So my cycle seems to have stalled at high nitrates. Help please? :D

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Xyres

-Inside my filter is bio foam, foam, biomax and carbon.
-I use nutrafin for my test kits.

These are your two problems right here.

I agree with Brad (Aquattro) that there is no good reason for the canister filter. If you insist on using the canister filter use it only for carbon and/or phosphate reducing media. IF you must use some sort of "foam" to reduce particulate matter in the water column use polyester filter media that is made for quilt making (J&L sells it called Aquarium Filter Media (1-5 units) - 36" x 18" for $4 a roll) and very importantly, throw it out weekly. Do not rinse it, do not reuse it. Another option is to buy machine-washable filter media like Pure Flo 100 Micron Filter Pad or buy filter socks and cut them up. Wash them in HOT water in the washing machine with just bleach and/or baking soda. No soap. This will remove all the detritus so that it can't be converted to nitrate. The biofoam, foam, and biomax are all freshwater items and are biological filters designed to populate nitrifying bacteria that will convert organic waste (ammonia) to nitrate as quickly as possible. In a saltwater aquariums you want to remove organic waste before it can be converted to nitrate. This is the main purpose of a protein skimmer.

As far as test kits go, if you're looking for something affordable go for the API test kits. I find them to be much more accurate than Nutrafin/Hagen. I don't trust your Nutrafin kits if they are both saying 0.1 for ammonia and nitrite. Also, fwiw nitrite is not toxic in saltwater like it is in freshwater so you can save yourself a few bucks by not buying a nitrite kit. You can save yourself money on a pH test kit too because they are not very accurate in general, digital pH meters are the only readings I would trust. Essentially, if you're covering all your basic bases (waterchanges, using a skimmer, open your windows occasionally, etc) there is no reason for your pH to be out of whack anyway, so don't bother testing it. So for fish only tanks just buy ammonia and nitrate kits, and for reef tanks buy ammonia, nitrate, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium (use Salifert or Elos for this one), and phosphate (use Hanna or Elos for this one).

As far as anaerobic bacteria processing nitrate, that is true and most is found in the live rock. Some can be found in some sandbeds (although that often causes more trouble than good). Between a good skimmer, good maintenance, reasonable level of livestock, and good quality and quantity of live rock you should be able to keep nitrate near "0".

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Myka

I don't trust your Nutrafin kits if they are both saying 0.1 for ammonia and nitrite.

Pretty sure that 0.1 is the standard lowest reading for Hagen kits. My RO water has 0.1ppm NH3 according to Hagen kits. Either toss the kit or just accept 0.1 means 0.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Pretty sure that 0.1 is the standard lowest reading for Hagen kits.

That's what I was thinking too...

[Enigma]

I'm going to play devil's advocate . . . And I'm going to say that there is a good reason for the canister filter.

Seeding, or keeping it running, on the main display system could be extremely beneficial. In doing this a QT or HT could be set up very quickly, by simply moving the canister over to the QT/HT system. Of course, I would only run Matrix (or similar bio filtration media). The same could be said, of course, for a bio-wheel filter.

That said, it is obvious that the canister filter is not required in the capacity it is being used.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Pretty sure that 0.1 is the standard lowest reading for Hagen kits. My RO water has 0.1ppm NH3 according to Hagen kits. Either toss the kit or just accept 0.1 means 0.

Well, that's just useless.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Enigma

The same could be said, of course, for a bio-wheel filter.

Do they still make these? Yes, if you have one of these, sell it too. Any long term media that breeds aerobic bacteria will contribute to NO3 accumulation. Unless the media is cleaned weekly in fresh water, I don't think the benefits are worth the downside of NO3 buildup.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Do they still make these? Yes, if you have one of these, sell it too. Any long term media that breeds aerobic bacteria will contribute to NO3 accumulation. Unless the media is cleaned weekly in fresh water, I don't think the benefits are worth the downside of NO3 buildup.

You're so cheeky!

I keep a bio wheel seeded in my sump at all times. I give it a rinse and shake in fresh saltwater every now and then.

I just don't want Xyres to think her filter is garbage. There is a job for it . . . Just not the one it's presently doing.

[Coralgurl]

I use a fluval 305 canister filter on my 55 withy the same media, plus rowaphos with no issues. In fact this tank is spotless, no pest algae. I also do not have a skimmer on this tank. I clean the canister (rinse all media, clean foam pads, scrum the container) fully every 2 weeks and change the media monthly. I think they can be used successfully if maintained properly. For the first maybe 6 months, It maybe got cleaned every couple of months and ya, had issues, once I went to every 2 weeks, not a problem. I absolutely can not run a sump on this tank, and don't really care too. I also find this tank easier to maintain than my other tank with a sump. The amount of equipment in my sump to do the same thing the canister does, fine tuning, etc and still have issues in the tank kinda boggles my mind when everyone says canisters are bad. I completely disagree.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Unless the media is cleaned weekly in fresh water, I don't think the benefits are worth the downside of NO3 buildup.

Freshwater doesn't kill saltwater nitrifying bacteria. Not significantly anyway. Frank Hoff figured this out unintentionally.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Myka

Freshwater doesn't kill saltwater nitrifying bacteria. Not significantly anyway. Frank Hoff figured this out unintentionally.

Go figure! So then I'd completely remove it.