Nanoreefnewbie 2012 nano contest entry

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Enigma

There has to be something weird going on. It just doesn't make sense to me. Can you think of anything outside the norm that could be causing the high nitrates?

well i think the idea of tests being accurate or not is the first thing , if they are accurate then i would be asking how high my amonia got during my cycle.

realistically at this time there shouldnt be any livestock like snails or shrimp, crabs etc. (right after the cycle)

this is the ideal time to do the large water change , like you mentioned earlier 100% is even fine and alot of people do that.


if you experience a rough cycle with high amonia and dont do this it just keeps getting built up.

the daily water changes will in fact bring them down , its just more to me of a time consuming thing and if theres any animals they arnt gonna benefit from the stress and changing conditions.

what happens more often then not is this scenario here where people try to deal with the high nitrates after they have added animals not after the cycle, now it has to be done slower and more work involved as your adding pollution to the tank reguarily.

[Enigma]

Nanoreefnewbie, what nitrate test are you using. Also, can you post the rest of your parameters and what tests you're using for them? Honestly, I don't trust your test at this point.

If you did a 50% change, that would have brought your nitrates down to 20ppm. A 25% change the next day would have brought them down to 15ppm. 25% the next day would bring them down to 11.25ppm, then 8.43ppm, then 6.32ppm . . . on day six 4.74ppm. Of course, nitrate would be building at the same time, so it would probably take a week or more to get the nitrates below 5ppm. Only the first water change would have a huge effect on the levels, and the effect becomes less and less with each water change.

Have you recorded your daily nitrate levels? If so, can you share them?

[coolhandgoose]

I just read through the whole thread and have a couple questions.

1. Are you using RO/DI water?

2. On page one you said you were using 1lb of live rock and 39 of dead rock. Did you actually do this? If you did then there's no way that your tank would be biologically stable enough yet for any inhabitants. You should've had at the very least half of the rock live rock, especially if its a nano.

This can explain why your nitrates were high and stayed high.

[nanoreefnewbie]

Originally Posted by coolhandgoose

I just read through the whole thread and have a couple questions.

1. Are you using RO/DI water?

2. On page one you said you were using 1lb of live rock and 39 of dead rock. Did you actually do this? If you did then there's no way that your tank would be biologically stable enough yet for any inhabitants. You should've had at the very least half of the rock live rock, especially if its a nano.

This can explain why your nitrates were high and stayed high.

Yea using all ro water from start...

Andyes starters tank like this did research has and was told I can do this tank was covered with hair algea and was told safe too add clean up crew

[nanoreefnewbie]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Nanoreefnewbie, what nitrate test are you using. Also, can you post the rest of your parameters and what tests you're using for them? Honestly, I don't trust your test at this point.

If you did a 50% change, that would have brought your nitrates down to 20ppm. A 25% change the next day would have brought them down to 15ppm. 25% the next day would bring them down to 11.25ppm, then 8.43ppm, then 6.32ppm . . . on day six 4.74ppm. Of course, nitrate would be building at the same time, so it would probably take a week or more to get the nitrates below 5ppm. Only the first water change would have a huge effect on the levels, and the effect becomes less and less with each water change.

Have you recorded your daily nitrate levels? If so, can you share them?

I'm using the api saltwater mater marine test kit...i tested every second day and nitrates didn't lower a tad...maybe 20 ppm then shoot right back up in a few days...

[intarsiabox]

Test your fresh ro/di water with your test kit. The results should read zero. If you are getting any sort of reading then I would say the test kit is faulty. 2lbs of live rock over this amount of time and the number of water changes you have done shouldn't still be adding to your nitrate problem. What was your dry rock source?

[nanoreefnewbie]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

Test your fresh ro/di water with your test kit. The results should read zero. If you are getting any sort of reading then I would say the test kit is faulty. 2lbs of live rock over this amount of time and the number of water changes you have done shouldn't still be adding to your nitrate problem. What was your dry rock source?

I bought the dry and live rock off a fellow can reefer

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by nanoreefnewbie

I'm using the api saltwater mater marine test kit...i tested every second day and nitrates didn't lower a tad...maybe 20 ppm then shoot right back up in a few days...

How long have you had the test? Was it new? Is there an expiry date on it? Has it ever given you a low or "zero" reading at any point?

[coolhandgoose]

Sorry for the confusion. GE makes about 100 different kinds of silicone. The ones you get from Home Depot are the silicone I and II, don't use this. Get the SCS1200 which you get from a contractors store. Or get the stuff from the LFS.

Again sorry for the confusion.

[nanoreefnewbie]

Well here are perimeters again

My unmixed ro water all read zero even nitrates so not faulty or out dated kit...

For saltwater in tank(not in mixing bucket)

Ph 7.8
Ammonia 0.25 ppm (shocked cause been zero for weeks now)
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 40-80ppm
Phosphate 0.5ppm
Temp 78-79 degrees
Sality1.026-.027