Re: Nitrates have me baffeled

"hh" <sharonnsub@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:15adnQXJf54LF7HZnZ2dnUVZ_umdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I need to move my 180gal tank due to some remodeling. I have setup a 55gal tank to hold 5 fish and the live rock. I used RO water, added salt, put a new bag of CaribSea SuperReef Sand (after rinsing). I put 6 oz of sand from the 180gal tank to move some bacteria and other animals to the new sand. I move a Fluval 303 filter from the 180gal tank to the 55gal tank.
When I tested the water I am shocked to see - Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80, Ph 8.2, SG 1.022. I did not expect the Nitrate to be that high. I have tested it 3 times and using 2 kits.

How long this tank is running since you set it up?
How big and what kind are the fish you have?
How often and how much do you feed your fish?

0 ammonia and nitrites show the cycle (if any) is over...
If this is fresh set up there must be a source of
nitrates contamination without them being generated
by bacteria from ammonia and nitrites.

Have you verified your nitrate test? Old tests like to be tilting to the high side, i.e. you could have only 20mg/l

Have you tested RO water before mixing with salt ?
You could have broken/leaking membrane and lots of nitrates in tap water...

Have you tested salt water after mixing, before puting to tank?
You could contaminated salt mix with nitrates in the salt...

How clean was the sand? If it had some organic impurities
they can be source of nitrates/phosphates... I have used
southdown fine sand and it had a lot of organics in it...
There was A LOT of ammonia and then nitrites weeks after
puting it to the tank.

Moving live rock from tank to tank and exposing some animals to air
(encrusting sponges?) or just crushing them between the rocks can
cause massive death to animals, and source for your nitrates.

Basically, you need to do more investigation and collect more date
to know what was going on in the tank...
.

Relevant Pages

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