Nitrate Help!

blue oasis

blue oasis

Member
My new tank has been running for 5 weeks with Live rock, Live sand, UV Sterilizer, Sump (the one with the sock) and my Nitrate is 40-80. I have tested this many times and it seems to go between the two numbers (40 and 80). Is there somthing I can do? Is this normal? I forgot to mention that I filled half my tank with water from my 90 gallon (it has been running over 1 year) and the other half new salt water (that was 5 weeks ago that I added the water).
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
Oasis...If this is a new tank with new recently cured live rock and you have finished the first 'cycle', then I would agree that a series of 10-20% water changes would be a good way to lower the nitrates. If this is not the case
can you post other info (ammonia, nitrites, pH, salinity, presence of fish or inverts).....
 
claymc

claymc

Member
might kill the UV for now.. it's killing the bacteria that you're supposed to be 'breeding' during your cycle..
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I also think that claymc is correct. You should turn off your UV for now while your tank is still cycling. It is possible, if you didn't buy cured live rock from your lfs, that your rocks are uncured, and they are just taking longer to cycle.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
The presence of Nitrate shows the cycle has already occured/is occuring. No reason to turn off the UV at this point (Not that I'm a fan of UV).
In a new tank Ammonia builds up. Then Nitrite and finally Nitrate. If you have a deep and bed or a lot of very porous live rock your tank can have enough anaerobic locations to further break down Nitrate into Nitrogen gas and Oxygen.
In most aquariums water changes are used to remove Nitrates.
 
blue oasis

blue oasis

Member
Thanks everyone. I am going to do a water change and see what happens. Her are my test results:
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 40-80
Nitrite- 0
pH- 7.8
There is just live rock and live sand no fish or inverts
 
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