Dang nitrates

ducks4rob · Jul 28, 2018

Moved a 90g about 3 hours away. Set back up but put fish in qt. DT is off the chart with nitrates. Did 50% WC and still off the charts. Tests look like Kool Aid. Tank was up 7 years before I moved it. Kept live rock and 25% sand that I washed. Lots of pods and bristleworms in tank. No fish yet. Skimmer running hard and 120lbs. Live rock. 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite. Same reading on both salifert and api tests. Any advice, probable cause, or recommendations? 40 gallon sump with live rock in it.

Flippers4pups · Jul 28, 2018

ducks4rob said:
Moved a 90g about 3 hours away. Set back up but put fish in qt. DT is off the chart with nitrates. Did 50% WC and still off the charts. Tests look like Kool Aid. Tank was up 7 years before I moved it. Kept live rock and 25% sand that I washed. Lots of pods and bristleworms in tank. No fish yet. Skimmer running hard and 120lbs. Live rock. 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite. Same reading on both salifert and api tests. Any advice, probable cause, or recommendations? 40 gallon sump with live rock in it.

Possibly N03 locked in your rock was released when disturbed and/or a mini cycle happened because of a little die off of bacteria.

KrisReef · Jul 28, 2018

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-a-1-25-jar-of-mayo-helped-solve-my-nutrient-issues.427976/

I just read an interesting solution on here.

ducks4rob · Jul 29, 2018

Mayo reactor! Guessing I had more die off than I thought. Or, I'm great at cultivating nitrates.

KrisReef · Jul 29, 2018

ducks4rob said:
Mayo reactor! Guessing I had more die off than I thought. Or, I'm great at cultivating nitrates.

Where are your phosphates at?
I have a barrel of rock I am curing, that rock leaches P. I have chaeto in the barrel, a light, and I add nitrate when it gets low to keep the chaeto growing, and hopefully binding P along the way.