high nitrates in the beggining
- Thread starter rastafish
- Start date
florida joe
Well-Known Member
test again !!!!!!!!!
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by rastafish
http:///forum/post/2667775
hello i have been cycling my ten gallon for over a week now and my nitrates are at 80 ppm and no nitrites so should i go ahead and do a small water change? i got 13lbs. of live rock and about 16 lbs of LS.
Was the rock fully cured? Did you have an ammonia spike yet? Nitrates can get high rather quickly in a small tank if there was a high ammonia spike or the rock was out of a tank that was very high in nitrate. A week is very fast to have nitrates that high, but it is possible. If there is nothing in the tank yet then mix up about 6-7 gallons of salt water and do a large change.
http:///forum/post/2667775
hello i have been cycling my ten gallon for over a week now and my nitrates are at 80 ppm and no nitrites so should i go ahead and do a small water change? i got 13lbs. of live rock and about 16 lbs of LS.
Was the rock fully cured? Did you have an ammonia spike yet? Nitrates can get high rather quickly in a small tank if there was a high ammonia spike or the rock was out of a tank that was very high in nitrate. A week is very fast to have nitrates that high, but it is possible. If there is nothing in the tank yet then mix up about 6-7 gallons of salt water and do a large change.
salty blues
Active Member
Uh-oh, the dreaded damsel cycle issue!
rastafish
Member
Originally Posted by salty blues
http:///forum/post/2668117
Uh-oh, the dreaded damsel cycle issue!
do you think the damsels are a cause of this? but my nitrates were already creeping up even before i put them in!
http:///forum/post/2668117
Uh-oh, the dreaded damsel cycle issue!
do you think the damsels are a cause of this? but my nitrates were already creeping up even before i put them in!
sepulatian
Moderator
Take the damsels back. I you want to keep damsels then only one will live in the ten and it will be his tank only. They are territorial and don't like to share small spaces. In a ten gallon tank you are already at max capacity with the two fish. You may want to chose fish that are not territorial.
What are your ammonia, nitrite, PH, SG, and temp readings? If you do not have ammonia then the rock was already cured. The nitrate in their curring vat may have been high. Did it come with water? Did you add that water into your tank? There would have been water within the rock, as well, that would add to your nitrate. That combined with the bio-load that you added already would cause the high nitrates. Do several good sized water changes to get them down. Be sure that the water is well mixed and that the PH, SG, and temp match the display.
What are your ammonia, nitrite, PH, SG, and temp readings? If you do not have ammonia then the rock was already cured. The nitrate in their curring vat may have been high. Did it come with water? Did you add that water into your tank? There would have been water within the rock, as well, that would add to your nitrate. That combined with the bio-load that you added already would cause the high nitrates. Do several good sized water changes to get them down. Be sure that the water is well mixed and that the PH, SG, and temp match the display.
rastafish
Member
I did a small water change earlier today and it brought them down to 40 ppm but i guess ill do a big one next. yeah when i bought the rock it was in their tank and he put it in those styrofoam ice chest with some water, but i didnt put the water in my tank. my ph is at 8.0-8.2, nitrites are at 0 ppm and KH is at around 300 ppm.
kellenr
Member
Originally Posted by rastafish
http:///forum/post/2668325
I did a small water change earlier today and it brought them down to 40 ppm but i guess ill do a big one next. yeah when i bought the rock it was in their tank and he put it in those styrofoam ice chest with some water, but i didnt put the water in my tank. my ph is at 8.0-8.2, nitrites are at 0 ppm and KH is at around 300 ppm.
Your alkalinity is pretty high, 300ppm is almost 17dKH. Your ideal range is gonna be between 8-12dKH (142-214ppm), depending on what your Calcium level is. What is your Calcium at now?
Alkalinity is a measure of the water’s capacity to neutralize an acid, or H+ ions, thereby keeping the pH at a fairly constant level.
As for the nitrates, I'd do another 3-4 gallon water change in 2-3days. It'll bring it down a little, check what they're at the day after that.
As for the Damsels, thats another story, they're gonna be a nightmare for you.
...you know, you may have a real hard time trying to stabilize and balance levels in such a small tank. Good luck.
http:///forum/post/2668325
I did a small water change earlier today and it brought them down to 40 ppm but i guess ill do a big one next. yeah when i bought the rock it was in their tank and he put it in those styrofoam ice chest with some water, but i didnt put the water in my tank. my ph is at 8.0-8.2, nitrites are at 0 ppm and KH is at around 300 ppm.
