Help please! Will a protein skimmer help me?

[ehays1973]

Ok so I’ve been battleing high nitrates since I started my tank. Zero ammonia, zero nitrites, but nitrates are around 80 ppm. I have a 55 gallon with live rock, two frostbite clowns, coral beauty, diamond goby, three shrimp, hermits, crabs, and a sand sifting starfish. I have a couple zoas, a torch coral, GSP, and a hammer coral. For filtration and movement I have a blower, hang on the back filter, and a canister filter. My tank last really clean and everything seems to be thriving. I do regular water changer but my nitrates are always high. I’m been saving for some new stuff but should the money really go to a HOB skimmer? Will it really make that much of a difference?

 

[Flippers4pups]

You need a skimmer, also remove the canister filter. It's likely a big source of the nitrate.

Large water changes can help lower N03, but a skimmer is really needed.

 

[ehays1973]

Oh ok thanks. I was told a canister filter would be good for filtration. So confused right now. What about the HOB filter?

 

[eb_reef]

Oh ok thanks. I was told a canister filter would be good for filtration. So confused right now. What about the HOB filter?

Canisters are more popular with fresh water tanks. Your live rock should be enough to filter the water. I would use the HOB for carbon or GFO when needed other than that you do not need the HOB either.

 

[ehays1973]

Canisters are more popular with fresh water tanks. Your live rock should be enough to filter the water. I would use the HOB for carbon or GFO when needed other than that you do not need the HOB either.

Ok no sump either so just a HOB protein skimmer. Any you recommend. I’ve heard good and bad about reef octopus.

 

[Idoc]

Oh ok thanks. I was told a canister filter would be good for filtration. So confused right now. What about the HOB filter?

The canister is filtering the water, and probably found a nice job at it. But, unless you're changing/cleaning the filter daily, the stuff on the filter is probably sitting there quite awhile and breaking down into nutrients. Also, maybe look at what you're feeding and the quantity. Frozen typically takes longer to break down into nutrients than pellet or flake foods.

 

[MTBake]

Ok no sump either so just a HOB protein skimmer. Any you recommend. I’ve heard good and bad about reef octopus.

I recommend Reef Octopus for hob skimmers. The BH2000 is a work horse as far as hob skimmers are concerned, imo.

 

[ehays1973]

Ok cool so I guess I’m going to ditch the canister and the HOB Filter and get a protein skimmer tomorrow. I really hope that helps. I guess I should have went that way from the beginning. Thanks for all the help. Any more recommendations and feedback would be very appreciated.

 

[ehays1973]

The canister is filtering the water, and probably found a nice job at it. But, unless you're changing/cleaning the filter daily, the stuff on the filter is probably sitting there quite awhile and breaking down into nutrients. Also, maybe look at what you're feeding and the quantity. Frozen typically takes longer to break down into nutrients than pellet or flake foods.

I mix it up. Frozen one day then pellets and flake the next.

 

[MTBake]

Ok cool so I guess I’m going to ditch the canister and the HOB Filter and get a protein skimmer tomorrow. I really hope that helps. I guess I should have went that way from the beginning. Thanks for all the help. Any more recommendations and feedback would be very appreciated.

I wouldn't ditch the hob filter till you have the skimmer running for a week or 2. Could cause a shock to the system actually.

I use a hob filter on my tank but have absolutely no media in it. I dump copepods and phyto into it and that's about it. More or less just turns over surface water.

 

[Idoc]

I mix it up. Frozen one day then pellets and flake the next.

I would cut the pellets and flake and use different frozen types for variety. I bet you'd see a big difference in your nitrate production.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Good advice all around given. Until you get your skimmer, do some larger water changes to bring your N03 down.

Good luck!

 

[ehays1973]

I wouldn't ditch the hob filter till you have the skimmer running for a week or 2. Could cause a shock to the system actually.

I use a hob filter on my tank but have absolutely no media in it. I dump copepods and phyto into it and that's about it. More or less just turns over surface water.

Ok I don’t have any of those should I have them in my tank?

 

[ehays1973]

Thanks. Go

Good advice all around given. Until you get your skimmer, do some larger water changes to bring your N03 down.

Good luck!

. thanks gonna do a 20% this weekend.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Ok I don’t have any of those should I have them in my tank?

Copepods are always a good thing to have.

 

[ehays1973]

Ok I’m so glad I’m on here I’ve learned so much and everyone is so helpful

 

[MTBake]

Ok I don’t have any of those should I have them in my tank?

Copepods may already be in your tank without you knowing They are very tiny creatures, kinda look like white fleas on the glass, but even smaller than fleas. I still seed my system a few times a year with copepods from one of the many vendors on R2R.

 

[MTBake]

Ok I’m so glad I’m on here I’ve learned so much and everyone is so helpful

We're all in this hobby together. Glad to help

 

[Dumaurier7]

Keep the filter and get an ATS or sulphur de-nitrator or both!

 

[FugeTown]

Good advice all around given. Until you get your skimmer, do some larger water changes to bring your N03 down.

Good luck!

I 2nd the water changes , that’s the only way to get your nitrates down at this point (Best non Chemical method besides chaeto algae). Large water changes, if I was you I’d do a 30% change with RO water then test nitrates if the level is still 20ppm or higher I’d do another 30% water change until you get your nitrates at least below 10ppm. I prefer less than 5ppm but less than 10ppm is way better than 80ppm and once your skimmer is in your nutrient levels should stabilize depending on how much you feed. The skimmer won’t start pulling skimmate until the 1 week break in period is over so keep running your other filtration until it starts to skim. I have a HOB octopus reef which Skims like crazy but some times they act up and have a potential of overflowing causing water to spill on the floor, I redesigned mine so it can’t overflow anymore. Things that make it overflow is stuff like frag putty, dr Tim’s waste away or chem clean are 3 things I’ve used in the past that made me reef octopus hob filter act up. I recommend to keep a close eye on it any time you put an additive to the tank to see how the skimmer reacts, good luck.