Extremely high nitrates? Like over 100 PPM

[Crested]

Hey all, I recently set up my first saltwater tank and am using uncured dry rock and a little bit of pure ammonia to cycle the tank. I got the ammonia to a little about 1.5 ppm and let it do it's thing. I went to test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates today and noticed that my nitrates are over 100 ppm. My ammonia went down to about 0.5 ppm and my nitrites are at about 2 ppm. I knew that uncured dry rock releases nitrates but I guess I didn't realize how much it would release. Then I did some research and saw that if there are nitrites in the water it can mess with the nitrate reading. So I was wondering what I should do. Should I do a water change to lower the nitrates? Or should I let it run its course and wait for the ammonia and nitrites to be at 0? Could the nitrites be throwing off my reading by that much? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Hemmdog]

Hey all, I recently set up my first saltwater tank and am using uncured dry rock and a little bit of pure ammonia to cycle the tank. I got the ammonia to a little about 1.5 ppm and let it do it's thing. I went to test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates today and noticed that my nitrates are over 100 ppm. My ammonia went down to about 0.5 ppm and my nitrites are at about 2 ppm. I knew that uncured dry rock releases nitrates but I guess I didn't realize how much it would release. Then I did some research and saw that if there are nitrites in the water it can mess with the nitrate reading. So I was wondering what I should do. Should I do a water change to lower the nitrates? Or should I let it run its course and wait for the ammonia and nitrites to be at 0? Could the nitrites be throwing off my reading by that much? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

If your using an API test kit it won’t be accurate at all. What are you using

 

[Crested]

If your using an API test kit it won’t be accurate it all. What are you using

Yeah it's API

 

[Hemmdog]

Yeah it's API

I won’t worry about it then. Just give your tank time to do it’s thing.

 

[Unskilled Reefer]

Start with taking a sample of your water to you LFS and have them test it.

 

[Hemmdog]

The api nitrate test kit leaves a lot of room for error too with the shaking both bottles at the same time, adding drops then shake then more drops. I usually bring a water sample to my LFS weekly which I trust and they do a full panel for me . I usually gift them a salifert test kit of their choosing once a month as tribute. I do keep a salifert alk test kit at home since that’s the only thing that really varies at all in my tank, and only +-0.5 variances.

 

[Shep]

Start with taking a sample of your water to you LFS and have them test it.

Eh, this can be helpful but if they also use an API kit, then the results are likely to be the same. I would either give your tank time and then retest or buy a different brand and compare results

 

[mta_morrow]

I think API tests are just fine to use while cycling your tank.

Wait till ammonia and nitrite read zero then test your nitrates.

Once you are reading zero on ammonia and nitrite and are reading nitrates, perform an appropriately sized WC to get your nitrates where you want them to be

 

[rkpetersen]

You're probably not at 100, although still high. Rocks won't generally release much nitrate but some will release phosphate. Cycling in-tank rather than separately in a container with water you can throw away entirely will usually give you elevated nitrate at first. Wait til nitrite is 0, and then test nitrate with either the Nyos or Red Sea test kit.

 

[Crested]

Thanks everyone for the help, I'll let it do it's thing and test again when ammonia and nitrites are at 0. I planned on doing a 100% water change when the cycle is finished anyway so it should all work out