Issues with water qaulity

[AngusJB]

I'll aplogise now for the length of my rant. Right i've had my 200 gal with 2 rays 8" and 12", 1cambelli tiger 7" and 1 silver aro 12" running with current stock for around 6 weeks. I matured it for 4 weeks prior to the addition of the rays and my water was all fine and well so i removed the fish i used to mature it and added the rays so the biomass stayed the same. Sinse then i've had a constant trace of nitrite and now a trace of ammonia, both barley register on the lowest reading but since the ammonia has showed the rays seem less happy, still eat fine. I have 20 gallons of media in my sump have 2 eheim 2028 full of media and have been doing 25% daily water changes, i have also reduced feeding sinse the ammonia showed. what am i doing wrong? thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Gshock]

Hmm rays are a bigger biomass than you can imagine.

 

[FireMedic]

Consider using Purigen -or- De-Nitrate. Both are voracious towards ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Kinda costly, but worth it. The Purigen is reusable. -FM

 

[AngusJB]

I dumped a botle of de-nitrol in yesterday but its just a temp fix, i want to try and get the problem sorted once and for all.

 

[FishDog]

If I read your post right, you have had the rays in the tank for 2 weeks now? If this is true then you tank is having to adjust to the new added bio load. What kind of turn over rate are you doing?

 

[AngusJB]

its meant to read that it has had rays for 6 weeks and was cycled for a month prior to the rays, and i'm running 10 times tank volume turnover per hour, not including the 13000gph flow pump in the tank.

 

[CrAzYNeSs]

its meant to read that it has had rays for 6 weeks and was cycled for a month prior to the rays, and i'm running 10 times tank volume turnover per hour, not including the 13000gph flow pump in the tank.

13,000 GPH is a lot for a 200G... do you mean 1300 GPH?

 

[AngusJB]

Dont know where i got that number from its 2000gph, this morning i've got what i can only presume is slime coat floating around but i cant tell which ray it is off, they have both eaten fine again.

 

[AngusJB]

could sediment at the bottom of the sump be causing the increased ammonia/nitrite? I know at work we had this problem caused by rubbish settleing in dead spots but it was on a much larger scale.

 

[Gshock]

could sediment at the bottom of the sump be causing the increased ammonia/nitrite? I know at work we had this problem caused by rubbish settleing in dead spots but it was on a much larger scale.

Is there anything rotting in your summp? Like uneaten food stuck between the media?