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new2reef22
03/30/2013, 08:17 AM
My tank has been up for 3 weeks now and my Nitrates are through the roof ! How can I fix this and how long should I wait to add fish

kegogut
03/30/2013, 08:20 AM
Nitrates are part of the cycle. Its usually the last part of the cycle. If your ammonia and nitrites are at 0 and your nitrates are high,do a water change. Check your nitrates tomorrow and if they stay low your ready.

SABOB
03/30/2013, 08:22 AM
What Test Kit are you using for Nitrates? API is notorious for being wrong for Nitrates.


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bnumair
03/30/2013, 08:23 AM
agree. like advised above, if ammonia and nitrites spiked and now hit 0 and nitrates are high ur tank has cycled. u can do 50% water change that will cut ur nitrates to 50% and anything under 90ppm on nitrates fish will be ok to live. inverts and corals no for them under 20 and most suitable under 5.

new2reef22
03/30/2013, 09:04 AM
Sabob . Yes I am using API . What else can I use ? Thank everyone for your quick responses . This is such a great help .

new2reef22
03/30/2013, 09:06 AM
also my amonia and nitrites are at 0

SABOB
03/30/2013, 09:13 AM
I'd suggest taking a water sample to a LFS and have them check it, or a friend with a different Test kit.My API Nitrate test kit sample turned blood red,I freaked out. Took a sample to a local store that tested a sample and was told Nitrates at 10 ppm.Have since heard issues with their Nitrate tests, Ammonia and Nitrites are good tests


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kegogut
03/30/2013, 11:14 AM
Well,before you go to the LFS for a test,call them and ask them what test theyre using. Some use API as well. If they use Salifert or Red Sea then your gtg. You can also buy them for home use. Theyre about twice the cost of API but worth it in some cases.

I myself am using API kits,but I also go to the LFS every couple weeks anyway for one thing or another so I get it tested and compare the results with each other.

Also if your using a cheap Hydrometer I would strongly suggest you get a Refractometer as soon as you can. I just had a buddy's tank crash because his Hydro was reading .025 when in reality it was .029 or higher. It will be one of your best investments for long term success.

Sk8r
03/30/2013, 11:16 AM
I've always preferred Salifert for ease of use. On some other kits I can get 3 different results when repeating the test in the same session. With Salifert, I get one. Period.

powdertang05
03/30/2013, 07:46 PM
water changes are the easiest fix. Maybe check your water. I doubt its the problem but Ive seen worse water conditions. I would take a water sample to LFS. I had good luck with tropic marin and Elos test as well.

cap032
03/30/2013, 08:07 PM
Dont sweat the Nitrates. Mine got near 150ppm doing a fishless cycle with ammonia. You will clean them up with a large water change when your cycle is complete. For example, I did a 100 gallon water change (approx 80%) on my 125 at the end and the result left me with approx 14ppm. The one to be concerned with is Nitrites. If Nitrites get over 5ppm, it can potentially stall your cycle. If that happens, then you would want to do a water change to kick the cycle back in. Regarding the API kit, I have two. One is spot on with my Red Sea Pro kit, the other reads 3× higher! lol Right now many RC sponsors have Easter sales going on, you could get the Red Sea Pro Algae Control kit (Nitrate & Phosphate) for about $35. Red Sea also sells refills (much cheaper) so you dont have to keep buying the whole kit every time.

keithhays
03/30/2013, 08:13 PM
I wouldn't freak-out, if you had some decent ammonia and nitrite readings during the cycle, then having very high nitrate is what should be happening. Its actually a good sign and not a bad one. I worry about people who finish a cycle on a new tank and they have very little nitrate; it tells me they didn't have a very robust cycle.

At this point, you should do a very large water change to get the nitrates within the range that you are comfortable with and then start slowly adding fish.

Remember the water itself does not contain the bacteria you have spent the last several weeks cycling for; its on the rocks, substrate, and filters, but it does contain all of the waste from it which you now need to get rid of.

Happy reefing!

new2reef22
04/11/2013, 09:41 PM
Thanks for all your help. Did about a 50% water change turned on my skimmer about 5 days ago have a tin of what looks like brown hair alge or maybe diatoms everywhere. Left my lights off for the last 3 days and didn't seem to help. Nitrates afe still real high like red in color within 2 minutes. Should I just drain it and start over ?

jepuskar
04/11/2013, 10:57 PM
Are you still using the API test kit for Nitrates?

foundnemo11
04/11/2013, 11:13 PM
I think api reads high after a certain amount. Ehen i first started my nitrates were over 100 and coral anemone fish were acting fine. I dod water changes everyother day and still stayed the same . I think they are high but maybe not as high as your test reads. Just my opinion from my own experience i could be wrong in your case