[crete456]

Hello all...nitrites =.1ppm
ammonia =0ppm
I have a 37 gal FOWLR & 2 mushrooms all seem to be doing well...CPR bak bak w/bio media, 2" cruched coral substrate, 11Lbs. of live rock & emperor 400 w/bio wheel...in the slooooooooow process of converting to a reef tank...I've done 3 H2O changes in the last 2 weeks and my nitrates have gone from 20ppm to 10ppm...H2O used for changes are tested @ 0ppm for nitrates...tested H2O today and already there back to 20ppm...can I be having too much bio filtration? and what can be done?...thanks Denny

[Ninong]

First of all, 20 ppm nitrate is not really all that high, especially in a FOWLR tank. Secondly, a 2" crushed coral substrate will cause problems for you down the road. Crushed coral, especially that deep, has a tendency to store detritus and increase nitrate.

[zhenya]

You have listed two triggerfish and a morey eel in your 37g tank. Perhaps the filtration that you have simply cannot handle the bioload?
As Ninong had pointed out already, 20ppm NO3 in the FO tank is not a very pressing problem. If anything, check to make sure that your Emperor canister filter is clean and performing well, those things do contribute to NO3 levels if not maintained often.

[Ninong]

Denny,

I guess I didn't look at the Tank Information link. I had to go to Carib-Sea's website to see what they were selling as pink crushed coral and sure enough, they now sell crushed coral in "pink" -- particle sizes 2.0-10.0mm. That's definitely crushed coral alright.

Which "cowfish" do you have? The most commonly sold one is this one. Note that even Drs. Foster & Smith recommends a minimum tank size of 125 gallons for this fish and they're always on the low side. And these fish do pose a potentially toxic risk to other inhabitants if they are stressed or die. Read the warning: "Similar to other boxfish, the Cowfish Longhorn's skin is poisonous and, when threatened, it will release a toxin lethal to other tank members, including other Longhorns."

Boxfish are capable of exuding toxic slime when stressed. It's a defense mechanism. In a 37-gal tank with a clown trigger and a humu-humu trigger, it won't be long before it will feel stressed.

The humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua'a (the state fish of Hawaii) requires a much larger tank than 37 gallons. Even Drs. Foster & Smith recommends a minimum of at least 70 gallons for this fish. This is an aggressive fish!

The clown trigger is another aggressive fish that requires a tank much, much larger than 37 gallons. Drs. Foster & Smith recommends a minimum of 125 gallons for this fish. Please note the adult sizes for the fish you have.

The snowflake eel is probably the best choice of the commonly available eels but a 37-gal tank is too small. Drs. Foster & Smith recommends a minimum of 50 gallons for this fish.

There is no question that you are in for a VERY bad time as your fish mature. I don't know how to put this any other way. Sorry.