Nitrates

[SchnauzerFace]

OK, didn't realize you don't have a sump. I think that'd be a huge step in the right direction. In a 60G tank with 100lb LR (and I'm guessing also sand?) your water volume is considerably less than 60gallons. So just by adding a sump, you're going to add more water to your system to keep the waste from being so concentrated. It's also a great place to store some chaeto or other macro algae that will feed on the nitrates. You can buy a pre made sump, but you'll overpay for it (IMO). If you're handy, you can build your own (lots of tutorials out there). Or, if your community has a local reef club, you might find someone who is trying to sell one, or perhaps even has one to give away.

This is just ...sumpthing.... to think about.

 

[Mike in CT]

You have a big bio load for your tank. Vodka dosing would would work but you would need to do a lot of research before you start doing it.

 

[WITang]

Lol that's funny schnauzerFace. My nitrates are reading 80. I don't have a sump, just the skimmer and canister filter. And I'm not very educated on filter sock. No clue to be honest. Lastly, what do you mean by "skimming wetter"?

 

[SchnauzerFace]

Lol that's funny schnauzerFace. My nitrates are reading 80. I don't have a sump, just the skimmer and canister filter. And I'm not very educated on filter sock. No clue to be honest. Lastly, what do you mean by "skimming wetter"?

80 is definitely on the high side so it's important to bring it down quite a bit. I saw you have a couple button polyps. Do you plan to keep other corals, or just fish? A fish-only tank can operate with a much higher nitrate level than a tank with corals, whereas some coral species need the tank ti be as close to 0 as possible to thrive.

A filter sock is something like this:

Aquarium Filtration Supplies: Eshopps Micron Bag Holder and Bags

It's a mesh bag to put over your drain as one additional method to catch bigger gunk. It's essential to clean and sterilize it often (twice a week, I've always read). Otherwise, it'll just collect nitrates and make your problem even worse. But since you don't currently have a sump, I wouldn't worry about it for now, though. Hopefully your canister filter is doing a good job filtering out the bigger junk.

Skimming wet means you've dialed in your protein skimmer to take out skimmate at a faster pace. This way, you're removing nitrates more quickly. Your skimmer cup might be a light green tea color if you skim wet, and you may need to empty it every day. If you skim "dry" (not the best term, really, because it's still going to be wet!), your skimmate will collect more slowly, and it could look like a disgusting motor oily sludge. You won't have to empty the cup as often. There are pros and cons to both ways, but I've found that since I started skimming wetter than I used to, it's just a little easier to keep nitrates ~0. But this is just one small piece of the entire nitrate puzzle

Hope this helps!

 

[Reefing Madness]

That is not possible. They may actually have ich but the sugar will not cause it.

Agreed. I dose and have nothing but a tank full of Tangs, they don't have ICH.

 

[WITang]

OK and I really do appreciate everyone's help still not educated as well as you guys but I'm learning. I plan on keeping just buttons at least until I get "control" over the nitrates. For now I have no intentions of getting other corals.

 

[Mike in CT]

My poor buttons are the only thing that thrived my first 6 months keeping a reef ! Lol
Sometimes you can find some decent $10 frags...sometimes even less. Grab a few of those and see how they do. You can learn a lot by how they respond to what you do to your tank. Plus you don't have to stress if they go south.

 

[WITang]

Its really hard to find a marine store around here. Closest is about 45 min. And they usually don't have any buttons. I'm just feeling a bit defeated as I'm trying almost everything and not getting any good results

 

[Mike in CT]

If you are that desperate, and have tried the normal fixes, I would definitely look into vodka dosing. Just know it's not something that will work in a week or even a month.... But it will work. Also... You have a huge bio load for that tank, especially without a sump and a big skimmer. You have the bio load of probably a 75 or 95 gallon tank would consider normal and that's a sump and skimmer. Also keep in mind, for vodka dosing you really need a good skimmer also. You might look into getting rid of a few fish, then you tank and water changes might be able to keep up with nitrates.

 

[WITang]

OK Ty I will def think about it.

 

[DSP]

If you are that desperate, and have tried the normal fixes, I would definitely look into vodka dosing. Just know it's not something that will work in a week or even a month.... But it will work. Also... You have a huge bio load for that tank, especially without a sump and a big skimmer. You have the bio load of probably a 75 or 95 gallon tank would consider normal and that's a sump and skimmer. Also keep in mind, for vodka dosing you really need a good skimmer also. You might look into getting rid of a few fish, then you tank and water changes might be able to keep up with nitrates.

+1 I agree with everything Mike mentioned, If you have 100lbs of rock in your tank that means you don't have much water volumn and that doesn't fit well with your fish stocking list, You will probally continue to have nitrate problems like mentioned earlier unless you start vodka/vineger dosing or you decide to remove some fish and keep up with waterchanges, Personally I would just remove some fish because it will help quite a bit and the fish would enjoy a bigger tank as well, good luck and keep us updated!

 

[WITang]

Thank you, and I will

 

[Bad Company]

You can build a good waterfall scrubber from a 5 gallon pail, some pvc, some $8 light fixtures, a #7 "canvas" screen from hobby lobby, a bulkhead fitting, and a small 300gph pump. Probably will run you about $60 in all. I run a waterfall scrubber on my 70 gallon with 9 fish (mostly smaller fish), and nitrates peaked at 40ppm during cycling; they are now at zero. Every week. I water change once every few weeks about 5%.

 

[WITang]

Wow I'm not real savy at building things. Would you be willing to tell me how? Lol thank you

 

[Reefing Madness]

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/eq...lgae-your-aquarium-hopefully-permanently.html

 

[WITang]

Ty guys! I think I may have run into another problem just lost 1 and I have 3 others not doing well... sigh ;(

 

[Mike in CT]

Time to get your test kits out...ammonia... Nitrites....
Nitrates usually won't kill a fish that quick. Try to find out if it's chemistry or disease. Possibly large water change / quarantine tank in your future. Have you added fish recently??

 

[WITang]

Yes I added 2 but they aren't showing signs of sickness. The one that died showed nothing, 2 of the 3 looked like they have ich but the other doesn't. Just tested last night everything good but nitrates. Just did about a 60% water change.

 

[WITang]

Feel like I'm loosing family members

 

[Mike in CT]

I think you have 2 choices....set up quarantine tank and treat with copper, or if you don't have anything besides fish in your tank besides a few polyps you could reduce your salt content for an extended time to kill the ich. Both are tricky and have to be closely monitored.
Or you could do nothing and let the strong survive but you will always have ich and whenever your fish get stressed it will show up again.