ok so i bought a saltwater aquarium from someone. A 75 gal tank with 70 pounds of live rock, protein skimmer. two water jets, and uv sterilizer. he had left the tamk running for a few months with no fish in it just a few hermit crabs. I moved the tank, water, live rock from his house to my house 10 min drive time and set every thing back up in my house only took a few hours. he had let about 10-15% of water evaporate so i added fresh water on the first day to get my specific gravity back. then 5g water change every day for the last 7 days then a 30g water change today. i jsut tested everything my ammonia,nitrite are both 0 ppm my ph is 8.2. my nitrate is 160ppm why!?
Nitrate 160ppm+ help needed
- Thread starter Stevew36
- Start date
- Tagged users None
ron b
Active Member
What test kit are you using??? have you tested again to check if an error in testing occurred,not saying you made one but things can happen..I'd also check the date on your kit to ensure its good
jsker
Reefing is all about the adventure
Staff member
Super Moderator
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
Hospitality Award
Ocala Reef Club Member
R2R Secret Santa 2023
My Tank Thread
Try a different test kit, or take the water to your local fish store (LFS) and have them test it.
Lynn52
Active Member
I had nitrates that high back in December after not doing my normal maintenance routine for a few months because I had several surgeries and wasn't able to lift much. It took me a long time to get them down. I agree that it would be a good idea to get a different brand of test kit, I like the Salifert test, to double check your results. The high nitrates could caused by stirring up the tank while moving it by allowing long built up detritus to be freed. Since a 75 gallon isn't too big and you have no fish you could just do a 100 % water change. I'd also suggest you replace the sand that was in the tank. It was not likely well maintained and full of crud that affect your water quality.
Kungpaoshizi
Valuable Member
Imo, cut to the chase, work with it, and start nopox.
It's a blessing to have a tank that produces a lot of nitrates. I purposely have a sand bed, and never siphon it, to become a nitrate factory for this reason.
It's a blessing to have a tank that produces a lot of nitrates. I purposely have a sand bed, and never siphon it, to become a nitrate factory for this reason.
I would do a deep clean and reset. Sounds like this tank was in rough shape when you took it over.
Remove and replace sandbed. At the least, I would put the sand in buckets and take a water hose to it until the water runs clear. Final rinse in clean saltwater.
Remove some saltwater into buckets and take the rocks and scrub off algae, shake off debris.
Once everythings clean put it back together with as much fresh saltwater as possible.
What kind of algae did you scrape off? A film, filaments? what color?
Remove and replace sandbed. At the least, I would put the sand in buckets and take a water hose to it until the water runs clear. Final rinse in clean saltwater.
Remove some saltwater into buckets and take the rocks and scrub off algae, shake off debris.
Once everythings clean put it back together with as much fresh saltwater as possible.
What kind of algae did you scrape off? A film, filaments? what color?
themcnertney
Valuable Member
^thats your problem.
Similar threads
