Phosphate/Nitrate high

D

drillsar

Active member
I am guessing this is normal since my tank is only been running 28 days. My Nitrate is 40ppm and Phosphate is 0.14.

I am using API for Nitrate and Hanna Phosphate Checker for phosphates. I am guessing though my phosphates probably are likely 0.28. I am guessing I should do at least a 15 gallon water change on my 75. Would that bring levels down or should I do more of a water change? I am experiencing hair algae and like goldish/brownish stuff on sand and rocks
 
Yes you are seeing these numbers and algae because you have a very new tank.
You can do a water change, but expect numbers to stay up until your tank is established.
Did you start with live or dry rock and sand and how much?
 
yes dry rock 50lbs, 70 lbs of dry sand. I am going to add 15lbs of live sand and 30lbs of live rock this week from TBS.
 
Ok I did a 15 gallon water change and tested for phosphates with my hanna checker. The test turned blue and never seen that before. Now I am getting a reading of 2.50 which I think is impossible. Maybe I did it wrong?
 
Ok I also added phos-zorb to tank. I tested again and made sure bottle was cleaned. I shook the bottle for 2 minutes now it reads 0.00. Obviously I did something wrong the 1st time.
 
Ok slow down for a minute....
If you had dry rock and sand, what did you use to start the cycle in your tank?
And you probably didn't do any damage with the water change so dont worry about that.
Let's go back and talk about how your cycle happened...
 
I added pure ammonia to tank. I checked to see if I indeed cycled by adding more ammonia to water and in 24hrs no more ammonia was present as well as Nitrite was 0. That will tell me I cycled correct?
 
Add Ammonia to cycle???

Sound pretty extreme to me but that doesn't mean anything. I am still pretty new here. I cycled the old fashioned way, live rock and live sand. Added Bio Spira. Week later, started ghost feeding. After 2 weeks, started testing every other day and watched everything cycle, one right after the other. 3 weeks, done deal, did about 15% water change.
Won't you get a mini cycle adding live sand and rock if you have not completely cycled?

Again, I am pretty new, but that's what I gather after reading and LFS.
 
Capt.Nemo said:
Add Ammonia to cycle???

Sound pretty extreme to me but that doesn't mean anything. I am still pretty new here. I cycled the old fashioned way, live rock and live sand. Added Bio Spira. Week later, started ghost feeding. After 2 weeks, started testing every other day and watched everything cycle, one right after the other. 3 weeks, done deal, did about 15% water change.
Won't you get a mini cycle adding live sand and rock if you have not completely cycled?

Again, I am pretty new, but that's what I gather after reading and LFS.
Click to expand...

Pure ammonia is the easiest and fastest way to cycle a tank(You dont have to wait for a shrimp or food to breakdown first). Totally normal, and not extreme at all.

Adding LR or LS to an already established tank, might cause a mini cycle, might not. It all depends on how much die off from the LR or LS you have when transporting. That is what will determine if you get a mini cycle or not.
 
You might want to put the tbs rock in a bucket of heated salt water with a powerhead for a day or so and check ammonia before you add it to the tank. It's possible some of the live stuff on it will die in transport, and curing it separately this way will keep that dead stuff from spiking ammonia in your tank and killing your CUC.
 
Capt.Nemo said:
but that's what I gather after reading and LFS.
Click to expand...

Take advise from the LFS with a grain of salt. I'm sure he's probably "your guy" and you trust him because he has 50 years in the business, but his number one priority was selling you a bottle of Bio-spira. I have this fight with by Brother-in-law. "His guy" at the fish store told him that the leafy algae growing in his tank was a sign that he was doing the right things. everything's happy. "His guy" only cares about selling him God knows what chemicals when the briopsis becomes intolerable.

Listen to the guy at the fish store, but always verify anything he says. And never buy water from him without testing it first. "My guy" sold me 25 gallons of freshly made salt water that turned out really had nitrate readings of over 80 and who knows what else from his tank. I am still suspect that that is where my ich outbreak came from.

(DISCLAIMER: nothing wrong with Bio-Spira, it's a quality product!)
 
Justintegra said:
Take advise from the LFS with a grain of salt. I'm sure he's probably "your guy" and you trust him because he has 50 years in the business, but his number one priority was selling you a bottle of Bio-spira. I have this fight with by Brother-in-law. "His guy" at the fish store told him that the leafy algae growing in his tank was a sign that he was doing the right things. everything's happy. "His guy" only cares about selling him God knows what chemicals when the briopsis becomes intolerable.

Listen to the guy at the fish store, but always verify anything he says. And never buy water from him without testing it first. "My guy" sold me 25 gallons of freshly made salt water that turned out really had nitrate readings of over 80 and who knows what else from his tank. I am still suspect that that is where my ich outbreak came from.

(DISCLAIMER: nothing wrong with Bio-Spira, it's a quality product!)
Click to expand...

that's why I posted, "what I read and LFS".

I have trust issues and OCD. I always try and do my homework. the Bio Spira was not his suggestion, doesn't even sell, but was a suggestion from YouTube and backed up by other forums. when I was switching from fresh to salt, he even suggested, rather than price matching, that I go to Amazon for some stuff. come to think of it, I don't even think I have ever spent more than $50 in his store but once or twice in 6+ months.

I pretty much trust him, but if I sense any hesitation in answers or advice, I get 3-4 other opinions, then I go with gut and concrete evidence.

thanks for responding though, I do go along with your advice. hobby is too expensive to trust just 1 individual.
 
what i did with my lfs guy is i ask him a few question i already know the answer too. if he answer them correctly and honestly i trust him for answer i dont know the question too
 
drillsar said:
Ok I also added phos-zorb to tank. I tested again and made sure bottle was cleaned. I shook the bottle for 2 minutes now it reads 0.00. Obviously I did something wrong the 1st time.
Click to expand...

So the second time you did the test it didn't turn blue? I'm asking because i am having the same issue but it seems that every test I do it turns blue and comes in between 1.7 and 2.5! I added seachem phosguard but no real change. The funny thing is my reading went up 1 full point after i did a 40% water change! Something must be wrong.
 
No the second time I tested it didn't turn blue. Make sure you wear gloves can alter the test. My understanding if phosphates really high it will turn blue. Did you check to see if they are expired? I wish they would work on a liquid reagent instead. Also make sure you gently mix it for 2 minutes.
 
On another note I am getting the TBS package and I think will be ok maybe a mini cycle. I checked my ammonia levels and 0.
 
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