Vac your Gravel

[FSM]

No matter what type of filtration you have, you're pretty much guaranteed to have excess biomedia/space for bacteria. On any specific tank, the amount of bacteria has almost nothing to do with the filter type. The system only contains as many bacteria as can survive, having 8 square miles of surface area doesn't change that.

Not exactly what I mean. Wet/drys do not Produce more Nitrates, just so efficient of a Bio filter because they have==more area for bacteria==more bacteria with more O2==more nitrates.

I'm confused, it seems to me you just contradicted yourself?

 

[tanker]

What I was trying to say is that W/D do not make Nitrates (as in creating it). It is more efficient with its high surface and O2 level that with a W/D system your Nitrate level would be higher.

It does sound like a contradiction, and will take more then just this post to explain, but W/D systems all have more Nitrates. It is converting Ammonia and Ntrite so efficiently that there is more Nitrate in the system then the system can convert into Nitrogen.

 

[kelly82]

just a quick question, you run diy co2 on your tank, alongside 2 large airstones pumping in a lot of air. surely this would make the co2 null and void? or am i not understanding it correctly?

as for the gravel vac, my 180 is planted, and i gravel vac between plants, i dont uproot. i do this every time i water change.

 

[KicksNJ]

just a quick question, you run diy co2 on your tank, alongside 2 large airstones pumping in a lot of air. surely this would make the co2 null and void? or am i not understanding it correctly?

Good question which I don't know the answer to. Any one care to enlighten us on this question. If its true, I sure am wasting a lot of yeast and sugar. I run 3 bottles to a co2-powerhead.

 

[tanker]

Good question which I don't know the answer to. Any one care to enlighten us on this question. If its true, I sure am wasting a lot of yeast and sugar. I run 3 bottles to a co2-powerhead.

Yes, it is true. Any CO2 with airstones is a waste of good CO2.

The airstones caues surface "water movement" and disapates the CO2.

 

[yourchoice]

My tap water is zero nitrates.If I`m using gravel I will vacuum and water change until the nitrates remain below 20 usually closer to 10.

 

[Star_Rider]

Vac'ing the gravel will remove detritus and help to remove the 'nitrate' source.

a wet /dry is an efficient bio filter.. but they need to be cleaned or they can become a nitrate factory.
wet/drys are often more difficult to clean and trap detritus. this helps propagate the idea they are nitrate factories.
the wet/dry itself will not propagate any more nitrate than the tank has coming into it. ie :the bacteria level is only at the level of the food source.
nitrate is a direct result of decay process and waste from bacteria.

 

[ODPILOT]

The high phosphate level is from fish food. Although you may be doing water changes and eliminating nitrates and phosphates, you are then re -introducing them with more food all the time. The cloudy water is due to excessive algae which thrive on the phosphates. Lots of fish, especially big fish, require lots of food and make big poops. Being that you have high phosphates, then my guess is that there is lots of uneaten food dropping down into the gravel. Either feed them less, or vacuum more.
You don't have to uproot the plants the vacuum -- get your siphon going and do light vacuuming throughout the graveal and try to get behind plants and inbetween plants.
Everyother day, from what I can tell, would even be too often -- see how that affects your phosphates and I'll bet your water clears up. By the way, a UV sterilizer will also help to clear the water by killing algae in the water,
Mike