nanonoob19 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 So i have a 20 gallon tank thats been cycling for almost a month and a half. I used cured live rock when i started the cycle. The ammonia and nitrite levels have spiked and then gone down to 0. Nitrite has been at 0 now for almost 3 weeks. Nitrate is sitting at about 40ppm. I've read a few different explanations that are now getting me a little confused. Ive read some things telling me to do my first water change at this point then ive read other places to leave it and that the nitrate will drop on its own. Basically I just need to know which is true and where do i go from here lol. Any help would be very appreciated and thanks in advanced! Link to comment
GokesReef Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Nitrate will not drop on its own. You are fine to add a cleanup crew and perhaps one fish. Link to comment
nanonoob19 Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Thank you for the fast reply. So will i need to do a small water change first? Link to comment
Tbone675 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 % of water changed is directly proportional to % of nitrates dropped. a 10% wc will only drop you 40ppm 10% to 36ppm.... you need big wc to drop big nitrates. i would do a 90% wc. Link to comment
Enigma Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 The nitrate in my second tank (an NC12) did drop on its own. It was very strange: 20ppm one day and <1ppm the next @ 18 days into the cycle. I wouldn't wait for it to drop though. I'd do the big water change. Link to comment
nanonoob19 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 so ive done the big water change i did somewhere around 90% and the nitrate levels havent changed at all :S like absolutely no change in color. ive rinsed the test tubes with R/O water. The water changes were done with R/O water. Any reason why they wouldnt have gone down? Link to comment
patback Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 What tests are you using? If API, the shaking part is crucial. If it says shake for 60 seconds while singing and patting your tummy, you must do it. It could also possibly be old or maybe your a bit colorblind (no offense, it can be extremely difficult to read the colors. Once depending on how long I stared at it, I thought I was looking at 3 different colors.) Link to comment
nanonoob19 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 the tests all expire in 2015, we've been following the instructions exactly lol. Ive even gotten second and third opinions of the color of the tests and yes im using the API test kit. Thanks for trying to help though lol. I may just try another water change. Link to comment
chrssprngs Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 The only way that nitrate levels stayed at 40ppm after a 90% water change, is if the water you used had 40ppm nitrate levels. Just for fun, test your RO water for nitrates. I would be interested to know what that number is. Link to comment
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