saltnoob97 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I did a water change on Saturday and waited a day then tested my water today (Monday) everything was 0 that needed to be zero but nitrate was 20 ppm could something be wrong with my test kit because every time I get 20 ppm to 40 ppm it worries me and the tank has been cycled for a month now and I am hoping to add some new fish and next month corals. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Disturbing pockets of waste and putting them into the water column can cause that, its not atypical. The solution to nitrate issues is found in this article google this nitrate in the reef aquarium randy holmes farley Link to comment
Mariaface Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Holy run-on sentence, Batman. I'm assuming this is the big WC after the cycle? Nitrates are meant to be outrageously high as evidence of the ammonia that was taken care of during the cycle (unless your denitrifying bacteria are able to keep up with the nitrifying bacteria). And if you did a 50% water change, you would only be removing half the nitrates. Try a full WC and see what happens? If it's not a tank that you're cycling: Do you vacuum the sandbed when you do water changes? Because organic matter decomposing in there could easily form nitrates faster than your WC schedule and denitrifying bacteria can keep up with it. And do you baste the rocks to remove any detritus and allow it to get filtered out? That can happen on a daily basis. Link to comment
saltnoob97 Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 Its done cycling already did the 50% water change. This is just a simple water change I do vacuum the sandbed every time I do a water change Link to comment
Mariaface Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Its done cycling already did the 50% water change. This is just a simple water change I do vacuum the sandbed every time I do a water change Did you test nitrates right after the 50% water change, then? It could've just not gone down very far? And are you testing your freshly mixed saltwater, too? Just in case. Link to comment
saltnoob97 Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 Did you test nitrates right after the 50% water change, then? It could've just not gone down very far? And are you testing your freshly mixed saltwater, too? Just in case. After the 50% water change nitrates tested 0 ppm. I have read about testing your tap water before and the mixed water before adding it because it can have have nitrates. then what do you do about that? Link to comment
Mariaface Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 After the 50% water change nitrates tested 0 ppm. I have read about testing your tap water before and the mixed water before adding it because it can have have nitrates. then what do you do about that? For starters, don't use tap water. Use RO/DI water. If after that your salt mix gives it a nitrate reading, you'll need to switch salts. If nitrates went from 0ppm to 20ppm in one day, you definitely need to figure out what died in there. What does your filtration look like? Did you use live rock? What did you do to cycle the tank? Link to comment
saltnoob97 Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 For starters, don't use tap water. Use RO/DI water. If after that your salt mix gives it a nitrate reading, you'll need to switch salts. If nitrates went from 0ppm to 20ppm in one day, you definitely need to figure out what died in there. What does your filtration look like? Did you use live rock? What did you do to cycle the tank? I used to damsels to cycle. I have 20 lbs of live rock. My filteration is a a simple hang on the back. Link to comment
saltnoob97 Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 I found out that my testing fluid for nitrate wasn't working I went to my fish store to return some fish and asked for a test and everything was perfect I asked they said it must have been the nitrate test fluid and so I bought a new bottle but thank for the help. I also got a royal grama and a dragon goby Link to comment
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