Nitrate testing

[Jaredgib]

How long after a water change should I wait before doing a nitrate test?

 

Thanks

[jamescstein]

What is the turnover rate of your pump?

 

I usually wait an hour or so before testing after a water change or salinity adjustment.

[Jaredgib]

Stock pump rated at 211 gph

Power head rated at 425 gph

 

IM Fusion 20 gal. tank.

 

Nitrates don't appear to change after weekly water change, always seem to be around 2ppm. Using Red Sea test kit.

[xAyanex]

I have a Biocube 29. 2 power heads rated at 425 gph and my pump is 350 gph. I usually wait about an hour or two.

 

You could try testing right before the water change. Then do the water change. Then test right after. Then test 30 minutes after. Then test 1 hour after. Etc. Until you no longer saw a change if you really wanted to know how long to wait.

[jamescstein]

Stock pump rated at 211 gph

Power head rated at 425 gph

 

IM Fusion 20 gal. tank.

 

Nitrates don't appear to change after weekly water change, always seem to be around 2ppm. Using Red Sea test kit.

 

Volume of tank?

Amount of WC?

 

 

TBH if your nitrates are 2ppm, unless you are trying for ultra low nitrates you are fine.

[Jaredgib]

3 gallon WC normal, this week I did 5 gallon due to some extra gunk in the rear sump. Volume is approx. 15 gallons with rock and sand

[Clown79]

2ppm is nothing.

 

Its ok to have nitrates under 10 and a little phos is ok too. The tank needs these, often too clean a tank can lead to issues because its too low in nutrients.

[Clown79]

If it was 15 plus in nitrates I'd say time to evaluate the cause, correct it, before the nitrates creep up to unmanageable levels.

 

Often multiple water changes in a week need to be done to lower the nitrates.

 

Just keep a good maintenace schedule.

 

I have a 15g, i do a 15% weekly water change. Vacuum my sand, use turkey baster on rocks, change floss, rinse carbon/chemipure blue bag(replaced monthly), clean filters/pumps monthly, controlled feedings and low stock and have been able to maintain low nutrients. My nitrates sit at 5 or less.

[Jaredgib]

I keep a good maintence routine, blow off rocks with the baster, rinse carbon bag and filters during each WC. Standard siphon, that I use to "vacuum" the gravel, I have my doubts about how effective it really is.

 

I try to keep feeding son the low side, once daily, with no feeding on Thursday.

[Clown79]

What do you mean by doubts on effectiveness?

 

Do you mean vacuuming the sand bed?

 

If the sandbed isn't deep, its a very good idea to keep the sand clean. Even with nassarius and other sand cleaners, a lot of stuff builds in the sand.

 

A lot of ppl who leave the sandbed alone often run into seriously high nutrient levels- leading to some major algae outbreaks and having to either wash the sandbed or completely replacing it.

 

Some stir the sand to release the detritus into the water column to be syphoned out and some will lightly vacuum it.

This is a step in maintenance I always recommend.

[Jaredgib]

I gently rake the sand bed prior to doing the water change along with blowing off the rocks. When I begin the WC I use the siphon on the sand bed in various spots that I can access to remove what I can. My doubts about its effectiveness comes from the fact that nitrates always run about the same. I did a 5 gallon change this week and don't see any noticeable difference in the test results.

 

My PO4 kit arrived this weekend and initial test was somewhere between 0-0.03.

[metrokat]

I'd say both your nitrate and phosphate levels are good.

[Jaredgib]

From a few minutes ago, actually looks a lot more than 2ppm.

[metrokat]

It looks like 10ppm to me but it's a photograph so I'm probably wrong.

[Jayva]

What do you mean by doubts on effectiveness?

 

Do you mean vacuuming the sand bed?

 

If the sandbed isn't deep, its a very good idea to keep the sand clean. Even with nassarius and other sand cleaners, a lot of stuff builds in the sand.

 

A lot of ppl who leave the sandbed alone often run into seriously high nutrient levels- leading to some major algae outbreaks and having to either wash the sandbed or completely replacing it.

 

Some stir the sand to release the detritus into the water column to be syphoned out and some will lightly vacuum it.

This is a step in maintenance I always recommend.

What is concidered a deep sand bed?

[Clown79]

3" or more is a dsb and you aren't supposed to disturb it.

 

2" or under you will be fine.

 

It takes a while for nutrient levels to lower. Usually takes additional waterchanges from the normal weekly wc. Keeping the sandbed clean prevents the nutrient levels from getting really high.

 

At this point, your levels aren't high.

 

I would work on preventing them from getting high by using good water sources, low bioload, your maintenance routine, and not over feeding. If you are diligent, you will be fine.

 

I mentioned the sand vacuuming because some don't do anything and after a yr- they have to overhaul the tank because the nutrient levels are very high and they end up with algae outbreaks.

 

Some small things we do regularly can really help prevent major issues.

[Jaredgib]

Thanks for the responses, some good advice. I'm planning on an extra WC this week, found a dead snail, removed it. Appears to have been murdered by a hermit crab wanting to move into a bigger place. We also took a fish back to the LFS, that was aggressive to the clown.