Ok, I think that I'm losing my mind. I have a Red Sea e-170 max AIO set up in my house and I love the tank, very easy. 40 gallons after rock displacement. The rock in the tank is 20 years old, this set up is just over 1 year. I use API test kit for calcium, PH, and Magnesium, and Hanna for Alk, Phosphate, and Nitrates. I have some SPS, LPS, softies, zoas, montiphora, flavia, and some birds nest corals. I have four fish, two clowns, a wrasse, and a tomini bristletooth tang, 8 hermits, 5 to 10 snails. I dose 10ml calcium and 9.5m. of Soda Ash daily.
I use RO water that test at 3 ppm and I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. When I got my Hanna test kits I was excited, finally accurate readings. Here are my parameters, Salinity: 35ppm, Alk: 10.1, Phosphate: .03, Magnesium: 1425, PH: 8.1, Temp: 78, Nitrates: 24.5. I have been trying everything including dosing NoPox 4ml per day over the last 3 months trying to get my Nitrates down. I can't feed any less than I do, the fish will starve. I use frozen Mysis shrimp, and Ocean Nutrient Reef Flakes. I turn all of the pumps off while feeding and they eat everything that goes in the tank.
At my wits end, I decide to do a large water change, 20 gallons or 50%, and got no real change to speak of. I go another another couple of weeks, 10 gallon weekly water changes, they are not coming down. Today I decide to do a 35 gallon (87.5%) change, this has to help. Well I started with a Nitrate level of 24.6 and after the water change I'm at a Nitrate level of 26.9.......what???? So I tested fresh mix, 26.9 ppm. How? I not one to chase numbers but this is driving me nuts.
Can RO water at 3 ppm be high in Nitrates? I can't imagine. Has anyone ever gotten a salt mix that mix up with high Nitrate levels? It has to be one of two things now, either the salt is bad or my test kit is measuring incorrectly. I am absolutely following the directions to a tee. Reccomendations please, I'm about to give up on testing for Nitrates and let them fall where they fall. I feel bad for the animals though.
I use RO water that test at 3 ppm and I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. When I got my Hanna test kits I was excited, finally accurate readings. Here are my parameters, Salinity: 35ppm, Alk: 10.1, Phosphate: .03, Magnesium: 1425, PH: 8.1, Temp: 78, Nitrates: 24.5. I have been trying everything including dosing NoPox 4ml per day over the last 3 months trying to get my Nitrates down. I can't feed any less than I do, the fish will starve. I use frozen Mysis shrimp, and Ocean Nutrient Reef Flakes. I turn all of the pumps off while feeding and they eat everything that goes in the tank.
At my wits end, I decide to do a large water change, 20 gallons or 50%, and got no real change to speak of. I go another another couple of weeks, 10 gallon weekly water changes, they are not coming down. Today I decide to do a 35 gallon (87.5%) change, this has to help. Well I started with a Nitrate level of 24.6 and after the water change I'm at a Nitrate level of 26.9.......what???? So I tested fresh mix, 26.9 ppm. How? I not one to chase numbers but this is driving me nuts.
Can RO water at 3 ppm be high in Nitrates? I can't imagine. Has anyone ever gotten a salt mix that mix up with high Nitrate levels? It has to be one of two things now, either the salt is bad or my test kit is measuring incorrectly. I am absolutely following the directions to a tee. Reccomendations please, I'm about to give up on testing for Nitrates and let them fall where they fall. I feel bad for the animals though.