Nitrate

[jimboogle25]

Hi so my new tank is cycling at the moment its been over a week now and my ammonia is zero nitrites zero and my nitrate is sky high why is this iv added all sorts of great bacteria and still no change I know cycling isn't a fast process but still no drop I have two clowns in that's all and lots of live Rock in a 250 litre tank and trying feed them every other day to not get two much ammonia in can anyone help thanks

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[warby]

how have you cycled the tank? it sounds like its gone through is cycle if you have nitrate. to get nitrate down you need to do water changes. what people normally do is 10% per week.
what are your nitrates currently at?

 

[CEECH]

If you have use bacteria to start off the tank you have most likely gone through the cycle. Its still important to watch your levels incase of a mini cycle. Water changes will help reduce n03. What is sky high ? 10% water change weekly will help but it will be slow. You could change 20 then 10 % per week after. I have people over 80 and corals thriving in the tank. Mine is around 5. How do you plan on controlling them. Nopox or something like this or just water changes. More information about your system would make it easier to help you. Have you had a diatom bloom yet ?

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[jimboogle25]

No diatom Bloom yet iv got a 250 litre tank with undergravel filter going in to a very large external filter aventuly will put sump on tho. I know under gravels are old but had marines for years and never had any major problems. Were I got the tank from and the bed it was neglected so even tho iv got half of my tank my old mature tank I think iv brought the **** from the other tank so like u say will just get my nitrate right with water changes and hopefully that will sort it. Tanks been running two week now didn't think cycle would finish that quick thanks


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[Eaval]

what do you consider to be sky high ??

Also what is your phosphate reading and what is your chosen method of nutrient export

 

[jimboogle25]

Phosphate 0 I iv got ro unit set is like 5 the retest reading and I use marine mix as food if that's what u mean

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[jimboogle25]

Redest

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[jimboogle25]

Live rock and I'm gonna set my protein skimmer up and put that on a
Gain now. I'm hoping to put separate tank and put sum nitrate eating plants in and run that through system at sometime get sum cheato in

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[warby]

what is your nitrate reading? and you phos won't be 0 ppm

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[Eaval]

As Warby has said if you really had 0 phos you wouldnt have any life in the tank.

If you have low phos and high nitrate it is likely to be stuck due to the imbalance. Nitrate cant come down on its own, it needs phos available.

What test kits are you using and what are the phos and nitrate?

 

[jimboogle25]

I'll do both tnyt when finish work and put the readings on thanks

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[jimboogle25]

OK nitrate 40.0 and phosphate 0.5 I have marinelab nt lab kits and api saltwatermaster test kit

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[jimboogle25]

I mean 5.0 on phosphate

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[Eaval]

What are the units of those measurements?

 

[Bluez_01]

Redfield ratio is 16/1 I believe, been a while since I used it, phos and nitrates are high as you stated, so I would look at doing 25% water changes per week over the next month to get them down to reasonable levels, it is not unheard of for a tank to cycle this fast, but I am a little worried that this has "cycled" this week in all honesty, I think you maybe getting a false sense of security in this case, on the cycle how fast did the ammonia and nitrites drop off? as "normally" nitrites a lone takes 5-7 days to "fall off the cliff".

Under gravel filters are "ok" to some extent, but you have to remember that these drag water down through the sand bed which is ideal, but also in this case it can "drag the bacteria" with it as well, as the de-nitrification needs to be in a "none oxygenated" environment to work (ie, at the bottom) so it may be a case that your bacteria has been removed to some extent, how deep is the sand bed in your DST, and how much rock do you have in there as well.

 

[Eaval]

Refield ratio is 106 carbon, 16nitrate to 1 phosphate.

If your phos is really 5.0 thats through the roof!!! Assuming we talking mg/l or ppm.

40 isnt that high for nitrate. High but nothing to worry about. Your tank would be fine as a fish only at 100ppm nitrate.

 

[jimboogle25]

No on my phosphate chart it is just one bellow normal level phosphate won't be bad cause either have ro unit my only problem is nitrate so far since the day I put the tank to gether I had no ammonia reading nitrite read and nitrate was same as iv said I did half 25 litre tub water change last nyt and will do another in couple days and c how things are I'm gonna try new test kit as they are all old and go from there my mobile is ******** can explain bit better than on here thanks for all help

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"Tech" Edit: For your safety I have removed your mobile from public view, if you wanted too, you could request that anyone that would like a chat about it can pm you for your number, or you could get the number from them and call them. Thanks

 

[jimboogle25]

Panic over it turns out my test kitswas no good I went and bough brand new one and all my leg ls are perfect bang on all is good now that ks again for everyone's help


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[Eaval]

What are the readings out of interest?

 

[CEECH]

api saltwatermaster test kit .I dont rate these tests at all. hope you did not buy them.