Bizarre, Clueless & ******!

Aquacultured SPS
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Well I just YANKED that canister out of my sump so that is longer in there. But I guess going off the last few replies (and thanks again!!) I am not sure if I should do a water change now, or No, since I did a few already -- but did them and just contaminated that new water by running it thru the canister filter so I did more harm then good. So since I yanked that out .. is it best to just wait for the skimmer or should I indeed do a water change and do it right now since it wont be going thru that canister filker?? (however dont want to crash the tank or doing any more harm by doing another water change) :sad:
 
I would do a smaller water change now and test the fresh salt water for nitrates.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
Ok I will .. I just want to be extremely careful right now and don't want to do more harm then is already done. That's why I am going off the advice of everything you guys recommend I do. If there are no nitrates in the salt water would you think I should do a bigger water change (assuming a bigger water change is 30% or more?)
 
specialk said:
Ok I will .. I just want to be extremely careful right now and don't want to do more harm then is already done. That's why I am going off the advice of everything you guys recommend I do. If there are no nitrates in the salt water would you think I should do a bigger water change (assuming a bigger water change is 30% or more?)
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I think you're getting great advice here! I don't think you can go wrong with a water change. I don't see any down side. I agree with the others that you should increase to weekly. Once the nitrates are under control, you can change 10% weekly. Until then I'd change more while you're trying to correct. I agree that you need to find the source of the problem and a long term solution, and water changes will be a big part of that. Good luck!
 
Personally on my tank I do two five gallon water changes a week. I do one from the display and one from the sump using a wet vacuum to stuck out any settled detritus. There's nothing wrong with bigger water changes its that smaller ones are easier to do which makes them more likely to be completed.

Need to find the main source of the implement a plan to fix it. And removing that canister and getting a skimmer is a great first step.
 
Nutramar Foods
Well, made some salt. Tested = 0 Nitrates. Made new water and :frusty: removed Bio Balls :frusty: from part of sump (yes I know I know I forgot to mention the bio balls that were in part of my sump, not my canister) ... although I did learn that MOST canisters have the bio balls in them, which is where a majority of the junk comes from. SINCE I am relatively new at this, I forgot when I first got this tank setup how many people told me they do not like bio balls. I am now in that club. Learned the hard way. BUT, did a 30% water change, waited a while and then tested, and......... nitrates were def down a bit from the last time. So this is a relief ... and a huge learning experience thanks to all you!!
 
Yeah, bio balls can become nitrate factories much like a canister can. Things should be on the up and up from now out.
 
specialk said:
Well, made some salt. Tested = 0 Nitrates. Made new water and :frusty: removed Bio Balls :frusty: from part of sump (yes I know I know I forgot to mention the bio balls that were in part of my sump, not my canister) ... although I did learn that MOST canisters have the bio balls in them, which is where a majority of the junk comes from. SINCE I am relatively new at this, I forgot when I first got this tank setup how many people told me they do not like bio balls. I am now in that club. Learned the hard way. BUT, did a 30% water change, waited a while and then tested, and......... nitrates were def down a bit from the last time. So this is a relief ... and a huge learning experience thanks to all you!!
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Don't kick yourself too hard.

With or without bioballs, canister filters, wet/dry, crushed coral, undergravel filters, etc etc etc, you can have unmeasureable nitrates. Even though those are all critized as nitrate factories.

What is important is whether or not your tank is consuming any nitrates being genrated.

I do that by macro algaes in a refugium.

but that's just my .02
 
BRS
beaslbob said:
Don't kick yourself too hard.

With or without bioballs, canister filters, wet/dry, crushed coral, undergravel filters, etc etc etc, you can have unmeasureable nitrates. Even though those are all critized as nitrate factories.

What is important is whether or not your tank is consuming any nitrates being genrated.

I do that by macro algaes in a refugium.

but that's just my .02
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I agree. We're all on a learning club and we all have to self-correct along the way. What I like about this forum is that people don't give you a hard time as you're figuring things out.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
bknapp said:
Some salt mixes are known to contain nitrates.
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Which ones?

I've used pretty much all the major salt brands except for Red Sea, and I'm pretty sure they're clean too.

Sounds like a reefing myth or echo from the past to me. E.g. Maybe Tropic Marin from 1987?

-Matt
 
mcarroll said:
Which ones?

I've used pretty much all the major salt brands except for Red Sea, and I'm pretty sure they're clean too.

Sounds like a reefing myth or echo from the past to me. E.g. Maybe Tropic Marin from 1987?

-Matt
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Guess I shouldn't have worded it that way. I've never tested a fresh salt water that's had nitrates, I've only heard of some salt mixes containing nitrates. But I know I've read that somewhere, probably more reefing myth than anything else. And for what is worth I use regular Red Sea Salt mix and have never tested nitrates in a fresh mix.

Sorry for any confusion.
 
AS
So I got a small problem. With doing 20 gallon water changes every two weeks, maybe once a week if I feel like it I have high calcium. I'm talking like 500-600. Mag is spot on and alk dips here and there but is fixed by dosing soda ash. I have no idea why my cal is so high. Do y'all have any ideas?
 
Rookie J said:
So I got a small problem. With doing 20 gallon water changes every two weeks, maybe once a week if I feel like it I have high calcium. I'm talking like 500-600. Mag is spot on and alk dips here and there but is fixed by dosing soda ash. I have no idea why my cal is so high. Do y'all have any ideas?
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What kind of salt mix are you using?
 
Deltec
Do you dose any calcium at all? Is it in any supplement you're adding?
 
glb said:
Do you dose any calcium at all? Is it in any supplement you're adding?
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Only dosed once 2 months ago. Since then I moved to the 75g with pretty much a full water change. The LFS and I are at a loss. We have to dose the big tank at work but not doing anything and having high cal is weird
 

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