Nitrates still high after 50% water change

[ReefingwithO]

My bet is on the sand from the old established tank - all the dead or dying microfauna from the move could be causing the continual high nitrate reading.

 

[sparky727]

That’s what I was thinking is the problem! So I just removed it all and put new sand in. Nitrates way down. Gonna do my scape when tank clears up and will test again. Hopefully just my sand.

 

[Lasse]

We will see - please come back with reports. Have you use the same salt brand ?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[sparky727]

Yes Red Sea. Will post update tonight once rock is in and tank clears up. Fingers crossed!

 

[Lasse]

Note that you now have a non cycled tank again.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[sparky727]

Yes I understand that. When do you think is safe to check or ammonia and nitrite? I should have bacteria on my rocks after being in there a month. And I got Carib sea direct ocean sand

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes I understand that. When do you think is safe to check or ammonia and nitrite? I should have bacteria on my rocks after being in there a month. And I got Carib sea direct ocean sand

It's never unsafe to check.

 

[sparky727]

Ok. Still waiting for tank to clear gonna add rock then will check all parameters.

 

[sparky727]

With the new sand and my old rock I was using... I’m going to have to go get a new source of ammonia for the cycle? What do you guys recommend, dosing ammonia, go get a raw shrimp, get seachem stability?

 

[rkpetersen]

I would use Tim's ammonium chloride, because there's no dosing guesswork involved, and Fritz TurboStart 900, because it's the only bottled bacteria shown to work fast.

 

[sparky727]

I would use Tim's ammonium chloride, because there's no dosing guesswork involved, and Fritz TurboStart 900, because it's the only bottled bacteria shown to work fast.

Ok thank you.