Nitrate?

[Cope]

In my 100 gal. the Nitrate is around 5 ppm on my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals salt watter "master" test kit.

Before I was able to maintain the level @ 0? I removed all the large fish,and the bio balls. I removed the bio balls over a period of a few weeks, I think this may have been a mastake as in my set up they were fully underwatter the whole time. Any way their gone now replaced with a DSB and cheto.

Is this an after affect of the removal? I noticed my shrooms srinking and tested the watter to find this.

I did awater change before work, 20 gal aprox. Now test again and the readin is the same or worse? what gives?

I am also not able to raise my PH over 8.0? before work I mixed @ 3 table spoons of ph up and dumped in in the sump. Now after work test reads the same?

any ideas?

My DSB in the main tank is new as well, I removed the old CC (Most)
and added the sand over a two week period. Could this be an after affect of that?

I have been running carbon and changing it out every fer days (4 or 5)

Thanks
Cope

 

[drillsar]

First off that test kit stinks to be honest, use salifert much more accurate. It can be your test kit.

 

[Cope]

Yeah I figured that....I've been using it for @ 4 years, and some of the
solutions are just about out. Ill check out some new ones soon.

What do you think about the PH?

Thanks
Cope

(EDIT) I dont think its the test kit tho, cuz of my shrooms?

 

[drillsar]

Again could be the test kit, I use a digital one for PH much more accurate, I would never ever use anything to raise and/or lower PH with chemicals, it's better to be more stable or figure out why its doing this. What kind of sand did you use? This can affect PH also I may be wrong but I think carbon can affect PH as well

 

[cdangel0]

CC will help buffer the water naturally and keep your PH higher. Depending on location the amount of carbon dioxide in the room can also have an effect.

If the house is closed up for winter, i.e. no open windows, the oxygen levels diminish and carbon dioxide increases, which wil affect PH.

As far as the Nitrates go, it can take a long time for the DSB and cheato to grow enough to keep nitrates to a minimumm BTW 5 ppm is still minimum and noting to panic over, contnue with water changes to bring it down, and then ensure you are continuing regular maintenance, cleaning, and water changes to keep it down.

If you've been using the same test kit for 4 years the solutions are probably old and no longer acurate, and probably haven't been for quite some time, so you may have been getting bad readings for quite a while.

 

[Mavrk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11517339#post11517339 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drillsar
First off that test kit stinks to be honest, use salifert much more accurate. It can be your test kit.

API is a good test kit. Like others, there have been issues with occasional bottle that had wrong sized holes, etc. But if you read up in the Reef Chemisty forum, you will find that API is well regarded. Salifert has had its issues as well.

That being said, it is usually a good idea to get a couple different test kits. I use API for my normal checks, and then get the Salifert out if I notice something is off (or if I haven't used it for a while). This saves me money and gives me peace of mind as well

 

[Cope]

Thanks the two test kits is a good idea.

any thing else I should look into?
Cope

 

[OranguTang]

Have you changed or tested your water source?

 

[Sk8r]

Test alk if you have shriveling shrooms. s/b 8.3-9.3, ph of 7.9-8.3. Those are usually the culprits. Once shrooms start growing , they can deplete nutrients, so keep your 10% weekly water changes coming: salt mix contains the trace elements they need for health.

 

[Cope]

I went out and braved the storm to buy a new test kit, The only one at the LFS was a Mardel Master test kit.... test strips....

So my water is.....

Nitrate....40 ppm

Nitrite... 0 PPM

Total hardness???off the scale... <425 PPM (never tested for this before? I know our watters hard as it comes out of a well - through the tap) Looking for flame suit......

ALK...Off the scale...<300PPM

PH... still @ 8.0

I know I'm a sinner and a bad fish keeper...

I have never had any problems with tap water in the past...
I only grow shrooms as thats all my lights can support.
I use well water and water conditioner and Declor.

I will be getting a RODI soon when $ and GF expense allows.
Thanks
Cope

 

[Cope]

Sand is fine Argonite from the LFS. Sugar size, just got 40 more LBS to day but thinking about waiting a few days before adding it.

Thanks again
Cope

PS please dont burn me for the tap watter, It was hard just to admit that here!

I feel like a kid that just got caught doing something wrong.

 

[rustybucket145]

your sandbed won't start de-nitrifying for a few weeks. You could actually even see a cycle b/c of the way you did things. I believe I would have left the bioballs in place, added the sandbed in the main tank, let it ride for a couple of months then slowly remove the bioballs and add the sandbed in the sump.

I have never had any problems with tap water in the past...

Water sources can change DRASTICALLY in a matter of days. Great water one day could be phosphate rich water the next.... That's why people us RO/DI... it's not necessarily b/c the water's any better than 'some' tap water... it's just that it's consistent. You know you are ALWAYS getting clean water with no contaminants.

 

[Cope]

So just say up on watter changes? What about adding the new sand

It's live sand, for what ever thats worth? It says on the bag to mix the new sand in to the old sand? Is this ok? I would think this is disrupting the DSB?
Thanks
Cope

 

[Cope]

Also are phosphates bad for my shrooms?

 

[Cope]

Back to the top with you.

Sorry for the bump/ not sure of the general rule with bumps here.
this went down to the 2nd page.
sorry to who ever I knock off.
Cope

 

[Cope]

So will phos hurt my shrooms?

Do folks look at the second page?

Bump guide lines?

advice, thanks
Cope

Should I mix in my new sand? w my new older sand? (edit)

 

[Mavrk]

the more you bump, the more hits it looks like you have. The mods try to answer questions that have fewer hits figuring you are receiving less help. Some of us mere mortals are on the West coast and can't answer until after work.

So... don't mix the sand it. Just leave it on top.

Most corals don't like a lot of phosphate. I am not sure about mushrooms. Just how high are your phosphates?

 

[Cope]

My phosphates are off the chart

my algae dose not go crazy, no syano or hare?

I test for Nitrate, Nitrate, Ph, ALk, Ammonia, Calcium.
Mag test kit should show out on tues.
Thanks
Cope

 

[prickles]

phosphates are generally bad. It may not be your problem, but you shouldn't have em anyways. Most ppl seem to run a phospate reactor, and for ~30-$50 you can get that running so why not? I wonder if your phospates are so high, are you doing water changes frequently enough? One thing I found helpful is testing my water change water before I add it. I found several things that were quite surprising in the new water. Most likely it's your water source though.

 

[Cope]

I'm up on watter changes, at least once a week. The watter is high in phos , but no niteate or nitaite. I will look to getting a phos reactor.
Cope