After 4 months, now recieving Nitrate readings

[Kietn23]

I have had a biocube 14 running stellar for 4 months now, for 3 months I have always gotten a reading of 0 nitrate. Last Sunday August 30th, 2009, I did a water change and 2 days afterwards,I tested the water and recieved a reading between 10-20 of Nitrate??? I use API Fresh Water and Marine Water Testing Kit $35.

 

This is the Brand API Testing Kit that I am using

 

Now I should inform you I have added new livestock the week before the August 30th, I added a yellow watchman goby, 6 line hawiian wrasse and a small ...cough....cough coughBLUETANG! Before adding the new live stock I have 2 clowns and 1 fireshrimp. Now my take on all this is that I'm overstock like a mother F**ker! But I want to be sure that might be the only problem.

 

For the first 3 months I did water changes every Sunday. In past 2 months, I only did a water change every 2 weeks because I wanted to see the threshold to determine how long I could prolong the water change until I see a unfavorable reading in nitrates. Two questions: 1) how do I get it back to 0% nitrate? 2) Is that realistic and possible for long term. I ask question number #2 because I assume it is possible because I never got nitrate until I added the livestock.

 

Also please note, when I perform water changes, I first use my powerhead and blow off debris off the rocks, in the dead corners of my tank--I stir it up really well. Then I used a gravel siphon and jabb all around the rockbed for crap. I also, wipe down the inside of the glass. I take out exactly 2.5 gallons every water change. I purchase multiple Petco 5 gallon real ocean water.

 

Please answer my questions! Thanks. By the way, I am selling my Tang today after placing it on craigslist Yesterday.

[Urchinhead]

You are overstocked and you stocked up too fast. General rule is one fish per two weeks+. You put in three in one day. The bacteria in the system can't handle the new waste load. Step up the water changes, change your carbon based filter media, ditch any and all bioballs/live rock as they build up detritus wastes and become nitrate factories and pull the tang out of the tank and the problem will take care of itself.

[Kietn23]

You are overstocked and you stocked up too fast. General rule is one fish per two weeks+. You put in three in one day. The bacteria in the system can't handle the new waste load. Step up the water changes, change your carbon based filter media, ditch any and all bioballs/live rock as they build up detritus wastes and become nitrate factories and pull the tang out of the tank and the problem will take care of itself.

 

Thanks, I'm on my way! Now when you say ditch my bioballs and liverock? As in throw it away? Why?

[Urchinhead]

Cheers. Because over time detritus will build up on the rubble and/or bioballs in the second(?) chamber. This detritus tends to be fish poop and uneaten food etc. The bacteria does not break this down very quickly and thus ammonia/nitrite/nitrate begins to leach back into the water. People go nuts looking for the source of this buildup only to find its due to said detritus build up.

 

Your choices are either rinse 1/4 to 1/3 of the balls/rock every month (don't do more because you kill off the good bacteria when you do) or pull it completely and replace it with something more useful like a skimmer or refugium.

[Deleted User 6]

you've been smitten by the tang gods for your blasphemy. true story.

 

you're just overstocked. turn the second chamber into a fuge with chaeto and keep up with the water changes. nitrates will go back down.

[Kietn23]

Thanks guys for your help responses I will tell you how it goes.

[SpankythePyro]

You really need to remove some of those fish from the 14

[MillerLite]

You are overstocked and you stocked up too fast. General rule is one fish per two weeks+. You put in three in one day. The bacteria in the system can't handle the new waste load. Step up the water changes, change your carbon based filter media, ditch any and all bioballs/live rock as they build up detritus wastes and become nitrate factories and pull the tang out of the tank and the problem will take care of itself.

 

Im sure he meant live rock in your chambers and not live rock in your tank