Need help bad!!

I'm new to 3reef and also new to the marine world. I have a problem with my 36 gallon tank. First off it's a little over 6 months old with 1 yellow tang, 1 flame angel, 4 green chromis, and a cleaner shrimp. the problem i have is here resently my nitrates are higher than normal. I have had all my fish in the tank for at least 4 months but just recently had a problem with the nitrates, every thing else is at zero, ph is about 8.0- 8.2 range. i have 4 inches of live sand, but no live rock yet, just artificial. i have never had this problem until recently, the only thing added was a heater because of the cold weather. I have done water canges but no success. Any ideas?

 

i would start to add some live rock to your tank. and a skimmer too. if you don't have one yet. i think that will help a lot.

 

Yes, get a skimmer it will reduce dissolved organics, and help a lot

 

Sorry I didn't mention that, i do have a skimmer, it collects muck and gets cleaned out all the time ( once a week ).

 

As far as live rock how much, and what kind do you recommed?

 

clean all your filter pads too , i clean mine all the time. don't over feed your fish. i feed 3 time a week and all my fish are fat.

 

maybe thats the problem I feed my fish a little, but i feed every day do you think thats to much? All my other readings are fine i just cant seem to get my nitrates down. What do you think about the live rock, there seems to be all sorts of diffrent live rock out there.

 

one more thing do you clean your filter pads in the sump, or replace them. I have been replacing mine with new, when i change water once a month

 

IMO, keep all sponges and filterpads clean at all times. As far as live rock, anything cured should do well. Another natural way of denitrification would be to add a DSB/refugium to the sump. BTW, are you using any kind of wet/dry media??? As for feeding, most marine fish have a very slow, well developed metabolizm and can remain quite hardy/healthy with feeding small amounts daily to every other day. What is your regimine, now?

Jason

 

if your going to add live rock i would add 1 1/2 up to 2 pounds per gallons of water in you tank.but you don't have to do this at one time. just add rock when you can.