Water Changes And Acceptable Water Parameters

andywg thats a worry as the nitrate test is API not gonna discont its readings just yet as there must be something in there to increase the ppm as its no where near the yellow its supposed to be, however a second opinion would not hurt.
 
I don't trust the API nitrate test kits further than I can spit them. I took two samples from my 6x2x2 freshwater and tested them both at the same time. One read 0ppm and the other 160ppm. Once I got a tank where nitrates are more important (the reef) I got a Tropic Marin test which seems far more accurate.

Definitely get a second opinion on the nitrate levels.
 
thanks andywg
was starting to worry that my nitrates were getting out of hand so am gonna grab another test kit tomorrow, just makes me wonder why my xenia hasnt yet come out tho? been in since friday and no action at all, dont think my angel is even the slightest bit bothered about it so not that, am considering another 30% water change to see if that helps but not sure whats best course of action at mo
 
Xenia typically could care less about high Nitrates IMO. The problem there is something else... I'd get the new test kit and figure out if you're nitrates are really that high. Also once you have a reliable test kit, make sure you test some freshly mixed saltwater that you use for waterchanges. Make sure it's devoid of nitrates ;)
 
Xenia typically could care less about high Nitrates IMO.

This is a little OT, but I have noticed many Americans use the above phrase, surely you mean to say couldn't care less. "I could care less about frogfish" means that I care about them at a level of which there are lower levels of caring. Saying I couldn't care less indicates I am at the bottom of any caring scale. Is it perhaps a consequence of the American accent and the generally phonetic approach to spelling, I wonder...

This page seems to explain it better than I can
 
Is it perhaps a consequence of the American accent and the generally phonetic approach to spelling, I wonder...

Heh, nah its cause we're lazy when we type things :)
 
Ski

think it was SH that said that xenia was a good indication of high nitrates as it was the first coral to close up which is why i was going down that line of thinking, consequently my xebnia has started to do something today but caught my angel picking at it so looks like i gonna have to rehome it tomorrow back with my LFS

AND KIDS PLAY NICLEY WE CANT HELP HOW WE TALK
 
If this helps:

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
a fixed number of small water changes is not as beneficial as the same fixed number of larger water changes........For example, with a 100-gallon tank and a goal of changing 30 gallons each month, one might consider changing 30 gallons once, 15 gallons twice, 10 gallons three times, 5 gallons six times or 1 gallon 30 times.

Aquarists often think that many small changes are not as efficient as one big change since some of the water in all subsequent changes was already replaced by earlier changes. This is a correct assertion, but it is often overstressed. After changing 10% three times, only 10% of the first 10% change was changed the second time (1% of the total). So the difference is small. We can mathematically calculate the efficiency of such changes as follows. If we use our 30% example, then one 30% change removes 30% of the impurities, assuming an equal distribution of the impurity within the water. If we do six 5% changes, then the reduction in impurities = 1-(0.95)6 = 26.5%. So it is less efficient (six 5% changes exactly equal 26.5% changed in one batch), but it is not radically less efficient. Going smaller still, the difference is even smaller. Doing 30 one percent changes removes 1-(0.99)30 = 26.0% of the impurities.

Water changes of 15-30% per month (whether carried out once a month, daily or continuously) have been shown in the graphs above to be useful in moderating the drift of these different seawater components from starting levels. For most reef aquaria, I recommend such changes as good aquarium husbandry. In general, the more the better, if carried out appropriately, and if the new salt water is of appropriate quality.
 
SH think that clears up what the difference between frequent changes of small quantites and larger quantities less often.

Am i right tho SH that somewhere you wrote that xenia are the first to close up as nitrates rise?
 
Many corals are very sensitive to nitrates and will close or withdraw their polyps. I've read where some marine tank keepers will place some xenia in their tank in an area away from the LR to reduce it's spread and watch it for closure. My nano tank used to get increased diatoms in response to rising nitrates. Also, my yellow Fiji leather would close.

SH
 

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