Nitrates wont lower.

[Budda619]

if you did a 50% water change and still showing 40% you need to find the source of the nitrates. How much are you feeding? how often. Have you tested the new water before adding it to the tank? I would def use a different test kit API are known to be inaccurate and read high. Lights will not cause nitrates. can you remove one rock and put it in a bucket of new salt water with zero nitrates and let it sit a day and then test the water to see if it is releasing? Its either something you are adding to the tank or the skimmer not removing enough, or you have a build of detritus somewhere

After i was getting constant readings of 40ppm last month and a half i cut down my feeding from once a day to every two to three days. Exactly enough for the fish to eat. The rock thing is a brilliant idea

 

[bavass]

the next time you get water I would take your NO3 test kit and test it before you buy it. Just tell the guy no offense but I am fighting a NO3 battle and I have to rule the new water out.

 

[Budda619]

Im at his house right now shooting disc golf in the back. Just checked it with his hanna meters. Testing at 0 on nitrates. Alk at 8 calcium at 350 magnesium at 1150 ph at 8.1 iodine at .04 and salinity at 1.024. Im picking up water now to do a wc on thursday

 

[jeffaquarius]

I'm just curious they way you do your pwc. Do you drain the water first before pouring in new water or you drain while at the same time pouring in new water?

 

[Budda619]

I'm just curious they way you do your pwc. Do you drain the water first before pouring in new water or you drain while at the same time pouring in new water?

I drain the water out the tank first in a 5 gallon bucket. Than i put 5 gallons back in with the new water.

And repeat if i do a 10 gallon wc. Thats a 30% wc. Is there a better method?

 

[Gregcoyote]

You aren't getting a full water change that way. I drop the tank level down to where I want it, then fill it back up again with fresh saltwater. Your way, when doing 10 gallons only gives you about 7 gallons of actual fresh saltwater.

 

[jeffaquarius]

Do you use suction tube and remove detritus at bottom and blow rocks for liftover food and so forth?

 

[Budda619]

Oh i see!! Thanks greg thats very good to know. I vacuum my gravel at the end of the month when i replace my filters and carbon

 

[mr_X]

Gravel? What is your substrate exactly, and how large are the grains? This might be just the problem.

 

[Gregcoyote]

And vacuuming can release loads of stuff, sometimes it's better to leave it alone and do very small sections at a time

 

[Budda619]

Caribsea live sand. Its not fine sand but its just crushed coral substrate. I always vacuum the gravel and i had no problems for 5 months. 30 lbs of live sand about 1.5 to two inches tall. My nassarius snails help stir up my sand bed as well.

I was told to stir it once in a while so that the detritus comes free and is picked up by my filter. Only the front of the tank is stirred. I leave the ugly green algae on the glass in front of the substrate to help control some phosphates. Its ugly but dosent bother me.

 

[mr_X]

I would never vacuum my sand bed. Not unless it's large grains (which I wouldn't use anyway). No need to ever stir it.

 

[Budda619]

I would never vacuum my sand bed. Not unless it's large grains (which I wouldn't use anyway). No need to ever stir it.

You have fine sand? Does that work better?

 

[mr_X]

Well, the finer the grains, the less detritus can get trapped between them, but I have a feeling I have the same size grains as you. You are referring to that bag-live sand carib sea sells, that you find on the shelves of the LFS, correct? If so, I believe the sand I have used, and am using now is about the same size.

 

[Budda619]

Well, the finer the grains, the less detritus can get trapped between them, but I have a feeling I have the same size grains as you. You are referring to that bag-live sand carib sea sells, that you find on the shelves of the LFS, correct? If so, I believe the sand I have used, and am using now is about the same size.

Yes sir. Thats the bag i was recommended to use as i was told it helps buffer my ph.

 

[mr_X]

Calcium based substrate in general, should buffer ph, but the size grains you have don't need stirring/vacuuming. You said you have nassarius snails, so that should be enough.

 

[bavass]

what filter are you changing monthly?

 

[Budda619]

Cotton and carbon filters

 

[mwilliams]

That API test is weird. If you follow the directions it gives yoy high readings for the nitrates. When I took my water into my lfs they told me not to shake that one like has in ghe directions just very lightly shake it and don't shake it for the full minute either just enough to mix it. When I tested mine at home by the directions my nitrates was off the chart. I then took it to them and it was way lower then what I got at home. Although I did do a 40gallon water change and it brought it down. However I did end up with a trace of amnonia and nitrite after doing that. Tomorrow I will take my water into the lfs store to see if tjose two are gone. Hoping it was just a very tiny mini cycle.

 

[Budda619]

Update : i finally got my nitrates down to .5 ppm. Purigen and chaeto works like a dream. I want to thank everyone for their input. You guys are the best!!