Fighting High Nitrates

[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...