Michika's 28g long nano-esque tank!

[kwirky]

yeah zeovit takes quite a committment and the costs do add up. I've never experienced a cycle so fast as the zeovit cycle happening in my aquarium now though. The initial buy-in and the potassium dosing is the pricey part. Potassium's so expensive . Zeovit and reef-fresh and the like have a lot of skepticism but at least it's not as strange as vodka dosing

I think one of the problems is the lack of test kits that have a range of 0.0 to 0.5 ppm nitrate. A few articles in advanced aquarist talked about testing that low. I had wierd algae stuff going on in my previous tank when introducing rock or pulling the rock out of the water and resubmersing it. Nitrates would test 0 on a salifert kit but I had this hunch there was enough in there for some algae types.

[michika]

Originally Posted by kwirky

yeah zeovit takes quite a committment and the costs do add up. I've never experienced a cycle so fast as the zeovit cycle happening in my aquarium now though. The initial buy-in and the potassium dosing is the pricey part. Potassium's so expensive . Zeovit and reef-fresh and the like have a lot of skepticism but at least it's not as strange as vodka dosing

I think one of the problems is the lack of test kits that have a range of 0.0 to 0.5 ppm nitrate. A few articles in advanced aquarist talked about testing that low. I had wierd algae stuff going on in my previous tank when introducing rock or pulling the rock out of the water and resubmersing it. Nitrates would test 0 on a salifert kit but I had this hunch there was enough in there for some algae types.

I guess my first plan is to find out what is causing the problems in my tank and go from there. Zeo sounds like its more of a long term "solution". If I understand it correct it would take 2 weeks or longer for me to start seeing results?

I guess my next step is to test my parameters again today, do my normal 5g water change and then what?

[Delphinus]

Yeah, sorry, I thought I mentioned this but I guess I didn't. I would think even a bacterial system will still take a least a week before producing any results, and you have a more immediate problem on hand.

I actually do still think this is a cycle. Whatever the cause, it's a cycle now, but I think it's even just a cycle that's self-escalating. (2-3 pages back you've got your parameters listed - and ammonia is present..) But the more I think of it, I think it's just that the move was enough to disrupt the processes, and a little cycle turned into a big cycle as things started letting go.

As for SPS and smaller clams in particular, these guys tend to be the most sensitive so, unfortunately, it makes sense to me that they are the first to let go.

I think at this point what you need to do is get whatever's left, that's still of a sensitive nature, out of there for a week or two. If you have any SPS left then those, and your remaining two clams, should probably be moved into an established tank. Softies might be able to weather this storm but I can't say for sure.

I think what your tank needs is basically just enough stability for the processes to re-establish themselves. It could take a few weeks but I'm sure it will settle out. It's just the "what do you do with the livestock" in the meantime.

PM me or call me if you want to use some of my tank space. I cannot guarantee survival but I'd do my best...

[michika]

The only things still "alive" in the tank are the fish, clean-up crew, and the two clams.

You have PM.