Nitrates

[markl]

Just did my test on my 2 month old reef tank.I started the tank with bleached live rock and bleached crushed coral.I did a test today and everything was dead on except Nitrates.They were 15-20 ppm . Is this any thing major to worry about?Im about to do a 40 gallon water change just waiting on my salinity salt to finish mixing:whistling:. btw im going to tie my fuge in to help just havent had time to build a shelf for it .

 

[hnguyen]

I think a level of nitrate that high is a problem. It should be at 2 of you've been cycling it for 2 months now. When was the last time you did a WC? You should consider putting a couple of snails in there and maybe even a hardy fish to help boost the cycle process and encourage growth of beneficial bacteria. That will also help reduce the Nitrate as well.

 

[markl]

Ive got snails and hermits .I did a 20 gallon last week.The tank right now has about 150 gallons of water . Im running a good skimmer as well swc 300.Maybe its my test kits it an api not sure how old it is.I add a little frozen food from time to time.

 

[hnguyen]

I think your test kid is your problem. I've had an API and had problems with it as well. It would read everything zero when it wasn't. I've even brought it to my LFS to have him use my test kid to confirm and he even said he was wack! He used his test kid and My readings were different. I had my hopes up for a minute there because I thought my water was cycled after only a week!!

Try and see if your LFS will test your water for you. Most will do it for free has mines does. Then compare your results with what you get from them, then go from there

 

[wolfie]

It take close to 3 months for everthing to cycle depend on how u do it.

I would stay away from addting fish at this time. No point in putting in the little guy when your tank are still cycling.
1 it could hurt/kill the fish
2 you going to have a hard time getting it out

 

[rbredding]

my nitrates have never been 0...

I've always been somewhere around 8-12 regardless of whether I do multiple 10% WC's every week or don't do any during a week..

 

[crewdawg1981]

at 15-20 I think you're fine. Do a water change and when you tie in your fuge you'll be just fine.

 

[gnashty]

MarkL;564318 wrote: Ive got snails and hermits .I did a 20 gallon last week.The tank right now has about 150 gallons of water . Im running a good skimmer as well swc 300.Maybe its my test kits it an api not sure how old it is.I add a little frozen food from time to time.

My API kits always read high on Nitrates - always says around 20-40 ppm when it is really 2-4ppm (on a Seachem Kit)

Rbredding;564347 wrote: my nitrates have never been 0...

I've always been somewhere around 8-12 regardless of whether I do multiple 10% WC's every week or don't do any during a week..

+1 -mine are always between 1-5, sometimes more...i dont stress about it

 

[weaglereefer]

Hnguyen;564316 wrote: I think a level of nitrate that high is a problem. It should be at 2 of you've been cycling it for 2 months now. When was the last time you did a WC? You should consider putting a couple of snails in there and maybe even a hardy fish to help boost the cycle process and encourage growth of beneficial bacteria. That will also help reduce the Nitrate as well.

Please do not advocate adding fish to make a tank cycle.

If the tank has been cycled properly and the nitrates are still high, then there are underlying problems.

 

[rskillz]

I'd grab a few pounds of live rock from a LFS or seed the tank with fish food to really spike the nitrates and see if they continually go down after that.

Don't add fish though. You could even try some of the bacteria in a bag stuff.