Your alkalinity is pretty high, 300ppm is almost 17dKH. Your ideal range is gonna be between 8-12dKH (142-214ppm), depending on what your Calcium level is. What is your Calcium at now?
Alkalinity is a measure of the water’s capacity to neutralize an acid, or H+ ions, thereby keeping the pH at a fairly constant level.
As for the nitrates, I'd do another 3-4 gallon water change in 2-3days. It'll bring it down a little, check what they're at the day after that.
As for the Damsels, thats another story, they're gonna be a nightmare for you.
...you know, you may have a real hard time trying to stabilize and balance levels in such a small tank. Good luck.
florida joe
Well-Known Member
So we have a tank that is being cycled and in a week or so it has a nitrate reading of 80 PPM and NO nitrites. Your tank is 10g and you have 13lbs of live rock and 16lbs of live sand. How much water is actually in your tank
florida joe
Well-Known Member
The reason I ask is this you have a 10g tank to begin with. You add live rock, water displacement. You add sand water displacement. So what are you really dealing with in terms of water? With out any substantial dilution you are going to experience high levels of nitrates unless you have optimum denitrification
sepulatian
Moderator
Joe is correct. You may have a ten gallon tank, but once you add 13lbs of live rock and 16lbs of sand, you are left with not much water. Water dilutes. That is why small tanks are harder than large tanks once you add fish. A ten gallon is best for just corals and inverts, MAYBE one small fish. Two fish is the absolute max for a ten gallon. That would be a clown goby and maybe a blennie or a small clown that stays around two inches. Those purchases should be spaced months apart.
kellenr
Member
Originally Posted by rastafish
http:///forum/post/2672818
What's the relation of calcium to the DkH reading? the lower the calcium the higher the alkalinity? and finally how can u balance if thats the case?
Typically yes, if you have an very high dKH your calcium level will be low, in major cases you can even have 'calcium fallout' in which the calcium crystallizes into calcium scarbonate, a white powder, and settles along the sandbed, rocks and anything else in the aquarium. Lighter instances occur more frequently and is usually noticed by a 'cloudy' water appearance and usually looks slightly white in color. When this happens calcium combines with carbonate and therefore the calcium cannot be used and absorbed by corals etc.. This occurs when the dKH is high, the higher the dKH the more calcium carbonate is present, therefore lower available calcium is present in the tank water.
Generally you can lower your dKH by doing 1 of 2 things. You can do a series of partial water changes, maybe 15% once or twice a week until your tanks dKH is in good range. The water you add must be RO/DI with a dKH level LESS than what is currently in the tank. Second, you can add CO2 into the water, this can be done by adding water that already has CO2 in it, such as selzer or mineral water which both contain carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid when it is added to water. The acid reduces the buffer. When the buffer falls the dKH is lower. Add small amounts only in the beginning and test your dKh about 15 or so minutes after adding it. In the beginning the difference may not be large but, as you continue to add it, the dKH will drop. Checking is important because as the dKH drops, the effect of the mineral or selzer water will become greater (meaning the pH and the dKH will drop more for the same quantity of such water added). Make sure when using this method that you check your pH and your dKH regularly, at least each time you add the water and more often if you can. This will prevent the dKH from falling too low (and the pH too).
To raise your dKH you can add a 'buffer' such as "Super Buffer" . Maintaining a constant dKH will help stabilize the pH and Ca in the tank.
To raise your calcium you can directly add 'liquid calcium' or 'kalkwasser' (limewater) into the tank. However remember your dKH needs to be within range first to prevent the newly added calcium from becoming calcium carbonate.
...confused yet?
Once you balance out your buffer (dKH) everything else should fall into line on its own (i.e. pH and Calcium). I'm guessing your pH is probably very high too right??
I don't know how I started on this dKH/Ca++ because it has nothing to do with Nitrates!! Anyway how are those looking now? Please update your recent parameters.
http:///forum/post/2672818
What's the relation of calcium to the DkH reading? the lower the calcium the higher the alkalinity? and finally how can u balance if thats the case?
