NiTRATE Help

[bojumill]

I have been told that the Nitrates have to be as close to 0 or at least below 20 ppm for a reef tank
I was at the ***** in our town an we told the sales mgr. in the fish dept that we wanted to got some CORAL but our Nitrate was between 20 & 40 ppm that we would have to wait.

She said our tanks was very good that we could put in anything we wanted ( that the NITRATE IN THERE TANKS IN THE STORE RAN BETWEEN 20 & 80 PPM AND SOMETIMES AS HIGHT AS 100 PPM)
I don't think I will be buying much there
thank for your help
BOB

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bojumill http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533427
I have been told that the Nitrates have to be as close to 0 or at least below 20 ppm for a reef tank
I was at the ***** in our town an we told the sales mgr. in the fish dept that we wanted to got some CORAL but our Nitrate was between 20 & 40 ppm that we would have to wait.

She said our tanks was very good that we could put in anything we wanted ( that the NITRATE IN THERE TANKS IN THE STORE RAN BETWEEN 20 & 80 PPM AND SOMETIMES AS HIGHT AS 100 PPM)
I don't think I will be buying much there
thank for your help
BOB


Hi,

Welcome to the site!

First, if you use an API test kit, it reads outrageous high on nitrates. Second...LOL...we all know to never purchase our critters from *****. I do get my fish food, salt mix, additives and such from them...but NOTHING alive.

So if you have an API kit, get a Salifert, SeaChem or Instant Ocean kit. I use Seachem myself, each test comes with a regent to double check the test results.

After you get a new test kit, or if you are not using an API kit...IF the nitrates are high, there are a few things you can do to lower it.

• Get an Aquaripure nitrate filter...I love mine, and have two...one for each tank, it really does it's job.
• Macroalgae, either in a sump, or get the decorative stuff for the display. (added bonus, it also removes phosphates, ammonia and nitrites, keeping your water parameters pristine)
  Do regular water changes, once a month or a smaller one every week.
  You can make your own algae scrubber if you are handy, and have enough room in your sump for it.(works and does the same thing as macroalgae)

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:Originally Posted by bojumill http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533427
I have been told that the Nitrates have to be as close to 0 or at least below 20 ppm for a reef tank
I was at the ***** in our town an we told the sales mgr. in the fish dept that we wanted to got some CORAL but our Nitrate was between 20 & 40 ppm that we would have to wait.

She said our tanks was very good that we could put in anything we wanted ( that the NITRATE IN THERE TANKS IN THE STORE RAN BETWEEN 20 & 80 PPM AND SOMETIMES AS HIGHT AS 100 PPM)
I don't think I will be buying much there
thank for your help
BOB

I have heard this before.
From what I understand the actual problem is that with nitrates, the corals become "too" active and take on dull brownish colors due to photo reactions.
I suspect there is much more going on then just nitrates are high though. Like phosphate levels and the presence or lack of various algaes away from the corals to get the nitrates missed by the corals.
And feeding the corals as well. I used cylopeeze for instance as well as live micro algae and rotifers as well.
that being said, I recommend you keep nitrates low by balancing out the tank with macro algaes.
But that's just my .02

 

[snakeblitz33]

API might not be that far off from what your actual measurement is, however, like Flower, I also suggest getting a more accurate test kit. It will pay for itself in the long run. It's important to know what your water quality is before putting the lives of living coral in danger.

Soft corals prefer a bit of nitrate in the system... about 5-10ppm is a good range for most soft corals. That's why it is recommended for many new hobbyists to start keeping soft corals at first - so that you can have a pretty good amount of success.

There are new advances in the hobby that have been stating that a good range for most mixed reefs, including SPS, should be between 0.03 and 1.0ppm. Another parameter to measure is phosphate - which should be kept low... between 0.03 and 0.05ppm in order for most SPS corals to grow and be successful. Still, I have found that there are many, many more factors which can dictate success of reef tanks other then numbers.

 

[bojumill]

thank you for your help, I am new to starting a reef tank, but we had salt & fresh water fish about 25 years ago, a 30 gal salt & 55 salt with a pair of 8 inch Lion fish and 2 30 gal freshwater tanks raising molly's for lion fish food.

I think will start making the 3 hour drive to Phoenix to buy fish, as we never have had such bad luck with fish until we started buying from *****

 

[snakeblitz33]

Eh, depends on the big box store location, I guess. I prefer to buy most of my fish in person... which usually means going to a reputable live fish store. However, saltwaterfish.com is an online fish retailer - and have excellent selections of fish and a 14 day live guarantee.

 

[geridoc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533438


Hi,

Welcome to the site!

First, if you use an API test kit, it reads outrageous high on nitrates. Second...LOL...we all know to never purchase our critters from *****. I do get my fish food, salt mix, additives and such from them...but NOTHING alive.

So if you have an API kit, get a Salifert, SeaChem or Instant Ocean kit. I use Seachem myself, each test comes with a regent to double check the test results.

