Nitrates in an nitrogen cycle.

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Christoball

Christoball

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After four 15% waterchanges. This is where i’m at. Should i just keep changen until its down to around 20ppm before adding fish? Dont wanna harm and dont wanna rush.

Ps. I dont have bigger buckets. Thats why i cant change out more at a time. I do 22l in display, then mix a new batch and do 22l in the sump.

Thats how i have done it since my last post.

Please tell me if i’m doing something wrong :)

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Aqua Man

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Nitrates will not harm fish at that level. Looking good!
 

Azedenkae

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I know! But my town are in lockdown due to covid, so even buckets is hard to obtain. Who would have thought
Sorry, I may be missing something. If you are to say willing to do a 100% water change, could you not empty out all the water, then add new salt water into the tank? It will take a while to mix all the saltwater so your aquarium will sit with at least part of it without water, but well, at least you'd get rid of the nitrates.

Or, since your nitrates are not that high anymore, a 75% water change or so will also do. And then you can get rid of the remaining nitrates however you plan to get rid of nitrates post-cycle.
 

Garf

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It’s still extremely unlikely even impossible that you got 200ppm nitrate from that ammonia. Most likely cause is a dodgy nitrite test. It should be totally safe.
 

Azedenkae

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Not sure i understand. What should be totally safe? :)
They are saying that both of your Nyos and Salifert test kits are either faulty or just naturally unreliable, and that the nitrate reading is entirely false, and that chances are there may be no or little nitrate in your water.

Which is entirely possible, I don't think that can be ruled out. Though at the same time, that you are doing water changes and seeing a drop in your nitrate readings also suggest your tests are reading something, rather than nothing. Because otherwise it should still read the same despite doing water changes.

I don't really have a concrete answer. I just see that there are two potentials, and either way something is off. Either heaps of nitrate was somehow produced, or that both of your test kits are wrong.
 

Garf

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They are saying that both of your Nyos and Salifert test kits are either faulty or just naturally unreliable, and that the nitrate reading is entirely false, and that chances are there may be no or little nitrate in your water.

Which is entirely possible, I don't think that can be ruled out. Though at the same time, that you are doing water changes and seeing a drop in your nitrate readings also suggest your tests are reading something, rather than nothing. Because otherwise it should still read the same despite doing water changes.

I don't really have a concrete answer. I just see that there are two potentials, and either way something is off. Either heaps of nitrate was somehow produced, or that both of your test kits are wrong.
Remember water changes reduce nitrite (and the multiplication factor) which has a corresponding reduction in nitrate readings. The nitrate test looks good, it’s just the interference from nitrite, I see no other possibility. :)
 

Azedenkae

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Remember water changes reduce nitrite (and the multiplication factor) which has a corresponding reduction in nitrate readings. The nitrate test looks good, it’s just the interference from nitrite, I see no other possibility. :)
Except that op read nitrite at 0.01, which should not have that significant of an effect on the nitrate reading.
 

Brew12

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If you were at 200ppm nitrate, your first water change got you down to 170ppm. The 2nd one down to 145ppm. The 3rd down to 123ppm and the 4th 15% water change would have taken you down to 104ppm.

There are a lot of factors in play. You may not have been at 200ppm at the start. You may not have as much water volume as you suspected, so are doing more than a 15% water change.

Nitrate tests are very challenging to accurately perform for the better test kits in my opinion. Especially in elevated ranges like 200ppm. I think it is possible you brought a lot more organics than desired along with the mature filter media that has died and contributed to your nitrate.

I think it is a valid suggestion, and good money saving method, to drain around 80% of the water and refill as you are able to mix up fresh salt water.
 
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Christoball

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That’s the reading that may be in error. I’ve never actually seen a nitrite kit that can measure down to 0.01.

Right gotcha. That could certainly be the case. @Christoball, how are you measuring nitrite?

I use salifert to read nitrite. If you read the the visl sideways and not from top you devide it by 10. I read it as a full clear fluid fron top, but a slight pinkish hue from the side. :)
 

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