NO3 still high after water change

[Jakepen]

Hey guys, getting ready to add my CUC, possibly a clown. I have about 26gallons of water, did a ten gallon change last night. Checked my trates this morning, and the Red Sea test kit, still reading them above 50. Do I need to change more water? I feel like I should have made a dent in them last night.

 

[justin01]

How long u run for your new tank?more than a month?

 

[TheEngineer]

I'd say your cycle isn't complete if your nitrates are still that high. Have they come down on their own at all? What were they before the water change? What are your other parameters?

 

[Jakepen]

How long u run for your new tank?more than a month?

Been cycling for 3 weeks m. Used bio Spira and pure ammonia. Tank will process 3ppm ammonia down to zero in 24 hours.

 

[Jakepen]

I'd say your cycle isn't complete if your nitrates are still that high. Have they come down on their own at all? What were they before the water change? What are your other parameters?

I'm getting diatoms in the tank, thought that meant the cycle was nearly over? Other parameters are Zero ammonia Zero nitrites, and probably 50 Nitrates.

 

[Jakepen]

I have been dosing around 3ppm of NH3 everyday for about the last week and a half now.

 

[justin01]

When u cycle your new tank is better for you to on the light atleast 12 hours perday...

 

[Jakepen]

Used dry Pukani, that I bleached and gave a acid bath.

 

[brandon429]

A cycle is completed only by the action of ammonia not trite or trate, an opposite claim to last twenty years of aquarium cycling. Not by rule, but by eliminating unneeded tests where time frames rule over any testing errors that extend cycles past known timelines

After amm/0/24 hrs is verified the causes for nitrates remaining are no binding by plants or export, bacterial denitrification (not as mass harvesting) isn't factored because it can't be repeatably harnessed or none of us would require anything but, and if you harness it great job but don't plan on natural denitrification. Nitrate origination points in your tank are the same origination points for ammonia, interestingly. Carbon dosing is common for nitrate export.

Urine breaking down into nitrate primarily, feed breaking down, waste and detritus breaking down, a protein precedes ammonia and nitrate and a digestive action converts them

 

[Lynn52]

When you say they are reading above 50 is that because the upper limit of detection is 50? If that is the case you can't tell if your nitrates are 50 or 500. My suggestion would be to dilute the water with DI water. If you do 1 part tank water and 4 parts DI water it hopefully will give you a reading below 50. If not try a 1:10 dilution (1part tank water 9 parts DI). You can then multiply that reading by 5 (or 10 if you need to dilute more) to get an accurate current concentration of nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have been dosing around 3ppm of NH3 everyday for about the last week and a half now.

I'd stop adding any more ammonia if it is disappearing in a couple of days. That's way more than is needed, and every day you are adding 13 ppm of nitrate.

 

[Jakepen]

I'd stop adding any more ammonia if it is disappearing in a couple of days. That's way more than is needed, and every day you are adding 13 ppm of nitrate.

Last time I dosed was Thursday, just wanted to make sure the bacteria was fed, and indeed doing its job. So I guess I've added a lot of nitrate to the tank than, oops. Like I said, I planned on making the trip to my lfs (70 miles south) to get my CUC. Won't introduce them if my trates are to high though. Would you suggest another ten gallon change, than test again?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Haw many days of 3 ppm did you dose? That will give us an idea how high nitrate actually is.

Can you just take change all (or most) of the water? No need to retest then.

 

[Jakepen]

Haw many days of 3 ppm did you dose? That will give us an idea how high nitrate actually is.

Can you just take change all (or most) of the water? No need to retest then.

Let's see. Out of ten days, Day one, accidentally overdosed, to about 4ppm. Left it until day 4, at this point water tested no ammonia. (This was a week into the cycle after bio Spira, and I haveFiji pink). Day five, dosed to 2-3 ppm, call it 2.5. Day six 2.5, Day seven 2, Day eight did not dose, Day nine dosed 2.5, Day ten nothing, and today is Day eleven. I can change most of the water in the tank. All in the display, the back chambers stay full. Probably three gallons or so back there. It's the innovative marine fusion 30l

 

[Jakepen]

So roughly 15ppm of ammonia in 26 gallons.

 

[twilliard]

Yup change a large amount of that water and good to go!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd change as much as possible in one shot so you are not starting off with elevated nitrate even before feeding any creatures.

 

[Jakepen]

I'd change as much as possible in one shot so you are not starting off with elevated nitrate even before feeding any creatures.

Yup change a large amount of that water and good to go!

Thanks guys!! Have some RODI being made right now. Will change as much as I can take out of the DT.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Good luck!

 

[_Conway]

I'd change as much as possible in one shot so you are not starting off with elevated nitrate even before feeding any creatures.

How low should nitrate be before adding inverts and fish.