40 ppm nitrates

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

Im new to the saltwater community. I set up a 32 gal cube I cycled it witha table shrimp per my LFS advice. I added 2 clowns and a skunk cleaner but i checked my nitrates and theyre 40ppm. What im confused about is my LFS said DONT do a water change after cycle is complete but my ppm are now 40 so i know i need to do a WC but can someone tell me how much I should do at 1 time im afraid if i do a drastic itll kill the fish.

ChiSox Rabbitfish · Jul 28, 2019

As long as ammonia and nitrites are at 0 I would do a WC. Probably wouldn’t of put a cleaner in so soon the clowns are a very hardy fish so they should be fine

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

like how much of a water change at one time

Clinton · Jul 28, 2019

Don't stress too much with no ammonia or nitrite. The 40ppm won't hardly stress the clowns. The skunk may be having a rough go at it. Did the LFS give you another option to export Nitrate other than a WC [emoji848]
I say don't do anything drastic, rock out a 10 to 15% WC once a week and make it routine. Check your parameters regularly. If by mid week after WC nitrate is still rising/holding steady at 40ppm rock another WC. I bet you'll see levels lowering pretty quick and stability coming in fast. I like to dose aquaforest probio S and feed it with np pro with water changes so even if I'm losing my good bacteria I'm adding more

Clinton · Jul 28, 2019

Fliegerabwehrkanone said:
like how much of a water change at one time

Got a great size there mix up a 5 gallon bucket and that should be a great 15.6% water change... slow down to an easy 4g a week and that puts you right down the middle at 12.5%

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

Thx last thing the clowns refuse to eat i fed them frozen brine shrimp they show absolutely no interest tried a few froze blood worms and the 1 ate 1 but thats it and the other hasnt tou hed a thing had them since thursday the cleaner ate a few brine when i target fed him but clown have me concerned as im a beginner

lapin · Jul 28, 2019

My ipinion
Change out 50% of the water now and another 50% in 1 week.
That will fix your nitrates. It wont effect your bacteria population or mess up the cycle. You are feeding the tank so the bacteria has a source of food.
Feeding the clowns: If you can find out what they were eating before you got them, then great. If not then depending on the size you can figure they were fed pellets by the breeder. The right size for their mouths. Some pellets are small and look like powder.
You can try pellets and soak them in a bit of garlic extract.
Next try different frozen foods.
Live foods will work. You can get live brine shrimp and black worms at a lot of LFS.
When I run new fish thru QT I always feed live food to get them eating. Then mix in some frozen.

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

Ok thanks for info the thing that puzzles me is the LFS said they fed them frozen brine shrimp well if the did why wont they eat it now?? Ill try yo find some pellets

ChiSox Rabbitfish · Jul 28, 2019

You can add some prime to detoxify nitrates

ChiSox Rabbitfish · Jul 28, 2019

Fliegerabwehrkanone said:
Ok thanks for info the thing that puzzles me is the LFS said they fed them frozen brine shrimp well if the did why wont they eat it now?? Ill try yo find some pellets

There are also pellets that already come with the garlic on them if you can find some in your area

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

Ok ill look as for live food idk if my LFS (plural) have live food i have 2 that have fresh/salt fish and 1 that has salt only but dont remember seeing live food ill ask though

lapin · Jul 28, 2019

Fliegerabwehrkanone said:
Ok thanks for info the thing that puzzles me is the LFS said they fed them frozen brine shrimp well if the did why wont they eat it now?? Ill try yo find some pellets

Question, Did you see them eat at the LFS? DO they have live brine shrimp?

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

No/ no i dont think he told me they used frozen brines and blood worms......

Sako338 · Jul 28, 2019

Fliegerabwehrkanone said:
Thx last thing the clowns refuse to eat i fed them frozen brine shrimp they show absolutely no interest tried a few froze blood worms and the 1 ate 1 but thats it and the other hasnt tou hed a thing had them since thursday the cleaner ate a few brine when i target fed him but clown have me concerned as im a beginner

I added two clowns recently to a new tank, it took them a day or two, now they are like velociraptors. They should be fine. They may be going though the bonding process as well, mine did the same thing, they are good now, good luck.

Fliegerabwehrkanone · Jul 28, 2019

Another ? Has anyone ever ran into LFS keeping fish in hyposalinity? I used the pour cup water in bag acclimation my water is 1.025 after several dumps the bag water was at 1.020 i was curious i read its dangerous to do such a increase in salinity or am i just a worry wart

Sako338 · Jul 28, 2019

ChiSox Rabbitfish said:
There are also pellets that already come with the garlic on them if you can find some in your area

I feed hilkari marine s and freeze dried mysis

ceruleanspiral · Jul 31, 2019

Fliegerabwehrkanone said:
Another ? Has anyone ever ran into LFS keeping fish in hyposalinity? I used the pour cup water in bag acclimation my water is 1.025 after several dumps the bag water was at 1.020 i was curious i read its dangerous to do such a increase in salinity or am i just a worry wart

Do you turn your pumps off when you feed mysis? I started by doing that and my clowns were barely interested in eating. They ate, just not a lot and a bunch hit the sand. I tried feeding them with the pump on and they chase it down and eat a ton now. They also like pellets, but the small ones. I use the Formula Two small pellets. I have New Life Spectrum 1mm and neither my clowns nor my royal gramma eat those pellets.