[raviyoli]

first let me say that i bought my equipment before i found this forum (and boy am i sorry). i have a 55 gal reef tank with a emporer 400 bio wheel power filter, a seaclone 100 protein skimmer, a 2" sandbed, and 50lbs of live rock. i realize now that i do not have the best equipment . my problem is that after cycling my ammonia, nitrite, nitrates were all at zero. I have not been successfull at keeping my nitrites at zero since. The nitrites seem to be at their highest right after a water change. i purchase water from my lfs. he tested his water and it is fine. i've purchased bottled bacteria to add after each water change but the problem persists. i don't know what else to try. do you think that if i switch to a sump, it might solve my problem? i've been saving for one, but if things don't improve quickly i might have to go to my emergency fish fund (aka hubby). I'm willing to try just about anything. i'm very discouraged and almost ready to give up. i'm hoping that someone here can help me remedy this disaster.

[rlcline76]

How long has your tank been up and running? I heard biowheels are bad for nitrates.

[rich]

Well don't give up. I think that everyone has something or another that comes up that makes them scratch their heads, or say bad words , or whatever. But what a great hobby this is.It definatly has it's rewards. Yet sometimes it's share of challenges. I can't remember if you said how long your tank has been set up? Are you using the Berlin method of filtration? If so, you need more live rock. It could take 6-8 weeks for your tank to truly complete it's cycle. There are alot of fancy gadgets now for saltwater, and Reef keeping. Which is a very good thing.But I had a beautiful saltwater tank many years ago, with only a wet dry filter and an old airstone skimmer.One thing I have learned with this hobby is patience. Oftentimes that is the hardest part. What else if anything do you have in your tank?Your current equipment should do, until, and as you upgrade them.The old biology of cycling a tank is pretty consistant with how it's always been..It takes it's own sweet time.
There are alot of smart people on this forum who are real helpful to us newer to the hobby.
I'm glad you joined this forum. I will look forward learning fom you as you share your experiances.

[kolokefalo]

Raviyoli,

Youre nitrites are high or your nitrates? If it is your nitirites then somewhere on the rock there is something dying off slowly. (sponge,etc) If it is your nitrates, then the fix is easy, take the bio-wheel off the tank and let the live rock do your biological filtration for you.

Forget about adding live cycling bacteria with every water change, you are essentially just adding dead bioload. The bacteria needed are already in your tank, no need to add more.

Give us a better picture of your tank: how long its been running, fish, corals, inverts, water parameters, temp, etc and I am sure someone here will have had the same problem.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I agree with kolo. Get rid of the bio wheel. Get more live rock (20 pounds or so).Stop putting that stuff in your tank.And as far as advice from your local fish store"TRUST BUT VERIFY".I would also start getting the stuff together to mix my own salt.someday you might need salt "right now" to solve a problem in the tank and the lfs will be close for the holiday.

[raviyoli]

thanks for the encouragement. my tank has been set up for about 3 months...i'm just worried because it seems that at this stage of the game i shouldn't still be dealing with fluctuating nitrites. i suppose i'll hang in there a little bit longer.

[glampka]

Echoing what kolo asked - is it your actually nitrites or nitrates? Nitrites would increase because you overfed, something died, etc & then you should see nitrates increase. IMO, take the bio wheel off the filter & stop adding the extra bacteria when doing water changes. If you want to continue to run the filter fill it with LR rubble of carbon. Bio wheels are very good at converting nitrites to nitrates due to the aerobic bacteria. You then get an excess of nitrates since you don't have enough anaerobic bacteria to further breakdown the nitrates.

