Ryan,

I don't mind posting the links whenever the situation arises :biggrin: No matter how many times I have posted them in the past, someone seems to find them of interest when I post them yet again. Understanding reef chemistry is the basis of keeping all animals in our tanks happy and healthy. Hey, I'm just trying to spread the word, man :biggrin: :razz:

I wonder how many people actually read the stickies anyway :confused: If you think it would be useful to post these links as a sticky, please be my guest. However, I reserve the right to re-post them in threads where it is apparent someone hasn't read them :mrgreen:

Oh I don't mind you posting the links Bev.
I was just wondering if it might be easier to have it in a sticky and just direct the person to it. :cool:

See if you can compare your test kit with another hobbiests, maybe your test kit is old or defective. I've seen that a number of times with the reagent type kits.


Doug

Re: reply
 

A 10% water change will reduce the nitrate by 10%, in this case, 2 ppm. If doing a 20% water change, nitrate reduction will be 4 ppm. A 50% water change should reduce nitrate to 10 ppm. A second 50% water change will then reduce nitrate to 5 ppm.

As well, you will also be dramatically reducing phosphate by doing large water changes, which may save you a cyanobacteria outbreak somewhere further down the line.

To test your test kit, take a sample of tankwater and dilute by 50% with RO, then test the diluted sample. You may also test your RO water for nitrate to see if nitrate is entering your system during water changes.

Re: Nitrate Levels
 

PM sent

I have compared the tests with my other 2 tanks and only the one reads nitrate. 1 tanks is bare bottom and 1 tank has sand the take with the problem has crushed coral.....Andre suggested this could be a link?

Murray,

I would think that the crushed coral has trapped loads of detritus and is probably the cause of elevated nitrate.

do you use RO water, I know in ther spring or after a hevy rain I get a bad spike in my tank if I do a water change, I only use tap water :eek: . I have started to buy the RO water from Sobys for a large water change once every month or two, other then that I stick to my tap water, I have never tested the tap water though.


Brad

I have a goldenhead goby that is always sifting the sand I do and a bit of red stuff (cyano?) trapped between the substrate and the glass.

and yes Brad I do use tap water in all the aquariums