Typically yes, if you have an very high dKH your calcium level will be low, in major cases you can even have 'calcium fallout' in which the calcium crystallizes into calcium scarbonate, a white powder, and settles along the sandbed, rocks and anything else in the aquarium. Lighter instances occur more frequently and is usually noticed by a 'cloudy' water appearance and usually looks slightly white in color. When this happens calcium combines with carbonate and therefore the calcium cannot be used and absorbed by corals etc.. This occurs when the dKH is high, the higher the dKH the more calcium carbonate is present, therefore lower available calcium is present in the tank water.
Generally you can lower your dKH by doing 1 of 2 things. You can do a series of partial water changes, maybe 15% once or twice a week until your tanks dKH is in good range. The water you add must be RO/DI with a dKH level LESS than what is currently in the tank. Second, you can add CO2 into the water, this can be done by adding water that already has CO2 in it, such as selzer or mineral water which both contain carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid when it is added to water. The acid reduces the buffer. When the buffer falls the dKH is lower. Add small amounts only in the beginning and test your dKh about 15 or so minutes after adding it. In the beginning the difference may not be large but, as you continue to add it, the dKH will drop. Checking is important because as the dKH drops, the effect of the mineral or selzer water will become greater (meaning the pH and the dKH will drop more for the same quantity of such water added). Make sure when using this method that you check your pH and your dKH regularly, at least each time you add the water and more often if you can. This will prevent the dKH from falling too low (and the pH too).
To raise your dKH you can add a 'buffer' such as "Super Buffer" . Maintaining a constant dKH will help stabilize the pH and Ca in the tank.
To raise your calcium you can directly add 'liquid calcium' or 'kalkwasser' (limewater) into the tank. However remember your dKH needs to be within range first to prevent the newly added calcium from becoming calcium carbonate.
...confused yet?
Once you balance out your buffer (dKH) everything else should fall into line on its own (i.e. pH and Calcium). I'm guessing your pH is probably very high too right??
I don't know how I started on this dKH/Ca++ because it has nothing to do with Nitrates!! Anyway how are those looking now? Please update your recent parameters.
kellenr
Member
Did you fill this tank with tap water by any chance?
If you did this is what I'm thinking. 1. You have very hard natural tap water. 2. Your tank is fully cycled (very possible if you have 13lbs LR & 16lbs LS in a 10g and you directly transported the LR, you may of had no or very short cycle) since your Nitrite is =0, and you just have some high Nitrates hanging around. After those water changes did those come down quite a bit?
...If all those answers are 'yes' then you're fine, those high 'Trates you saw were just the byproduct of your 1 or 2 day cycle.
If you did this is what I'm thinking. 1. You have very hard natural tap water. 2. Your tank is fully cycled (very possible if you have 13lbs LR & 16lbs LS in a 10g and you directly transported the LR, you may of had no or very short cycle) since your Nitrite is =0, and you just have some high Nitrates hanging around. After those water changes did those come down quite a bit?
...If all those answers are 'yes' then you're fine, those high 'Trates you saw were just the byproduct of your 1 or 2 day cycle.
rastafish
Member
KellenR... your the master! lol since then i have done 2 water changes and my trates are at 20 ppm and nitrite 0, KH is between 180 and 300 ppm i need to get another type of water tester, im using the quick dip test srtips and for the KH test it says that KH is ideal when its between 180 and 300 ppm but really isnt capable of showing the exact number. as for Ph its between 7.8 and 8.4 on the test strip my estimation leads me to guess that its more like 8.0-8.2.
water is nice n clear my perc looks happy! oh yeah by the way i traded in my damsels and got my self a little true percula A.K.A. "Fat Boy" and i also got a small green mandarin A.K.A. "rocky" couldn't pass up that deal!
i just want to thank all you guys for the great info you guys provided and we'll see what is next in the future of my tank.
water is nice n clear my perc looks happy! oh yeah by the way i traded in my damsels and got my self a little true percula A.K.A. "Fat Boy" and i also got a small green mandarin A.K.A. "rocky" couldn't pass up that deal!
i just want to thank all you guys for the great info you guys provided and we'll see what is next in the future of my tank.
jerryatrick
Active Member
I think your green mandarin would be better off back at the LFS. If you haven't already done so, please research this fish. This fish should be kept in a larger or more established tank due to the fact that it eats pods which take time to grow in a tank. Try feeding it frozen or prepared food. If it is not eating then I would suggest taking it back.