NItrates. I'm baffled...
- Thread starter slf125
- Start date
slf125
Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2886995
What was the line of progression in your nitrate build up as close as you can recall
wow, I'll try. I had Nitrates around 80 for the first year, ( I was using tap water and moat fish died, since have almost complketely replaced with RO/DI0) and then dropped to about 25-50 over the next two years, recently they were down to about 15 and I just tested over the last week and they have held 80 steady. I don't know if that was what your looking for but thats about as much as I can remember.
http:///forum/post/2886995
What was the line of progression in your nitrate build up as close as you can recall
wow, I'll try. I had Nitrates around 80 for the first year, ( I was using tap water and moat fish died, since have almost complketely replaced with RO/DI0) and then dropped to about 25-50 over the next two years, recently they were down to about 15 and I just tested over the last week and they have held 80 steady. I don't know if that was what your looking for but thats about as much as I can remember.
florida joe
Well-Known Member
I would start at testing your ro water for nitrates, when was the last time you lost a fish what is your feeding time , amount and type, depth of sand bed, are you running a refug if so what’s in it.
Sorry if you have answered these questions above I am trying not to be influenced by any other posts just trying to work things through my own mind (or lack of)
Sorry if you have answered these questions above I am trying not to be influenced by any other posts just trying to work things through my own mind (or lack of)
natclanwy
Active Member
Originally Posted by SLF125
http:///forum/post/2887050
Ok, it could be wrong but the test is only a few weeks old.
Could have been bad when you got it or contaminated with something after you got it, have you at least reread the instructions for the kit and retested a couple of times to verify your results also make sure your test tubes are clean and make sure you rinse them with tank water a couple of times before you start. You could also take a sample to your LFS and have them test it.
I agree with Joe we need to find the source, water changes, nitrate sponges ect... are just a bandaid although I have seen a large water change fix a nitrate problem in my own tank but it was a single large water change. My theory was that I didn't have enough denitrifaction to lower the high nitrates (40ppm) but I had enough to consume the nitrate that my tank was producing I did a couple 50% water changes and got the nitrates down to about 10ppm and it held steady there for several months with my normal 10% twice per month water changes before it finally dropped to zero. Don't know if that is a valid theory or not but it made sense in my own mind
http:///forum/post/2887050
Ok, it could be wrong but the test is only a few weeks old.
Could have been bad when you got it or contaminated with something after you got it, have you at least reread the instructions for the kit and retested a couple of times to verify your results also make sure your test tubes are clean and make sure you rinse them with tank water a couple of times before you start. You could also take a sample to your LFS and have them test it.
I agree with Joe we need to find the source, water changes, nitrate sponges ect... are just a bandaid although I have seen a large water change fix a nitrate problem in my own tank but it was a single large water change. My theory was that I didn't have enough denitrifaction to lower the high nitrates (40ppm) but I had enough to consume the nitrate that my tank was producing I did a couple 50% water changes and got the nitrates down to about 10ppm and it held steady there for several months with my normal 10% twice per month water changes before it finally dropped to zero. Don't know if that is a valid theory or not but it made sense in my own mind
jaybroreef
New Member
Hey! Nitrates are a pain, eh? You are using r/o water now, right? Why dont tou try doing heavier water changes, more gallons at aa time. Then whenever you do your changes, add some Amquel to the water. It sure seems like after 3 yrs, that anaerobic activity would be doing its thing deep in the rock. What kind of rock is it, is it kinda porous, or not? well, just keep up those monotonous water changes, and good luck! MERRY X-MAS!!!!!!!!
kspops
Member
I am new to the salt side of the hobby, but if you are doing 5 gallon changes twice a week, that is 10 gallons a week, so that works out to about 8% (+/-). That in a 125 Gallon tank is low, from what I have read. Not to replace the experts here, but if possible, I think changing 5 Gallons a day (or every other day) may get it down faster and then try for 3 a week. that should get about a 12% change a week. JMHO, good luck.
natclanwy
Active Member
Actually 10g a week is only an 8% water change and a total of 28% per month of the water is changed because of dilution. At the end of 4 months you will only have changed 74% of the original water. You would have to change 20g per week to change 50% of the original water per month.
You keep saying you don't have the capicity to do larger water changes, what is limiting you?
You keep saying you don't have the capicity to do larger water changes, what is limiting you?
Originally Posted by SLF125
http:///forum/post/2887454
Have no clue to the grain size it's on the coarser ends of things. Can easily see the individual grains, like salt. What detritivores would you recommend? I am going to order salifert tests from swf.com so I could get one order. any ideas?
It is live sand? You don't recall the brand, packaging? If you really have course sand, then that could be part of your issue.
http:///forum/post/2887454
Have no clue to the grain size it's on the coarser ends of things. Can easily see the individual grains, like salt. What detritivores would you recommend? I am going to order salifert tests from swf.com so I could get one order. any ideas?
It is live sand? You don't recall the brand, packaging? If you really have course sand, then that could be part of your issue.
slf125
Member
12512.5%= 10. I'm terrible at math so I could still be wrong. I guess it's more a combintionof things which I will be fixing over the next few weeks. Need new salt ( currently has hardened so any sort of water change is going to have to wait until I order more, Need more buckets, worrying that if I take out half the water the fish/corals/LR will die and the fact that it would take about a week to get enough water from my RO/DI. I guess now that I think about it I could but I'll have to start mixing now.
BETH- Sorry, just regular Lowes playsand, not very coarse, like the kind they put on beaches.. sorda brownish.
Hope this helps
BETH- Sorry, just regular Lowes playsand, not very coarse, like the kind they put on beaches.. sorda brownish.
Hope this helps
natclanwy
Active Member
Removing half the water will have no effect on the livestock as long as you replace it with water with the same SG, PH, and temp. Many people use a 55g rubbermaid trash can to mix and store water in so you may look into one if you have the room. Also the small rubbermaid totes work well for mixing and storing water and are very inexpensive, I can generally find 15g totes for $5-$6.
125g/12.5%= 15.625g, 125g/12.5g= 10
A 10% water change would be 12.5g of new water.
125g/12.5%= 15.625g, 125g/12.5g= 10
A 10% water change would be 12.5g of new water.