Moved Reef Tank- Nitrate spike

[fish1031]

I just moved a reef tank... all parameters are good and stable except... cal a little low- 400
nitrate spiked to 15--- it was 0... will it go back down with water changes? should I do anything else?

 

[m0nk]

If you added fresh salt-water when you moved it you may want to wait a day or two; that's not very high. I just did the same thing and added 20% new water in the process.

 

[fish1031]

thats exactly what i did... It is a 65g I added 20g news mixed RO salt water

 

[baloo6969]

if you moved, you may have "New" water(from a new source)...i just moved 3 months ago, and i couldent get my ates below 15...turns out my RO water is 20...so check to see if your water has nitrates in it.
also 15 isnt bad, you moved the sand bed and rockwork around, so you have probably sturred up dead stuff, or caused some minor dieoff when moving the rocks around...just make sure you drip the fish/inverts to get them use to that "NEW" water.
do a 3~4 20% changes over the next 2 weeks

 

[fish1031]

thanks I will have to check the RO source water
tank is clear and doing good
I did dip acclimate the fish and they are eating
Would I be okay to add a cleaner shrimp now?
Also the tank never had a hood and it evaporates really fast. I am going to buy one i think...

 

[baloo6969]

Also the tank never had a hood and it evaporates really fast. I am going to buy one i think...
negative fish...bad idea. you want surface airation...evaporation is something that is impossible to get away with. get a ATO or grav fed top off. What's the tank's temp? what's the avg temp in the room?
i keep my room's temp 70 +- 1deg and tank at 80...and only have to topoff 2 gal/day on a 75DT/30Sump....will be setting up a ato next week.

 

[fish1031]

tank- 80 room- 74+/-1
we have a humidifier thing in our house so I think it sucks it right up
would I be okay putting just one lid on one side of the center brace. It evaporated 3g in less than 24hrs