reef filtration question

[mrcoffee2]

Hey guys,

I posted a similar thread about this, but this one is a little more specific. I have a 8g tank that is 2.5 months in cycle. Currently I am keeping everything happy doing 10-20% water changes twice a week with 001PPM RODI water. All of my levels are good except for my nitrates, they hover between 10-20 and I cannot seem to get them down. I believe I have narrowed my problem down to my filter.

When I went to the petstore to buy a "nitrate reducing filter" the guy there mentioned that it would not help very much. He suggested that I slowly remove parts of my current filter until it is just about nothing, saying that my 8lbs of LR should eventually do its job at reducing the nitrates. Below is a side view of my filter, per his advice the sponge that I was going to start to remove is the one on the right with all of the bacteria growing on it. His recommendation was to start cutting it in 3rds and waiting two weeks to see what my nitrates do until eventually I have hardly anything in the filter.

What do you guys think of that advice?

 

[mrcoffee2]

I should mention that for fish I only have 1 YWG.

 

[TJ's Reef]

You can clean all the media in there in your discarded WC water on a regular basis. Everything will benefit from the periodic cleaning and you wont lose any bacteria just detritus build up which is your lil Nitrate Factory.

Cheers, Todd

 

[mrcoffee2]

Hey Todd,

I have been doing this to both sponges in the past week and I have not noticed a change in nitrates.

 

[mike007]

Try a coffee filter lol. Is this a reef or fish only? If this a reef all you need is the live rock and i would ditch that filter and get a protein skimmer. Nitrates are caused by excess nutrients which is usually caused from overfeeding. With one fish you only you need to feed a small amount each day and never let food hit the bottom. It very easy for us to overfeed our fish they are pigs.

 

[mrcoffee2]

Lol mike that is a funny comment.

I currently have

4 hermit crabs
2 small as smails
2 nass snails
1 boxer crab
1 yellow watchman goby
1 tiger pistol shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp

I feed a sliver of rods food twice a day and a 1-3 pellets for the nass snails (they seem to love them) That being said the food hits the bottom because everything I have is practically a bottom feeder. Its really hard to tell what the right amount of food is to feed them. My hidden cup anemones alone can swallow the majority of the food if I sprinkle it on top of them. Do you think I should feet a considerable amount less?

 

[Fin]

You really don't need to feed twice a day. Once a day is fine. I even skip days on ocassion.

 

[mike007]

Lol mike that is a funny comment.
.
I currently have

4 hermit crabs
2 small as smails
2 nass snails
1 boxer crab
1 yellow watchman goby
1 tiger pistol shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp

I feed a sliver of rods food twice a day and a 1-3 pellets for the nass snails (they seem to love them) That being said the food hits the bottom because everything I have is practically a bottom feeder. Its really hard to tell what the right amount of food is to feed them. My hidden cup anemones alone can swallow the majority of the food if I sprinkle it on top of them. Do you think I should feet a considerable amount less?

Yes sir i would try cutting down on the feeding and continue to do small water changes with your rodi water and see if nitrates will come down.