It will take time to mature,upwards of a year.Even a few inches of oolitic will provide some,IME,but it will need to mature.

2-depends on the depth but yeah,as it matures it may provide some denitrification if the deepest part isn't disturb.I've even read deepest pores of live rock will provide some too.

3-If your cycle is complete.No problems adding some nassarius snails.Maybe 25 of the small or 5-10 of the large.Ceriths bury themselves in the sand and fighting conchs partially bury and push through the sand too.A couple fighting conch and a dozen small ceriths is okay if algae is present.
3-sounds like its working fine.About a 1/2 cup per day of skimmate for me.I run it dry.

4-It really takes a system a year to fully mature.The battle has really just begun.Be patience,do water changes regularly and everything will come together,eventually.I know,not really reassuring,good luck.

 

[Fastlight]

Thanks reef that made me think. I did a 10% water change today. I was thinking 10% once a week. Is that good? Or is it keep an eye on the whole nitrate thing and if it starts climbing again do them once a day. Jeez I could have sworn i have read all of this but its so different when you have your own tank running. I fear the cost of salt if I have to do a 10% or more water change every day or everyother day.....

 

[dustin_P74]

10% every week will be fine

 

[Fastlight]

excelent. Gotta say i love this forum and i basically live on it when im on the internet. Its good to be able to ask questions and not have to worry about someone smarting off to you.

 

[reeffreak]

10% should be fine depending on how much of a bioload you are going to have.If nitrates is rising faster than you are doing water changes than maybe 25% a week would be better.

You have a refugium,right?
If so,make sure you have a nice 6'' DSB,rock rubble and chaeto.You may get to a point where there will be no detectable nitrate.