[raviyoli]

okay, here's the skinny. whenever i do a water change, which is 20% every 2 weeks per my lfs, my NITRITES go up. my nitrates are pretty high too, but it's the nitrites i'm really concerned about. it doesn't seem to make sense why they go up after i do a water change. my lfs seems to be stumped too. my tank has been up and running for three months. it seemed to have cycled in about 3 1/2 wks. all perameters were at zero, but haven't been at zero since. my nitrites will go up the day after a water change. after 4 or 5 days they'll go back to zero, by the end of the 2 week period when its time to do a water change, the whole thing starts all over again. the bio load is very small i have 1 xenia, 1 plate coral, 1 red chili coral, 1 candy cane, 1 bubble coral, 1 zooanthid, 2 clown fish, 12 hermit crabs and 2 emerald crabs. when u suggest removing the bio wheel. do you mean taking out the entire filter or just removing the actual wheels? i'll stop adding the bottled bacteria as you suggested. this weekend when i do a water change, i'll remove the rock and siphon the sand really good and see if i can locate anything dead/dying. i'm also playing with the idea of elevating the rock from the sandbed and stacking it on pvc ( got that idea from about saltwater.com) so that dead stuff will be easier to locate/siphon. what are your thoughts.

[jvharding]

Originally Posted by raviyoli

okay, here's the skinny. whenever i do a water change, which is 20% every 2 weeks per my lfs, my NITRITES go up. my nitrates are pretty high too, but it's the nitrites i'm really concerned about. it doesn't seem to make sense why they go up after i do a water change. my lfs seems to be stumped too. my tank has been up and running for three months. it seemed to have cycled in about 3 1/2 wks. all perameters were at zero, but haven't been at zero since. my nitrites will go up the day after a water change. after 4 or 5 days they'll go back to zero, by the end of the 2 week period when its time to do a water change, the whole thing starts all over again. the bio load is very small i have 1 xenia, 1 plate coral, 1 red chili coral, 1 candy cane, 1 bubble coral, 1 zooanthid, 2 clown fish, 12 hermit crabs and 2 emerald crabs. when u suggest removing the bio wheel. do you mean taking out the entire filter or just removing the actual wheels? i'll stop adding the bottled bacteria as you suggested. this weekend when i do a water change, i'll remove the rock and siphon the sand really good and see if i can locate anything dead/dying. i'm also playing with the idea of elevating the rock from the sandbed and stacking it on pvc ( got that idea from about saltwater.com) so that dead stuff will be easier to locate/siphon. what are your thoughts.

Please leave system intact stirring it up will only make matters worse! I am wondering when your 20% water is mixed how long has it been mixed for? It should stand for at least 24 hours. There is a period while the mix When it is first mixed that is very unstable. The water needs to be circulated well with a powerhead and or airstone to become stable.

[jvharding]

Oh Ya one more thing remove the BIO Wheels not the filters

[raviyoli]

i'll remove the bio wheels today. (i was kinda hoping i could remove the entire filter system. i've got so much crap hanging on the back of the tank already) anyway, i'll remove the wheels today. what about elevating the rock on pvc pipe? is that a go or a no go?

[glampka]

I wouldn't mess with the rock at this point in time. Putting all the pvc pipe in & resetting the rock will not be an easy chore. Besides if your flow isn't good under the rock everything will settle in there & may be more difficult to siphon out.

[raviyoli]

got it, i'll leave the rock alone. should i pull out the entire bio wheel filter and just leave the live rock, live sand and the skimmer??? i hate to be such a bother, but you guys are actually more help than my lfs.

[kolokefalo]

unplug the bio wheel, and only feed the tank about 1/2 as much as you are now to let the bacteria build back to a level which can sustain the tank without the biowheel.

Again, is it your nitrites or nitrates which are high?

[raviyoli]

both nitrites and nitrates are high, but the problem i'm most concerned about is the fluctuating nitrites that rise after the water change is performed. i don't think that should be happening.

[jvharding]

What test Kit are you Using????? Be sure to use a good saltwater test kit.

Check this out for Flow behind & under rock:

http://www.reefbuilders.com/forums/e...pray-bars.html

This will help your live rock be more effective.

[raviyoli]

i'm at work and cannot remember what kind of test kit i'm using; can u recommend a good one? thanks ever so much for the info on the spray bar, you have been more help than you can imagine. i think hubby will have a project this weekend

[blind1993]

redsea and marine labs