Fighting High Nitrates

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by raisemyrent

that make sense, but I can't match the temperature, so I'd induce temperature shock... maybe if I free up or buy a container and remove the heater from my tank temporarily onto the new water and go like that...

I'll try it... otherwise, I'm stuck to 20% daily or so

I don't do this but I have read others who have. Take a couple of cups of mixed saltwater and nuke it in the microwave then use the hot water to raise the temp of your new mix.

[i have crabs]

Originally Posted by Snaz

I don't do this but I have read others who have. Take a couple of cups of mixed saltwater and nuke it in the microwave then use the hot water to raise the temp of your new mix.

i think i remember reading that you should never microwave saltwater, not shure the reason though.


10ppm dont sweat it, 2g water change would leave you with about 8ppm of nitrate, on a tank that size just do more waterchanges if your really concerned,

[raisemyrent]

thanks for the rpelies. I now crank up the heat in my apartment and let the mix sit for a bit (if it is fresh RO water it is cold)... it's very near tank temperature and it doesn't shock the system (the heater goes on but it goes down like haklf a degree).

I changed out just over 4 gallons (4 imperial gallons) yesterday and then tested for nitrate... my alkalinity was low before too but I dosed baking soda and the new water should help so I didn't test. Nitrate was now 2.5ppm... which means it had gone down by itself (I had changed 2 gallons from 10ppm, so mayb I had left it at 8 minimum)... which is a good sign. I am also still fighting cyano (purple), but it comes off easily and I have patience... just the other day I was remembering my green algae bloom a bit back and figured, this cyano thing doesn't stand a chance...

last but not least, I found a green algae patch in the back of one of my rocks, like the area of a cigarette pack, can't believe I hadn't seen it... I syphoned the long parts of it out, but then looked at it, and it looked back at me, and I nodded my head, and it nodded back...