I have no horse in the nitrate test kit race, but there seems to be a fundamental misconception about the API nitrate testkit results vs other manufacturer's. The API kit measures total nitrate, while the Salifert kit, for example, measures nitrate nitrogen. To convert these values for the sake of comparison you would either multiply the Salifert value by 4.4 to express the results in terms of nitrate, or divide the API result by 4.4 to express in nitrate nitrogen concentration. That is why the API kit always seems to read high relative to Salifert - it is actually measuring something else other than straight nitrate nitrogen, so its readings are always 4.4 times as high. I'm not sure about the chemistry behind the other manufacturer's kits - I don't have the time to track down their chemistry.

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533492
I have no horse in the nitrate test kit race, but there seems to be a fundamental misconception about the API nitrate testkit results vs other manufacturer's. The API kit measures total nitrate, while the Salifert kit, for example, measures nitrate nitrogen. To convert these values for the sake of comparison you would either multiply the Salifert value by 4.4 to express the results in terms of nitrate, or divide the API result by 4.4 to express in nitrate nitrogen concentration. That is why the API kit always seems to read high relative to Salifert - it is actually measuring something else other than straight nitrate nitrogen, so its readings are always 4.4 times as high. I'm not sure about the chemistry behind the other manufacturer's kits - I don't have the time to track down their chemistry.

I didn't know that.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533492
I have no horse in the nitrate test kit race, but there seems to be a fundamental misconception about the API nitrate testkit results vs other manufacturer's. The API kit measures total nitrate, while the Salifert kit, for example, measures nitrate nitrogen. To convert these values for the sake of comparison you would either multiply the Salifert value by 4.4 to express the results in terms of nitrate, or divide the API result by 4.4 to express in nitrate nitrogen concentration. That is why the API kit always seems to read high relative to Salifert - it is actually measuring something else other than straight nitrate nitrogen, so its readings are always 4.4 times as high. I'm not sure about the chemistry behind the other manufacturer's kits - I don't have the time to track down their chemistry.


Thank you professor, I didn't know that either. I just knew that my shrimps were fine, and my nitrates were reading 80+ a shrimp should be dead at 40

LOL...I will stay with SeaChem, at least those tests have a regent so I can double check that the test score is correct. The industry should have a "blanket" method of test readings, and what they test for, so us dummies can do a test, and know if we need to do something or let it ride. 99% of folks who see 80+ nitrates panic and start doing crazy water changes, and begging for help ( I am in that number). So what do you suggest we tell the new folks?.....If the API reads 80+ it's actually what?

 

[geridoc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533496


Thank you professor, I didn't know that either. I just knew that my shrimps were fine, and my nitrates were reading 80+ a shrimp should be dead at 40

LOL...I will stay with SeaChem, at least those tests have a regent so I can double check that the test score is correct. The industry should have a "blanket" method of test readings, and what they test for, so us dummies can do a test, and know if we need to do something or let it ride. 99% of folks who see 80+ nitrates panic and start doing crazy water changes, and begging for help ( I am in that number). So what do you suggest we tell the new folks?.....If the API reads 80+ it's actually what?
An API reading of 80 is the equivalent of 18 if a Salifert kit is used. I just looked up the SeaChem kit on their web site, and it too measures nitrate, not nitrogen. Therefore, it should agree with the API kit, which also measures nitrate. I may have to run a little experiment if I can locate some of the kits at the right price, because this makes no sense to me that API should read higher than SeaChem. Both should read higher than Salifert, but should be similar to each other.

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533493
 
I didn't know that. 

I did
Kinda. LOL
only in my experience it was the fast test kit that read nitrate-nitrogen.
nice to know the salifert is the same.
I heard of this when 8-10 years ago our LFS was using the fast test kit. Even he didn't know of the difference.
So no wonder his fast test kit was always reading lower nitrates.
my .02

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/396549/nitrate-help#post_3533498
An API reading of 80 is the equivalent of 18 if a Salifert kit is used. I just looked up the SeaChem kit on their web site, and it too measures nitrate, not nitrogen. Therefore, it should agree with the API kit, which also measures nitrate. I may have to run a little experiment if I can locate some of the kits at the right price, because this makes no sense to me that API should read higher than SeaChem. Both should read higher than Salifert, but should be similar to each other.

Hi,

My nitrates always read 0 now...I LOVE my macroalgae, and before that I had the Aquaripure nitrate filter running, I switched to macros because it also eliminated the phosphates. I got the Aquaripure filter and changed my canister to a sump system because I was doing DAILY water changes trying to bring down my nitrates, which according to the API kit was over 80. I must admit that my Aquaripure filter did such a nice job, even the API read 0...but I tossed the entire kit (one open and one NEW unopened) into the garbage when my Seachem kit arrived. I have been telling all the new folks with high nitrate readings, that have API kits... that they are no good.