Nitrate kit arrived
- Thread starter strout
- Start date
The kit comes with two powders you mix in the water and wait 4 mins. for the results, then you check the color of the water to a chart with the upper end color at 100, my water color was at the 100 end of the chart. I figured that with the water change earlier today and with lowering the amount of food I had been feeding a week ago that the numbers wouldn't have been that high. Guess I have a ways to go before I can put any SPS corals in the tank.
Soooo, I layed in bed for three hours last nite, not being able to sleep, thinking about why my Nitrate numbers were so high. I have only been able to come up with two reasons, and the first one most likely isn't the reason. (1) I fed my zoas and polys late Thursday afternoon with Cyclop-eeze, I turn my pumps and skimmer off during these feedings for about 45 min. to an hour, but when I turn the pumps and skimmer back on, it only takes a short amount of time for the skimmer to clear the tank water back up. The second reason ( this is where I am betting my problem is, lol ) I have good water flow in the tank with two circulation pumps in the tank, one on either end of the tank, at the top plus the return pump from the sump adding more circulation flow into the tank. I don't have a closed loop system in the tank and as I have 230 give or take a few pounds of live rock in a 125 gallon tank, I have alot places inside the caves, nooks and crainnes, where my fish hide and sleep, the water flow inside of the LR isn't so good, dead spots if you will, could this be the reason my nitrate numbers are so high or simply because I was over feeding so much that it will just take some time for the numbers to come down? I did a 25 gallon water change yesterday and I could do another in about two days. Takes me a about 8 hours to make that much water and about 8 hours to warm it up to put the salt in. I have 25 gallons stored that I could use if ya'll think its important that I do the water change fast.
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I don't know much about salt tanks but I would immagine that if you have alot of nooks and cranies without water flow that piles would build up cause water couldn't wash it away, and as for the water you have saved in case you need to do a quick change once again not sure but I wouldn't keep it for more then a few days stagnant stale water can't be good for the fish, good luck getting things back to normal
exactly how much flow do you have in the tank? what pumps (gph ect.) also you cant expect the nitrates to come down much with a single 25g water change lol.... what is your total water volume? rather than doin a bunch of 25g water changes i would just stay on top of it and do about a 30% WC every week or 2 till you see it come down.... just the fact that you slowed up on the feedings doesnt mean the nitrates are guna disappear! itll asure that they dont keep gettin added to yur system but like i said now youll just have do a bunch of wc's and hope yur skimmer does the rest!
If I remember right, my LFS told me when he sold me all the stuff for my tank, that we would have 1750gph being turned over in the tank. My tank size is 125g and my sump is about, I would say a 45g tank but it is only filled half way with water. I didn't think the nitrates would drop to 0, but with the water change and the skimmer and the lower food intake by the fish, I was kinda hoping to see some where between 60 to 80. I could be wrong about that 1750 gpr, my memory isn't what it used to be, lol. He was throwing alot of info at me back then, between that and starting to get old, makes it hard to, well, you will figure it out in about 30 years, lol.
okay there is one way to get them down......just be ready to make a bunch of water....and use a pile of salt.....
remove & change 25% of the water.....(if at 80 then that should bring them down to say 60)
then do another 25% (you have now done almost a 50% change)
wait a few days and repeat if still high repeat again.
this is a lot of water to change but it will work.....just make sure your parameters match up.....temp, sg, ph & alk
remove & change 25% of the water.....(if at 80 then that should bring them down to say 60)
then do another 25% (you have now done almost a 50% change)
wait a few days and repeat if still high repeat again.
this is a lot of water to change but it will work.....just make sure your parameters match up.....temp, sg, ph & alk
Its not that I want the numbers down yesterday, as long as my fish are fine thats all I am really concerned about. It just kinda surprised that the nitrate numbers were so high after the water change and the lowering of the fish food. I will do another water change some time this coming week. I was really kinda wondering if there was anything else besides the over feeding that I might have been doing to cause the #s to be so high.