Nitrates at 20ppm.

MelissaKathryn · May 15, 2013

justgotwet said:
Looks like you need to get a clean up crew.

+1 I don't know if you have one or not, but you need a series of different snails and crabs that are especially for getting rid of algae, detritus, excess food, sift sand, etc. They will really help you keep things in check.. along with the addition of more live rock and a refugium with macroalgae if you don't already have it. Reefs2go.com has some good packs according to the size of your tank.

Slinkthug · May 15, 2013

MelissaKathryn said:
+1 I don't know if you have one or not, but you need a series of different snails and crabs that are especially for getting rid of algae, detritus, excess food, sift sand, etc. They will really help you keep things in check.. along with the addition of more live rock and a refugium with macroalgae if you don't already have it. Reefs2go.com has some good packs according to the size of your tank.

I have no room for a refugium.
I only have a skimmer hang on. I'm going to do some water Change and see what hopes.
I will also get a cuc this week.

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jservedio · May 15, 2013

Your tank is really new and you are going to see lots of algae no matter what you do - it's going to be green in places. Most HOB skimmers have a surface skimming attachment that will REALLY help out your tank. I agree with everyone that you should get a CUC and remove the sponge from the powerhead.

Looks like you are running a Fluval Canister filter as well. You should not be running ANY sponges in the canister filter. You should run a bag of carbon and a bag of GFO (or chemipure or purigen or something) to keep your phosphates down. Sponges in the Canister are nitrate factories - you could do 50% WC every day and that canister is going to pump out nitrates if there is a sponge in there.

Let the tank age and read as much as you can about keeping parameters stable. Don't do anything drastic either - stability is the most important thing and nothing good ever comes fast. Right now I have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates without a spot of microalgae and it has been like that for almost 6 months now - however with the same exact equipment I am using I had 10ppm nitrates and lots of algae for the first few months - there isn't much you can do about it. And I didn't have a single fish for months. I am also running the same exact 20g petco tank you have.

Slinkthug · May 15, 2013

jservedio said:
Your tank is really new and you are going to see lots of algae no matter what you do - it's going to be green in places. Most HOB skimmers have a surface skimming attachment that will REALLY help out your tank. I agree with everyone that you should get a CUC and remove the sponge from the powerhead.

Looks like you are running a Fluval Canister filter as well. You should not be running ANY sponges in the canister filter. You should run a bag of carbon and a bag of GFO (or chemipure or purigen or something) to keep your phosphates down. Sponges in the Canister are nitrate factories - you could do 50% WC every day and that canister is going to pump out nitrates if there is a sponge in there.

Let the tank age and read as much as you can about keeping parameters stable. Don't do anything drastic either - stability is the most important thing and nothing good ever comes fast. Right now I have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates without a spot of microalgae and it has been like that for almost 6 months now - however with the same exact equipment I am using I had 10ppm nitrates and lots of algae for the first few months - there isn't much you can do about it. And I didn't have a single fish for months. I am also running the same exact 20g petco tank you have.

Hey thanks for your advice will remove the sponge in canister thanks again

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jservedio · May 15, 2013

No problem - your setup is very, very similar to what I had when I first started - I had a Fluval 205 can on my 20g tall before I got a GFO reactor and also had a HOB skimmer. The best investment you can make is buying a sump that'll fit under your stand - even if it is only 5 gallons. I put a 10g under my tank and those extra 5-7 gallons make a big difference for keeping things stable. It also makes it easier to get a much bigger skimmer, a quality ATO, etc. as you grow and get better equipment. Before spending any money on upgrading things you find lacking, get a sump. You can only go so far with HOB stuff and it takes up a lot of space.

Don't worry about not having a drilled tank either - the CPR overflows work great and never fail as long as you keep a pump on it in case of a siphon break. Just keep up with your maintenance, keep a watchful eye on the tank and be patient - your tank will age and your problems will pass.

Slinkthug · May 15, 2013

jservedio said:
No problem - your setup is very, very similar to what I had when I first started - I had a Fluval 205 can on my 20g tall before I got a GFO reactor and also had a HOB skimmer. The best investment you can make is buying a sump that'll fit under your stand - even if it is only 5 gallons. I put a 10g under my tank and those extra 5-7 gallons make a big difference for keeping things stable. It also makes it easier to get a much bigger skimmer, a quality ATO, etc. as you grow and get better equipment. Before spending any money on upgrading things you find lacking, get a sump. You can only go so far with HOB stuff and it takes up a lot of space.

Don't worry about not having a drilled tank either - the CPR overflows work great and never fail as long as you keep a pump on it in case of a siphon break. Just keep up with your maintenance, keep a watchful eye on the tank and be patient - your tank will age and your problems will pass.

Hey thanks a lot Appreciate it

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Slinkthug · May 15, 2013

jservedio said:
Your tank is really new and you are going to see lots of algae no matter what you do - it's going to be green in places. Most HOB skimmers have a surface skimming attachment that will REALLY help out your tank. I agree with everyone that you should get a CUC and remove the sponge from the powerhead.

Looks like you are running a Fluval Canister filter as well. You should not be running ANY sponges in the canister filter. You should run a bag of carbon and a bag of GFO (or chemipure or purigen or something) to keep your phosphates down. Sponges in the Canister are nitrate factories - you could do 50% WC every day and that canister is going to pump out nitrates if there is a sponge in there.

Let the tank age and read as much as you can about keeping parameters stable. Don't do anything drastic either - stability is the most important thing and nothing good ever comes fast. Right now I have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates without a spot of microalgae and it has been like that for almost 6 months now - however with the same exact equipment I am using I had 10ppm nitrates and lots of algae for the first few months - there isn't much you can do about it. And I didn't have a single fish for months. I am also running the same exact 20g petco tank you have.

When u say sponge in canister u main the black one in the last bottom tray or the long ones on the side.

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