Nitrate

[kwandrsn]

Gregory I'm in the same boat so to speak (funny thing is I am sitting on a tugboat as I type this lol)
I have been stressing and bought nitrate reducing pads and purigen and have wasted a lot of salt a week as well. I have heard the 4.4 thing before but nobody could confirm it all I got was suggestions on spending $40 on a different test.

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[Gregory]

Kwandrsn I agree it has been a unnecessary expense just because I did not read the testing tips. I wish API would put this under important note or something. Or label their test total nitrate or something to indicate it is different from all of the other nitrate test kits. But I was glad to find out that my nitrates are right where I want them to be.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Here is whats weird then. If my API tests out at 0 Nitrates, what the heck are the others reading then? :squigglemouth:

 

[Gregory]

I think if you are at zero or near zero it will still read zero. But if you are at 1 ppm then it reads 4.4 or if you are at 2 it reads 8.8 and so on. I know I tested the same water with 3 different kits and 2 showed the same results of 4-5 ppm while the API kit showed 20 ppm. This was when I started questioning the results.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I think if you are at zero or near zero it will still read zero. But if you are at 1 ppm then it reads 4.4 or if you are at 2 it reads 8.8 and so on. I know I tested the same water with 3 different kits and 2 showed the same results of 4-5 ppm while the API kit showed 20 ppm. This was when I started questioning the results.

I know my API reads wrong, because my Cheato and Caulpera doesn't grow.

 

[kwandrsn]

Ok new test results
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ph 8.0
Salt 1.025
Temp 76.9
Calcium 380
Kh 8
Phosphates 0-0.25

Only changes from last week is the temp lowered cause I changed from pcs to leds I turned it up a notch
Kh lowered from 9 to 8


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[Reefing Madness]

Calcium low, and ALK lil low. But

 

[kwandrsn]

Yeah I have been putting 2 caps of code a a day and it doesn't seem to raise my calcium up any

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[Reefing Madness]

Try Kent Liquid Calcium or Brightwell Calcion.

 

[mando123]

my biocube is about 4 YEARS old n i always had nitrates at 20 ppms never went down for a reason i have always made my water changes n for some reason they never went down till just a couple of days ago after 4 freaken years.... i did a 50% water change and added a phosphate reactor and baam it worked out for me just like magic my water is perfect for the first time i got 0 ppms of nitrates YES!! plz every one dont ever ever run a reef tank with out a phosphate reactor plz!!

 

[kwandrsn]

I'm about out of code a so which one is better iyo? Also should I start dosing with code b? I have a whole bottle of it haven't needed it our should I wait to see if it stays at 8

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[kwandrsn]

Mando, what were you running in the reactor.

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[Reefing Madness]

I don't dose the Codes, maybe someone else can answer that one. As far as the Calcium goes, thats up to you I've used em both and they both run up the numbers pretty quick.

 

[kwandrsn]

I work a lot I just need the easiest way possible

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[fragmatic]

If you have to be gone a lot one good way to keep your alk and calc levels is to purchase a doser and dose parts 1 & 2 (code a & b, whatever) according to instructions. Dose them to different parts of your tank and at different times of the day. You will also need to keep them mixed. The right way to handle that is to install a little cheap air pump and a timer and bubble the dose bottles a couple times a day lightly. There are now some less expensive dosers on the market out of China. ..........Or DIY a doser set.

I dose five products.

Here is a 3 station doser for $150.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MC-03-M-Dos...467?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d3a694abb

 

[kwandrsn]

I'm home every day I'm just away from the house 15 hours a day

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[Reefing Madness]

Thats enough time to throw something into the tank. You only need to test once a week, unless you have a labor intensive SPS tank. I test and dose on the same day, but when you do this enough, you figure out whats needed on a weekly basis, and it comes down to routine.

 

[kwandrsn]

We I've been adding code a on a daily basis. I test about once a week. Water changes about once a week but I'm going to cut back on the size of the water changes now that I know 20 nitrates isn't too bad. Its at 20 right now but I've got the weekend off now so I'm trying to wait so I can start doing them on weekends instead of Wednesdays

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[Reefing Madness]

 

[fragmatic]

Is it possible there is something dead in your tank somewhere you can't see?

20 nitrates is horrid... it needs to be down under .2 at least IMO. Unless I've missed something in my old age.