Nitrate/Rite question

sawillia

Member
I've mentioned this before but, here goes in a thread all to its own.
I moved this tank almost a week and a half ago. The tank and inhabits where established for at least a year prior to me moving it. It wasn't in good shape prior to the move and the owner didn't take care of it for the last 2 mos or so.
We kept 30 gallons of water and then slowly added the remainder over 2-3 days until the sump and skimmer were online.
The skimmer ran in the sump the whole time but, not in the tank due to tank levels....
I noticed an ammonia spike and a rate/rite hike after the move. Over the remainder of the week and a half I've seen the ammonia goto 0 but the rites and rates will not get all the way down.
The first week. I pretty much changed 10% every day. This week I've only done one change. I was thinking that with the ammonia down the rites and rate would go down.
The tank has about 100-120 lbs of live rock. It looks good.. It has 40-50 feather dusters on it. The only fall back is green and maybe a redish algae on the rock left from the other guy not taking good care of the tank. I didn't want to scrub it off the rocks however I did remove it from the tank and every where else it was.
The live stock look good. They are all eating and moving good.. no labored breathing. Which is better than what they were doing at the old location.
The only odd thing that I saw was a crustacean war... I saw a redleg take out a blue leg. I just thought it was a socio political Coup.
90 gal tank
4 VHO 46.5in bulbs 2 Actinitc 2 Super Actinic (need to be changed)
2 Maxi 400 ( 900s have been ordered waiting on them)
RO water new filter installed just prior to tank install (tests 0)
Approx 120 lbs of LR
2-4 in CC bed
Skimmer and sump
Has 1 black filter at the sump input
white sponge at the smup out put
I put in a blue filter from the LFS to filter the algae that's floating just as a temp solution... I'l wash that out in fresh water tonight...
How can i get the Rites/Rates correct? The only thing I'm kicking myself with is I didn't check the levels of that tank prior to moving. I just didn't think I need that information...
What should I do?:confused:
 

bang guy

Moderator
I wouldn't even bother testing for Nitrite. It really doesn't matter what the level is.
What is your Nitrate level? It will probably never be zero and that's fine.
 

sawillia

Member
I'm at work...
I use the Red Sea Marine Lab..
I bought a new one from the LPS and they both read about the same.
On the cards it one level above Zero on each ites and ates.
Is there a better test kit that will be more acurate?
I'll post the actual numbs when I get home...
Right now I feed them twice a day...
a Pench of flake in the morning when I get up
and a pench of flake and one frozen cube at night.
I'll point feed the eel and the brittle star fish 1/2 of a frozen shrimp each...
In the tank now are: (what I inherited from previous owner)
1 Queen Angel (medium)
1 File Fish (medium)
3 Blue Chromis
2 Cin or Tomato Clowns. (still trying to figure out which)
1 Brittle Star (pretty big but stays hidden allday)
1 SnowFlake Eel. 4-6in
hermits and a crab or two...
 

bang guy

Moderator
I'm still thinking it's just a false positive. Hard to tell though. I guess you could use the test on some freshly mixed saltwater and see what the Nitrite level is.
 

sawillia

Member
Here is the latest test
NO2 is a LIGHT blue color... There are only reds and greens on the cards... 0 is green and . dirty brownish green
So I say between .5 and 0
NO3 is the same way.. its a darker blue but, there are no blues on the card... Green to pastel purple then to the red family...
2.5-0 HMM that's my guess
Ammon reads 0 but if it sits longer than 15mins it turn a tad green...
so i'm saying that's 0
am I crazy?
I'll try to get a color photo and post it... :(
 
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