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mitch303
04/13/2011, 01:01 PM
my tank has been running for about 3 weeks and i have yet to have a diatom bloom my ammonia is 0 my nitrites are 0 my ph is 8.2 and my nitrates are pretty high the color of the test looks like it is either 20ppm or 40 ppm kind of hard to tell. and i have had no diatom bloom yet is this normal for a 3 week tank?

JoeRonda
04/13/2011, 01:06 PM
Are you using hang on back (HOB) filters, if so what media is in them? A new tank should'nt really have N03. There has to be a reason. Is there any like bio-balls in your system anywhere?

stingythingy45
04/13/2011, 01:13 PM
Did you ever see a ammonia spike?
What did you use as an organic to get a cycle going,just the rock?
Where did the rock come from?
Do you use ro/di?

mitch303
04/13/2011, 01:14 PM
haha yea the bio wheel you told me to take off in the other thread lol i will go do that now. will the diatoms bloom after my nitrates fall?

mitch303
04/13/2011, 01:26 PM
yea i did have a ammonia spike it went to 2.0 and that is the highest it got. I did use a raw shrimp to start the cycle. the live rock i have is from my lfs i have about 12-15 pounds of live rock and about 35 punds of base rock. i do not use rodi water i have my own well water at my house and that is what i use doesnt contain the chlorine and stuff like that that city water has i also tested for copper and nothing the well water has all kinds of filters and stuff that it runs through before it comes out of the faucet. i also use novaqua plus just in case.

stingythingy45
04/13/2011, 01:31 PM
I would suggest that you get a good filter for that water.An ro/di would be best.
Would not be surprised if your nitrate problem starts with that well water.
You should test a batch of freshly mixed salt water and see where the nitrate level is.

pkirby
04/13/2011, 01:37 PM
I'd test the water directly out of the well for nitrate and phosphate. It's very possible and probably likely that the nitrates are 40 because of the well water. I'd also be concerned with phosphate in well water.

If you test the water directly from the faucet and are measuring nitrates and/or phosphate... you should find a RO/DI filter or find a different source of water. Just my opinion...

mitch303
04/13/2011, 01:55 PM
just tested nitrates in a batch of new saltwater i have mixing for my water change nitrates came up as 0ppm i do not have a phosphate test kit