Roka,
Think you misread the post. Look back on previous posts... both ammonia AND nitrites have ALWAYS been at zero. 2nicewitit has never seen any measurable ammonia or nitrites. However, it sounds like the nitrates have been there from near the beginning.
Nitrates need to come from somewhere, and you have two choices:
1. The water you're mixing with your salt mix, or
2. Something decomposing in the tank (fish waste, food, etc)
Yes all readings have always been zero w/ the exception of nitrates that have been steadily at approx 20.
They have been this way for approx 3.5 weeks.
i'm trying to reduce nitrates by doing approx a 40% wc.
I personally belive the nitrates have been there since day one when i got the LR from a mature tank.
When transporting the rock, it was out of water for approx 1.5 hours.
Throught the 3 weeks or so, i've been see a gradual increase in algae. And this morning i just seemed to noticed a whole lot more than before.
I've never tested for phosphate until today and determined that the phosphate levels were reading approx 2.
I've been usin an ro/di since day one. Just out of curiosity, i checked the phosphate levels from the ro/di and they read approx .5. It is a 4 stage ro/di and i've only had it for about a month.
So i guess right now, my main objectives are to reduce the algae...which i take i have to reduce phosphates...thus doing more frequent water changes. And my second objective is to reduce nitrates...again doing more water changes.
So just to be clear...and i really appologize for the confustion...i know my tank has been cycled when amonia is 0 and nitrites are 0 right?
To reduce the levels in the current levels...phosphates and nitrates i just have to keep up w/ the WCs right? (is there a specfice percentage and frequency that you recommend?)
And w/ my current readings...when do you think i should start seeing changes in the phosphate and nitrate levels?
Thanks for all the help, its been greatley appreciated.