HELP Nitrates HIgh

[starla]

NO3 is 5 - never been high except when it was cycling. It just got there (i test all the time) Nothing has died. I do water changes every wednesday 10%.

I know live rock.

SO I have sponges and bio balls. The overflow that goes in the tank and then to a compartment outside the tank has a sponge. It goes down below and the water..hits a sponge, then goes through the bio balls and again another compartment with a sponge. These sponges can I replace with live rock to help with the nitrate?? I want to eventually replace the bio balls also.

I made some changes to my tank I am adding Topic Marin Pro reef salt now. Also trying to get my calcium up. My alkalinity is 8 (143.2 ppm KH) so its gotten a little lower. I am using Kent turbo Calcium it goes up and then it goes back down. I cant get it to stay up.

I'm a little frustrated and worried today over my tank.

Help please

thanks
starla

[mandy21]

Nitrate is at 5, that's what i'm reading? if so, that's not high at all. that's pretty low.

[Grins]

I agree, the nitrates aren't out of order. What are your other parameters at this time? You mentioned you were having trouble keeping your Ca and Alk balanced. Are you testing for Magnesium? How big is the tank by the way and what do you have it stocked with?

[saltydunc]

i would be careful when adding extra calcium....your salt should keep your levels at about where they should be if you do regular water changes....your nitrates look good to me....i wouldn't worry too much.

[starla]

OK I was at the LFS and they said the same thing the corals will be fine. I just bought a magnesium test kit to see if that is why I cant keep my calcium up so I will post that later tonight when I do a test.

Can someone tell me how all these parameters work together? As in, I know magnesium plays a role in keeping the calcium up, but does it also effect alkalinity?. I know phosphates help feed algae but does phosphate result in higher nitrates? I guess I am looking for all of this in one spot. I read so many sites but there is nothing all put together , in one spot, that is easy to understand.

I have a 55 gallon tank
its three months old - still a baby
have four damsels - they are two clowns and two green blue chromis
Have coral
Mushrooms, zoos, plate coral, sponge, pipe organ, toad stool, leather coral.
clean up consisting of numerous blue legged hermits, couple of turbo snails, sea cucumber, peppermint shrimp, sea serpent.

I just changed my salt to a Pro Reef salt.

Thanks
starla

[Grins]

Starla this blog post has links under the reef chemistry section for articles written by Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=179). They are a must read in my opinion. Your calcium load isn't really that high so I'm a bit curious what is putting your parameters out of whack. Are you using an additives other than the Kent Calcium Turbo?

[starla]

Hi Grins!!
Nope not adding anything else. Unless Marine snow and phytoplankton count. Calcium is 360. Not real low but not in a good zone either.
I was using regular sea salt and was told to change to a pro reef salt for that will help bring up the parameters and help keep it stabilize.

I am probably just paranoid checking everything for I don't want to kill anything. You know we have a 2000 gallon koi pond that was a breeze compared to saltwater.

I am going to read the link you sent and just breath easy , remind myself the tank is new and that nothing is WAY out of whack.

thanks Grins!

starla

[Grins]

Have you logged the numbers for the tests for a bit? If so why don't you share the last 4-8 weeks to show us how it is fluctating. If you're testing daily (I hope you're not stressing yourself that much) just pick one day of the week such as Saturday and share the numbers for that day of the week.

And the Marine Snow and Phytoplankton...be careful of those. Some use them just fine, some overdose.