High nitrates!!!

[Chiefmaster30]

I'm puzzled! I am in the process of upgrading to a 120 gallon tank. I put everything out of my 60 gallon a month ago in a 29 gallon with a canister filter and no skimmer just temporarily while I get my 120 setup. My nitrates are about 80ppm which puzzles me bc everything looks 20x better in the 29 than it ever did in my 60. Why is that???

 

[wkscott]

Did you have sand in the 60 that you transferred to the 29 without rinsing it? If so, you released nitrates from the sand bed. Your corals may temporarily look better especially if they were hungry before the move. This euphoria will not last long. Water changes suggested to get those nitrates down, especially if you have SPS.

 

[jsker]

Anytime we move anything there is going to be some die off, which will result in high nitrates, high nitrates are not a bad thing as long and you phosphatase and nitrates are balanced.