Test levels

[rob92]

When I tested my tank and everything was at 0 (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) I decided to go and get a turbo snail to clean all the algae off the tank. I did the process of slowly adding my tank water to the lfs water in the bag to level out the levels for the snail then I put the snail in the tank. I then took my two clowns and put them back into the tank the same night. This morning when I checked my levels ph went up .1 and nitrate went from 0 to 20ppm. Is this from adding all three back to the tank at once?

 

[mike007]

Looks to me that you have nitrates and possibly phosphates. What test kit are you using? To have these algae problems you have excess nutrients in water column.You might take a water sample to lfs and have them double check your water.

 

[rob92]

I'm using the API master test kit for saltwater and as for the perspire the only one close is petco and they use test strips the next one is that pet place which is 1.5 hours from me

 

[rob92]

Pet store not the other word I said lol

 

[mike007]

I would not trust that kit. You can order from online retailers such as Drs. Foster &Smith and get a good test kit from Redsea or Seachem. What are you using for filtration? Like i stated before nitrate, algae problems are caused by excess nutrients usually caused by overfeeding. Also what lighting are you using?

 

[rob92]

Not trying to sound rude but the API liquid test kit is preferred by like 98% of the people I talk to. Now with that being said that May be the only thing they use and swear by but I'm always open to new info. I'll look into the one you said and compare it to the results I he with API. And also I thought algae was good it meant the end of the cycle and as for lighting I'm using 2 t5 bulbs that are 15 watt full spectrum

 

[rob92]

And as for filtration as you can see I have live rock about 10 pounds and 10 pounds of live sand mixed with regular black sand along with 2 hob filters one is a 5-15 gallon and the other is 10-20 gallon

 

[glb]

Not trying to sound rude but the API liquid test kit is preferred by like 98% of the people I talk to. Now with that being said that May be the only thing they use and swear by but I'm always open to new info. I'll look into the one you said and compare it to the results I he with API. And also I thought algae was good it meant the end of the cycle and as for lighting I'm using 2 t5 bulbs that are 15 watt full spectrum

API may be very common (I started with it), but it really isn't very accurate. With a saltwater tank you need more precise readings than a 20ppm range for nitrates, for example. The 0-20ppm range is very important for saltwater and you want to know exactly what your number is. I also found the ph test to be inaccurate once I got a ph meter. No one's trying to knock your tests. It's just that we want to see you succeed. I changed to better tests and my tank is healthier as a result. Good luck!

 

[CKI]

I am using the last of my API kit .... upon purchasing, half the test in my kit were inaccurate, however that is all my LFS sold. So he swapped em out. With that being said, as soon as i am done with this kit, i will NOT purchase another API kit. Do yourself the favor and get your water checked by someone else or just order a much better kit online. I will be making the switch to Salifert. I do know lots of people using Red Sea and love them.

 

[rob92]

Well I might use the rest of the test up for the 15 gallon tank but I do want to set up a 55 gallon within a few years and I do want coral in there so what brand liquid test would you all say I should get for that tank or what electronic test should I get?

 

[CKI]

Well I might use the rest of the test up for the 15 gallon tank but I do want to set up a 55 gallon within a few years and I do want coral in there so what brand liquid test would you all say I should get for that tank or what electronic test should I get?

Liquid - Salifert or RedSea
Electronic - Hannah

 

[rob92]

Also with the snail I have once he eats all the algae will they eat algae wafers. I know it's algae but will the eat it in wafer form

 

[rob92]

Ok I'm slowly buying things for the 55 set up since I dot have the money for it right now

 

[glb]

Well I might use the rest of the test up for the 15 gallon tank but I do want to set up a 55 gallon within a few years and I do want coral in there so what brand liquid test would you all say I should get for that tank or what electronic test should I get?

Nitrates-Salifert. Red Sea for ca and mg
Hanna checkers for alk and phosphorus.

 

[larangcon]

My recommendation is to take your tank water sample to your LFS, Nitrate and Phosphate has to be high judging by the look of your tank, once you have the result then you can plan your next step. I also used API in the beginning and it did well for me, until I started progressing to more high end corals where the demand for accuracy is a must this is when I changed to Salifert and Hanna.

 

[rob92]

My recommendation is to take your tank water sample to your LFS, Nitrate and Phosphate has to be high judging by the look of your tank, once you have the result then you can plan your next step. I also used API in the beginning and it did well for me, until I started progressing to more high end corals where the demand for accuracy is a must this is when I changed to Salifert and Hanna.

I already said that I can't really do that lol

 

[kingsofke]

Right now the tank is still cycling so these fluctuations are not uncommon. Clowns and snail don't increase nitrate. It's the food you would be feeding them that will so it. Clown eat a lot and poop a lot and hence two of ten might be two much for a small immature system. On the other hand they have high nitrate tolerance and could survive a tank cycle.

Next time don't drip acclimate any snail. It could kill them due to rise in ammonia (read on reef cleaners for details ). Float the bag to acclimate them to temp and then just pick them out and drop in the tank.

HOB filters will become a constant source for nitrate production and will make it hard for controlling algae. Convert the filters into a Refugium or ditch them. You did the right thing in buying a turbo snail.

For long term nitrate control your options are. Either daily 10% or weekly 50% water change. Or hOB skimmer or Refugium with macro algae growth. Likely two of three.

Have fun and take it slow.

 

[rob92]

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Next time don't drip acclimate any snail. It could kill them due to rise in ammonia (read on reef cleaners for details ). Float the bag to acclimate them to temp and then just pick them out and drop in the tank.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry I know I'm new this but dripping is the best way because if what you said about the rise of ammonia is true which it is then you want to drip so they slowly become used to the new water conditions rather then just temp like you said. That way you don't just hit them at once with the new ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate along with the sudden change in salinity.

 

[kingsofke]

It would have made sense to you if you would have read the source I mentioned. It is not the ammonia in tank which kills snail. If you have ammonia in tank you should not be putting in a snail in the first place. Snail would be releasing ammonia in the water they come in which becomes neutralized by dropping temp of the transport water and because the water is not breathing. Once you start dropping warmer tank water the ammonia becomes more toxic that's already in the bag and increases as the water starts breathing. Details on reef cleaners website.

 

[adinel]

One issue with the test kit is it might be to old, over time (even faster if the lids are left off) drip test lose their accuracy. The humidity will slowly change the reagents in the bottle giving you an inaccurate reading