Please Help me

JANOtheMANO · 07/19/2009, 11:38 AM

I have a 55G

running a ehiem 2213 canister filter
with all the media

I heard it eventually turns into a nitrate factory causing algea blooms
What media do i need to remove in order to avoid this?

Also i am having trouble feeding my puffer he doesnt want to eat any suggestions??

Fish_wiz2 · 07/19/2009, 11:45 AM

I just recommend to just rid of it, but if you would like to keep it then take out all the biological media (ceramic rings, etc) and replace it with liverock rubble. Keep carbon and the floss/sponges (though you need to clean that regularly) and that should keep your nitrates straight.

As for your puffer try fresh food like uncooked shrimp, squid, and even clams or entice it with garlic.

Hope that helps, Wiz

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/19/2009, 11:46 AM

What other equipment do you have? What livestock? What are your plans for the tank?

Canister filters don't make nitrate out of thin air. What happens is that the media in them becomes colonized by bacteria that break waste down. One of the end products of this is nitrate. Hence, using this sort of filtration basically facilitates turning the waste in your tank into nitrate.

If you want to avoid the problem, the best solution is to use a filtration method that removes the waste from the tank, rather than trapping it and breaking it down. The most common tool for this is a protien skimmer.

If you want to keep the canister filter but don't want to harbor bacterial colonies in it, then you need to remove any biological filtration media (ceramic rings, bio balls, etc.) Also, if you use mechanical media, i.e. filter floss, replace or clean it often (twice a week or so.) If you use chemical media, make sure it is loosely packed, and replace it often.

It's hard to suggest a solution for your puffer without knowing more. How long have you had him? Where did you get him from? Was he eating at the store before you got him? What have you tried feeding him?

07/19/2009, 11:38 AM	#1
JANOtheMANO Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: HAMILTON Posts: 194	Please Help me I have a 55G running a ehiem 2213 canister filter with all the media I heard it eventually turns into a nitrate factory causing algea blooms What media do i need to remove in order to avoid this? Also i am having trouble feeding my puffer he doesnt want to eat any suggestions??

07/19/2009, 11:45 AM	#2
Fish_wiz2 Mangroves are kool. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 5,246	I just recommend to just rid of it, but if you would like to keep it then take out all the biological media (ceramic rings, etc) and replace it with liverock rubble. Keep carbon and the floss/sponges (though you need to clean that regularly) and that should keep your nitrates straight. As for your puffer try fresh food like uncooked shrimp, squid, and even clams or entice it with garlic. Hope that helps, Wiz __________________ -The Wiz Current Tank Info: Elos Mini Seahorse Tank, 2500 gallon Koi pond

07/19/2009, 11:46 AM	#3
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	What other equipment do you have? What livestock? What are your plans for the tank? Canister filters don't make nitrate out of thin air. What happens is that the media in them becomes colonized by bacteria that break waste down. One of the end products of this is nitrate. Hence, using this sort of filtration basically facilitates turning the waste in your tank into nitrate. If you want to avoid the problem, the best solution is to use a filtration method that removes the waste from the tank, rather than trapping it and breaking it down. The most common tool for this is a protien skimmer. If you want to keep the canister filter but don't want to harbor bacterial colonies in it, then you need to remove any biological filtration media (ceramic rings, bio balls, etc.) Also, if you use mechanical media, i.e. filter floss, replace or clean it often (twice a week or so.) If you use chemical media, make sure it is loosely packed, and replace it often. It's hard to suggest a solution for your puffer without knowing more. How long have you had him? Where did you get him from? Was he eating at the store before you got him? What have you tried feeding him? __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)