Waaay too high nitrates after my cycle

[lg2725]

So I started cycling my tank with pure ammonia about 3 weeks ago. I kept my ammonia at 2ppm then on day 10 it went from 2 to 0 within 24 hours. Great right? Tank cycled. My problem is my nitrates. I can not seem to get it down below 50+ppm(my Red Sea test kit only goes to 50). Even my nitrites are a pure red color that isn't even on the spectrum. I have a 120 gallon DT with a 75 gallon basement sump (approx 55 gallons of actual water in that). I have done (3) 40 gallon water changers and these numbers are still high. I used Instant Ocean reef crystals, 110 lbs of acid washed dried "live" rock and 120 lbs of Caribsea Ocean Direct live sand. Just keep at the water changes or......? Sg level at 1.025.
Thanks all.
Ron

 

[billdogg]

If you still have nitrites, as well as nitrates, then your cycle really ant done yet. When nitrites hit 0 then do a few large water changes to bring down the nitrates.

 

[vhuang168]

If you still have nitrites, as well as nitrates, then your cycle really ant done yet. When nitrites hit 0 then do a few large water changes to bring down the nitrates.

+1

The nitrate problem was keeping ammonia at 2ppm for 10 days. I'm assuming you meant dosing ammonia to keep it at 2ppm till it processed in 1 day which took you 10 days.

The way I do it is to dose ammonia to 2ppm once. Wait till it is gone, then wait for nitrites to be processed to nitrates.
At that point, dose again to 2ppm and see if it is processed from ammonia to nitrates in 24hrs. If it does, you are cycled.
If not, wait till 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites the. Redo dosing to 2ppm. Rinse repeat till ammonia to nitrates takes only 24hr.


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[spicytofu]

you finished the fist stage, ammonia. Now you need to wait a few weeks for the 2nd stage, which is nitrites. Nitrates will take a long time so I just used a phosban reactor and put some seachem denitrate with a low flow. That took care of nitrates. Whole process took about 6 weeks.

 

[billdogg]

IMHO, using anything to artificially lower the nitrites probably isn't the best idea.

My reasoning is this:

By removing the Nitrites in such a manner, you make it harder for the denitrifying bacteria to establish and therefore slow down the whole process of having a well established, balanced tank

 

[lg2725]

Thanks for the responses. I am also in the belief that "artificially" speeding up the process won't help in the long term. I guess it's just water changes and patience for awhile.

 

[gone fishin]

If you have nitrites then the nitrate test can give you a false reading as well. I would not even check on the nitrates till the nitrites are gone.

 

[JodiM]

I sort of in the same boat.. Nitrates are higher than what I think they should be but everything else is fine.. I'm left pondering what is going on...

 

[Socalx45]

im in the same boat as well. Have had my 125g tank for over 5 months and my nitrates have been 50! I have done 20% water changes every 2-3 weeks. Started GFO and and carbon reactor. Now I have started NOPOX dosing. I don't think I have the worlds greatest skimmer, SCA 302, which seems to pull out a lot of stuff. Its only been 3 days of dosing and so far my nitrates haven't budged.

 

[lg2725]

I'm going to stick with 25% water changes every other day and see how I fare a week later.

 

[thegrun]

You want to get your nitrites below 8ppm, then stop with the water changes. High levels of either ammonia or nitrites will slow down the cycle, but once you are below 8ppm just let nature take it from there, no more water changes until the cycle is complete.

 

[lg2725]

Ammonia has been at zero for a bit. I redosed pure ammonia when I thought my cycled stalled but ammonia levels were zero within 18 hours after that. Lots of water changes for me I guess.:fun2: