need help reading Salifert nitrate kit/pictures

[Joezreef]

ok here is the reading on my kit any help appreciated...its really dark! I think its very high...anyone with the salifer kit please help...I have a bunch of very BIG fish a few 14" in a 300 gallon system....lmk...I just started mb7 2 weeks ago and 2 days into vodka...do you think it will bring my nitrates down?

 

[Joezreef]

am I reading this right? my corals have good pe just the growth is slow?

 

[akma]

I'm gonna go with 100!

 

[Joezreef]

do you have a salifert kit? is this what yours looks like????I have been running purigan for 3 weeks and it seems to not come down????were is Marvin when you need him...lol

 

[Ike]

If you're not at 100, you're dang close. Yes, I do have a Salifert nitrate kit, though not sure why it matters...

 

[Angels 2010]

i have a salifert nitrate kit and that definitely between 50 and 100. What were your nitrates before you started MB7 and vodka?

 

[Acroholic]

I have a Salifert Nitrate test kit, and it looks like you are between 50-100, closer to the 100 side. Your comment on Purigen is confusing. It is an adsorption media, and while it can remove organics, it would only be part of the picture to reduce nitrates. You need to remove/regenerate Purigen to burn off the organics, or they will decompose like any other organics if you just leave them in the water long term. Remember, any mechanical filtration needs to be removed and cleaned to actually pull the organics from the system. Not sure if Purigen qualifies as mechanical or chemical filtration.

For long term nitrate control I'd suggest several things in addition to your vodka dosing:
-increased water changes
-limit feedings
-skim wetter
-filter socks for water entering your sump that you clean regularly.
-regularly remove and replace (or regenerate for Purigen) any GAC or similar filter media

I have a 300 gallon net system and I also use a Midwest Aquatic Sulfur Denitrator, which may or may not be something you want to mess with. It is not an inexpensive option.

My nitrates are 0, and I do all the things I suggested above.
Dave

 

[rock_lobster]

That is incredibly high for a 300 gallon tank to have 100ppm of nitrates you could start a fertilizer factory. The best solution is to get a fuge packed with tons of gracilliara. I have a 40 gallon packed with fish and coral that I feed extremely heavily and my nitrates are never over 0. Also you need a monster skimmer.

 

[ca2or]

What is "gracilliara"?

 

[Paul_N]

What is "gracilliara"?

It's a type of macro. Fish like tangs and foxface go crazy for it. IDK how effective it is for N and P reduction. It doesn't grow well with high levels of either.

 

[seaweed88]

With that kit you do not look thru the side of the container until you are below 10ppm. And then you divide the number by 10 for ppm. So if it looks like 100 thru the side you are at 10 ppm. You look like you are at the limit of the test.

 

[xrayrider]

I could never get my nitrates down until I started using a deep sand bed, no matter what I did. I increased my sand from 2 - 3 inches deep, to 6 - 7 inches deep. This allows bacteria to establish that can only live in areas with near zero oxygen. My nitrates have always been zero since I added a deep sand bed. I quit testing because it was always zero.

 

[benny z]

wow - i have never seen a sali nitrate kit get that dark.

i second acroholic's suggestions. sounds like we subscribe to very similar theory - heavy wet skimming, filter socks requently changed, gfo/carbon, regular water changes, and controlled feeding. i also blow off my rocks regularly and use a dsb on top of this.

good luck.

- ben

 

[Joezreef]

My sand bed is very deep....I have cut back on feeding some, although I have some very big fish that like to eat! I do have a sponge in the tank to catch any detrius(should I remove it) I clean it out every few days? I do 30 gallon weekly water changes. I replace the purigan every 30 days or when I see it turn colors. The carbon is changed every month! I have an attached 75 gallon refugium that houses many Ocellaris(we raise them). I will work on the above and see If I can get them down! Any other options?

 

[Joezreef]

I just started wet skimming some also. should I wet skim 24/7? I have done this in the past but seems it causes problem?(some sps to bleach)

 

[benny z]

how old is the system?

 

[Joezreef]

4 years old....Id say my biggest problem is 9 tangs! ouch

 

[benny z]

ah, yes - i've seen your tank before.

the vodka will undoubtably knock it, but i suspect that you will see some bleaching or at least lightening issues with your sps from the sudden change. if it were my system i would probably be doing some very large water changes to try to get it down. if it is at 100ppm, doing a 50% water change will drop it to 50ppm. then another 50% water change a day or two later will drop it to 25ppm. at that point it should be managable with reduced feedings. i would suspect your dsb is not as healthy as it could be...if it was working as it should be, there would be 0 nitrates. has the sand become hard/clumpy?

*also - how old is your test kit?

 

[Joezreef]

The sand is hard in spots......I had been feeding 10-12 cubs a day to my fish along with some other stuff....so Im sure most of this is my fault! The test kit is new just received it! Im kinda scared to do a 50% wc? don't want to shock the system any?

 

[benny z]

10-12 cubes / day is just INSANE!!!

as long as you use the same salt, match sg, temp, and alk, you should be fine... i run my system at the same alk/calc/mag levels as the salt i use so that when i do water changes nothing changes...

i'd also start removing clumpy areas of the sand, a little bit at a time, and replacing it with new. might also be a good idea to get some scoops of sand from trusted friends to refresh the bio life every 6 months or so...