Nitrate >160ppm with awesome SPS ??

[eskymick]

I purchased a new Nitrate test kit for a friend and I thought I'd try it out on my reef water. To my shock and surprise, the nitrate level in my SPS reef is >160ppm. Is that possible?

I first tested at the low range, and then at the high. It's still off the chart!

My SPS corals show great growth and great color and I have no issues with nuisance algae. In fact, the chaeto in my fuge grows only at a snail's pace.

I'm perplexed.

 

[Stolireef]

Sounds like a bad test kit. I'd verify with another kit.

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[marthin]

Have seen a system last year with off the scale nitrates and even worse phosphate.. the corals.. the most colourfull ever. What makes it more amazing, there is no auto top-up, no reactor, dosing is as-and-when by hand.. truely amazing what some systems are like.
If your corals are great. .stop the worry and put some pics up for us to enjoy.
A few years ago I heard some great advise:
Look at your tank first before you worry about test kit numbers, more corals are killed by these number than by certain parameters

 

[Stolireef]

A few years ago I heard some great advise:
Look at your tank first before you worry about test kit numbers, more corals are killed by these number than by certain parameters

Plus 1 on this. I can almost always tell if the tank parameters are out of whack by looking at the corals. The test kits are usually used for confirmation and the occasional double check.

That said, while there are exceptions, nitrates that are truly that high would at least give me some cause for concern.

 

[dvanacker]

I wouldnt think is possible.....

 

[eskymick]

Duhhh ... I made the same mistake twice in testing!! The actual tested value is closer to 6ppm.

 

[Stolireef]

Had a funny feeling. Glad you caught it.

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