So I cannot get my nitrates above 0.0ppm. Below is the setup:
90gal Tank
39gal Sump (I know it’s big)
10” Roller Fleece
Reef Octopus Classic 150 INT Skimmer
Refugium with Chaeto (that I removed today)
Massive CO2 Scrubber with recirculating skimmer lid and Reef Octopus waste container for when I’m out of town. I’m planning on only running the skimmer at night to keep the PH up.
I’ve only got 2 fish inhabitants - Blue Hippo and Tomnini Tangs. Both are small and healthy. I’ve got a big Female Japanese Swallowtail Angel and small Desjardini Sailfin Tang in QT, both 48 days out for serving time. I also have pre-QT lawnmower and Midas Blennies on the way in 2 weeks from Dr Reef. Lots of LPS’s (Big Leather Toadstool, flower pot, purple pipe organ, a few small gonipiras, 4 zoa rocks, a big elegance and 5 headed Duncan., and a few Montes, acros, and other unknown plating corals. Ohh yeah a beautiful Meteor Shower. The acros are on their way out and lost a Xenia believe it or not. I’m guessing because the nutrient levels are at nil.
The tank first saw water 111 days ago. I started with a large amount of Microbacter 7, and nitrogen cycle starter. The ugly stage began and I started running as fast as I could to beat everything. Added lots of trochus and turbo snails, different types of pods then the bacteria bandaid got ripped off. Microbacter Clean, and now Dr Tim’s Waste Away. Yesterday I started dumping large amounts of food and turned off the skimmer hoping to raise nutrients but haven’t seen any effect.
1. Does excess food raise Nitrates or is it just fish waste?
2. Is the ridiculous amount of bacteria that I’ve added keeping the tank too clean and boosting my ALK? If so, is there a way to lower the bacteria population?
3. Does Chaeto increase Alkalinity?
I’ve got the BRS 2-Part but I think I’m going to be switching to Kalkwasser since my calcium levels are so low. I can also bypass the CO2 Scrubber to lower PH to compensate for the Kalkwasser. I can also do some big water changes to lower the Alk.
I feel like I need to slow down, take a breath, and stop reacting by putting bandaids on hemorrhaging wounds.
PH 8.13-8.4
Alkalinity 11.0
Nitrates 0.0
Nitrites 0.0
Phosphates 0.7
Calcium 280 (slowly adding BRS Calcium Chloride to raise to 440ppm)
Any guidance is appreciated!
Billy
90gal Tank
39gal Sump (I know it’s big)
10” Roller Fleece
Reef Octopus Classic 150 INT Skimmer
Refugium with Chaeto (that I removed today)
Massive CO2 Scrubber with recirculating skimmer lid and Reef Octopus waste container for when I’m out of town. I’m planning on only running the skimmer at night to keep the PH up.
I’ve only got 2 fish inhabitants - Blue Hippo and Tomnini Tangs. Both are small and healthy. I’ve got a big Female Japanese Swallowtail Angel and small Desjardini Sailfin Tang in QT, both 48 days out for serving time. I also have pre-QT lawnmower and Midas Blennies on the way in 2 weeks from Dr Reef. Lots of LPS’s (Big Leather Toadstool, flower pot, purple pipe organ, a few small gonipiras, 4 zoa rocks, a big elegance and 5 headed Duncan., and a few Montes, acros, and other unknown plating corals. Ohh yeah a beautiful Meteor Shower. The acros are on their way out and lost a Xenia believe it or not. I’m guessing because the nutrient levels are at nil.
The tank first saw water 111 days ago. I started with a large amount of Microbacter 7, and nitrogen cycle starter. The ugly stage began and I started running as fast as I could to beat everything. Added lots of trochus and turbo snails, different types of pods then the bacteria bandaid got ripped off. Microbacter Clean, and now Dr Tim’s Waste Away. Yesterday I started dumping large amounts of food and turned off the skimmer hoping to raise nutrients but haven’t seen any effect.
1. Does excess food raise Nitrates or is it just fish waste?
2. Is the ridiculous amount of bacteria that I’ve added keeping the tank too clean and boosting my ALK? If so, is there a way to lower the bacteria population?
3. Does Chaeto increase Alkalinity?
I’ve got the BRS 2-Part but I think I’m going to be switching to Kalkwasser since my calcium levels are so low. I can also bypass the CO2 Scrubber to lower PH to compensate for the Kalkwasser. I can also do some big water changes to lower the Alk.
I feel like I need to slow down, take a breath, and stop reacting by putting bandaids on hemorrhaging wounds.
PH 8.13-8.4
Alkalinity 11.0
Nitrates 0.0
Nitrites 0.0
Phosphates 0.7
Calcium 280 (slowly adding BRS Calcium Chloride to raise to 440ppm)
Any guidance is appreciated!
Billy