Nitrates high after re-aquascaping

[jeffrey750750]

Nitrates were at 2ppm, now at 30ppm. About five days ago I took out about 5 to 10lbs of live rock and re-aquascaped. I know their high due to disturbing everything.
Question is should I keep doing water changes to get them down? Will they go down on their own over time? I'm not a numbers chaser so I don't want to do anything drastic.
I am daily dosing microbacter7 and did a 15% water change the day a changed everything

 

[mtfish]

Water change will lower nitrates. What do you estimate the total amount of liverock in the tank? If 10 pounds is a significant amount then you have lowered your ability to handle nitrates, so will need more water change or other method to handle the load. I have no ideal about microbacter7 on how that impacts things as I have never used it.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Water change will lower nitrates. What do you estimate the total amount of liverock in the tank? If 10 pounds is a significant amount then you have lowered your ability to handle nitrates, so will need more water change or other method to handle the load. I have no ideal about microbacter7 on how that impacts things as I have never used it.

It's a 60 cube with 60 pounds of live rock. I only took about 5 to 10 lbs. I have about an inch sandbed that got disturbed while moving rock around

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Might be you generated a little nitrite by messing with things. 0.3 ppm nitrite will show as 30 ppm nitrate with some kits.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Might be you generated a little nitrite by messing with things. 0.3 ppm nitrite will show as 30 ppm nitrate with some kits.

Actually my nitrites went from 1ppm before the move and now their at .5ppm.
My calcium is high
Ph at 8.2
Phosphates at 1ppm
Alk at 9dh
Nitrite at .5ppm
Nitrate at 30ppm
Ammonia at .02ppm
Sal at 1.026
Temp at 81-keeping it higher to keep dinos at bay. Just something I read, lol

 

[jeffrey750750]

Might be you generated a little nitrite by messing with things. 0.3 ppm nitrite will show as 30 ppm nitrate with some kits.

The funny thing is is since I made the move everything looks great. Sand and rock staying clean. I can see the purple on the rocks. What corals I do have left look great, I just hope I can keep it up

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Nitrite is not toxic in seawater, and likely your nitrate did not actually rise.

 

[shadesatsetbreak]

Phosphates a little too high, no?

If your levels are thrown out of whack, water change until they ain't

 

[jeffrey750750]

I'm trying, I've had to use distilled water since my lfs closed for rodi. My rodi came yesterday, well they shipped the ro part of a seven stage. I had to call brs and they're shipping the other half tuesday 2and day air. I would have thought it all would have came in the same box. It's a seven stage and what they shipped was a universal unit...well shall see

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm trying, I've had to use distilled water since my lfs closed for rodi. My rodi came yesterday, well they shipped the ro part of a seven stage. I had to call brs and they're shipping the other half tuesday 2and day air. I would have thought it all would have came in the same box. It's a seven stage and what they shipped was a universal unit...well shall see

FWIW, water changes are not a good way to export phosphate. Even a 100% change does not drop it all that much inmost cases, unlike nitrate, since so much is held bound to rock and sand.

 

[jeffrey750750]

I know the phosphates are a tad high, gotta keep a little to keep the dinos away. My hope is everything will even out in time. I have added anything to the tank in months, no changes other than the rock