Nitrate Tests

[Crazy fishes]

I have been battling a nitrate level of 20ppm for the pass few days and after 45 liters of fresh mix RO water I have apparently not made any impact on the reading. I was surprised as I thought that I would have reduced the concentration by 50% ish so I have just validated the API nitrate test using RO water. I have a result of 20ppm so either the shop I am getting the RO water from is selling me tap water or the test is faulty again!!! I believe that it is the latter since I checked the Kh of the RO water and it is less than 1 degree (note the area where I live known to have notoriously hard water; Gh of around 15+). I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to do next. I am some what loss at this point??!! My GSP still hasn't emerged from its soft skeleton-ish form and the other chemistry is bang on - textbook stuff. ?? Any help please...... SH Ski anybody......

Regards

 

[BigC]

Have you a lot of decaying organic material in the tank, overfeeding or does your filter need cleaning.(if you are using one). I would purchase your own RO unit if your not totally satisfied with your LFS water. (fairly cheap for a small unit) You should, as you say, have diluted you Nitrate levels by doing your waterchanges.
Regards
BigC

 

[andywg]

Get a TDS reading on the RO water, that's the best way to see how good it is.

 

[Crazy fishes]

I had my water tested for nitrate, phosphate and calcium which are all good. Calcium 440ppm nitrate 0ppm and phosphate 0ppm. Kh=14 pH =8.2 NH3= 0 NO2= 0. Why oh why is my GSP soooo $*%&ed off with me Not a single polyp raises its polyp-y head from the purple mat. He has been tried in three different locations around the tank (moved to the third today) and nothing!!!! The only thing I can think of is maybe trying something like purigen to soak up the organic matter that maybe lurking somewhere in the tank?? What do people think? By the way temp is 26C and S.G 1.024 which is fine. I really really would be grateful if someone has any ideas. GSP I was told is one of the hardest species and yet in near perfect water from the angle of what is tested for it remains refractory to my efforts.

............ Regards

 

[dilbert]

To the nitrate tests I can only say that I got an API nitrate test that principally works but it seems to be not sensible enough on low concentrations. It shows zero where the Dry-tab nitrate test shows 30 ppm. I got then a Salifert nitrate test and that shows the same as the Dry-tab test.

Fortunately, I use the API nitrate test for another (brackish) tank in another room, because it simply doesn't detect small concentrations above zero.

On the other side, I had my button polyps only once shut for three days when a cyanobacteria outbreak just has started. At this stage, there were my nitrates still zero (even with the Dry-tab test) but something else must have upset them.

Now, my nitrates are between 20 ppm and 40 ppm since weeks and no one is complaining. The button polyps and Halimeda do fine. Even new small polyps appear.

One thing I would double-check is the measuring methods of a few things. For example, SG and ph are things relatively difficult to measure exactly.

Refractometer or other things properly calibrated and may compared with reading from am LFS or fellow reefer?

Proper ph test kit?

For example, the Sera ph test measures only a ph of 7.5, 8.0, and 8.5 with colours on the chart almost identical. (But it goes down to a ph of 4.5 just in case you have a tank for alien critters .)

 

[SkiFletch]

I had my water tested for nitrate, phosphate and calcium which are all good. Calcium 440ppm nitrate 0ppm and phosphate 0ppm. Kh=14 pH =8.2 NH3= 0 NO2= 0. Why oh why is my GSP soooo $*%&ed off with me Not a single polyp raises its polyp-y head from the purple mat. He has been tried in three different locations around the tank (moved to the third today) and nothing!!!! The only thing I can think of is maybe trying something like purigen to soak up the organic matter that maybe lurking somewhere in the tank?? What do people think? By the way temp is 26C and S.G 1.024 which is fine. I really really would be grateful if someone has any ideas. GSP I was told is one of the hardest species and yet in near perfect water from the angle of what is tested for it remains refractory to my efforts.

............ Regards

First off, that KH is WAY high. I don't like to get mine over 12. Seawater is somethin like 8 I think (don't quote me on that). Moderately higher KH helps increase coral growth, but really high KH will inhibit it, especially in GSP.

Second, GSP will also respond like that if sg is off. I realize you're measuring 1.024 but salinity measuring devices are NOTORIOUS for being unreliable. Have you had an LFS verify your reading, and/or have you made your own calibration solution to check it?

Last idea could be predation, what tank mates dow you have there?

 

[Crazy fishes]

Ok Ski my cleaner shrimp is dead and has been eaten by other tank occupants namely the narsarius snails, my pH has taken a plunge to the depths of 7.8-8.0 and the GSP has started to poke out some polyps hoo ray something reasonably encouraging. Why is it fluctuating so much so fast?? Also why is my pH falling rapidly when the Kh is high? I believe I have reached apora; you know that state Socrates forced his subjects to and never really helped them afterwards. Where all knowledge is worthless and conflicting and I don't know what to do next??!!!!! I have read loads and listened to advice and still the marine tank is way ot of my control. It is worthless dosing with this and that because it never achieves true stability. How do I achieve true stability?? I have spent hundreds of pounds on getting to this point and is still demanding more and more resources that are running dry!! Some guidance would be ever so much appreciated. Please help before........ it all implodes.

Regards from a desparate nanoer!!!

 

[exsarg]

Hope I'm not sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong, but from your original post, I says looks to me like faulty test "kit", why would you get the same
reading on essentially anything you test, assuming I didn't misunderstand your post? Sorry if I made muddy water! I'm a former instrument engineer and
have been known to occassionally be right!!!!I have a few gratuitous polops that really looked dead (black) and I just assumed I'd messed up, (I'm a real
newbie, you've helped me) anyway as time goes by and I'm, I think through my "break in", they are coming back and looking like they should, maybe
time heals, hope so! Hope I'm not out of line.
GOOD LUCK

exsarg