Nitrate and Rite

[xknightangelx]

Hello gain All,

 

I have been having trouble with my tank, I lost almost everything. Its a Aqua Pod 24. Ive been doing weekly water changes and I only feed 2x a week. I use R/O water. I have an extra power head and an upgraded pump.

My tank used to be beautiful and everything was growing and spreading. Its about 1 1/2 years old. When I did my test everything read normal. Then I took my water to my LFS to have it tested. My test kit must be bad. It showed nitrate and rite, and phosphates.

 

I then change the water last night and these are the readings tonight. With a different kit

My nitrate @ 3.5 Nitrite @ .05

PH is @ 8

ALK is in the normal range

Ammonia 0

Temp 75

Phosphate was @ .25 before I changed 1/2 the water (That I had tested @my LS) I have to get a test kit or that.

 

I don't know what is causing the spike in nitrate and rite....I have been doing weekly water changes, I did a water change last night of more than half of the water and put in purigen and pura complete media.

 

There is nothing dead or decaying in the tank. I am having a problem with hair algae this past month.

The one thing I do have in the tank are the sponges. I do clean them out with every water change.

Im going to change the lighting too. The bulb is on its way (because its over a year old)

 

 

Does any one have suggestions what is causing this spike? Can it be the sponges ?

[Nemo Niblets]

I'm sorry to hear about it... Did you stir up the sand? Take out any filtration, like LR, LS, Bioballs? Did anything die? Are you running stock sponges/bioballs? If so, did you rinse them often?

[xknightangelx]

I'm sorry to hear about it... Did you stir up the sand? Take out any filtration, like LR, LS, Bioballs? Did anything die? Are you running stock sponges/bioballs? If so, did you rinse them often?

 

No, I didnt stir up the sand. Didn't take any filtration out. I am running the stock sponges, no bio balls and I rinse them every week with the water change. Everything is gone on me except the pulsing xenia, candy cane, galixa, and there is a little bit of my GSP left which is fading fast. I still have my yellow goby and bi-color blenny.

 

I'm devastated over it.

[nemmy]

When was the last time you changed your bulbs? Maybe the old bulbs are causing the corals to die off creating spikes in your params?

Have you checked for stray voltage?

How deep is your sandbed by the way?

 

Your feeding seems fine, your water changes are fine, your temp isnt elevated (although a bit low), you have no dead livestock or sandbed stirring. Pretty weird that a 1.5 year old tank just starts going downhill.

[Nano sapiens]

Looks like something organic is fueling your Nitrite spike. If your feeding regimen has stayed consistent for many prior months without issues it is entirely possible that your bacteria are no longer working as efficiently as when the tank was younger. I'd treat your problem as a case of 'Old Tank Syndrome', which can afflict a tank as young as yours and is not an urban myth IMO.

 

1. Try cutting back on your feeding frequency to once a week and limit the amount fed for a few weeks and see if that helps. Be sure to remove ANY uneaten food from the tank after 2-3 minutes of feeding.

 

2. Your sponges trap organic matter that breaks down quickly into undesirable substances if left for a week without cleaning, especially so if you feed heavily. Try cleaning the sponges more frequently and definitely after each feeding.

 

3. Do you have a good amount of detritus in the tank? If you don't have a DSB (deep sand bed) clean out the sand and rocks of excess detritus. Excessive detritus not only harbors excess nutrients, but it interferes with water movement into the spaces where aerobic and anaerobic bacteria reside.

 

4. Keep up with your WCs every week. 20% is a good place to start, 30% if you have a really heavy bio-load.

[xknightangelx]

When was the last time you changed your bulbs? Maybe the old bulbs are causing the corals to die off creating spikes in your params?

Have you checked for stray voltage?

How deep is your sandbed by the way?

 

Your feeding seems fine, your water changes are fine, your temp isnt elevated (although a bit low), you have no dead livestock or sandbed stirring. Pretty weird that a 1.5 year old tank just starts going downhill.

 

I never changed the bulbs. One is one its way, should be here today or tomorrow. Sand bed it only about a 1/4 inch or a little more. No, I didn't check or voltage.

 

Looks like something organic is fueling your Nitrite spike. If your feeding regimen has stayed consistent for many prior months without issues it is entirely possible that your bacteria are no longer working as efficiently as when the tank was younger. I'd treat your problem as a case of 'Old Tank Syndrome', which can afflict a tank as young as yours and is not an urban myth IMO.

 

1. Try cutting back on your feeding frequency to once a week and limit the amount fed for a few weeks and see if that helps. Be sure to remove ANY uneaten food from the tank after 2-3 minutes of feeding.

 

2. Your sponges trap organic matter that breaks down quickly into undesirable substances if left for a week without cleaning, especially so if you feed heavily. Try cleaning the sponges more frequently and definitely after each feeding.

 

3. Do you have a good amount of detritus in the tank? If you don't have a DSB (deep sand bed) clean out the sand and rocks of excess detritus. Excessive detritus not only harbors excess nutrients, but it interferes with water movement into the spaces where aerobic and anaerobic bacteria reside.

 

4. Keep up with your WCs every week. 20% is a good place to start, 30% if you have a really heavy bio-load.

 

 

Than You.