Puzzled about tests I'm getting

curly01

curly01

Member
I have two tanks that I have redone and started over on. My nano cube isn't stocked at the moment except for live rock and sand. My rsm 250 is stocked very lightly. I keep testing for ammonia nitrites and nitrates. I have been getting the same results for the past couple of months.

Ammonia is .025
Nitrite is .05
Nitrate is 0

I'm using my own ro/di unit. Red Sea coral pro salt and Red Sea test kit.
Are these numbers something that I should be alarmed about?
Thanks
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
curly01 said:
I have two tanks that I have redone and started over on. My nano cube isn't stocked at the moment except for live rock and sand. My rsm 250 is stocked very lightly. I keep testing for ammonia nitrites and nitrates. I have been getting the same results for the past couple of months.

Ammonia is .025
Nitrite is .05
Nitrate is 0

I'm using my own ro/di unit. Red Sea coral pro salt and Red Sea test kit.
Are these numbers something that I should be alarmed about?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Any ammonia reading or nitrite reading over 0 indicates that the tank is not cycled, or there are serious problems.

Initially, test your newly mixed SW. That should always be 0. If it isn't you may have test kit problems. In that case, have a friend or your LFS confirm the readings, preferably with a different brand of test kit.

If your test kit checks out, look from problems in the system. You may have never cycled the tank correctly, or too little live rock, or something dead in the tank, or possibly overfeeding the tank, or over crowding the tank. Something is wrong. You may have also been using a cleaner in the same room that has ammonia in it. People have had problems since they used a glass cleaner with ammonia in it around the tank.

What kind of filtration system do you have on the tank? Any modifications to it? any additions to it?
 
curly01

curly01

Member
Thanks guys, I'll check my newly mixed water and see what it shows. Hopefully it's just my test kit. My only pet store is a petco an hour away.
 
curly01

curly01

Member
Ok. I tested my new mixed water and got the same results. I want to try a different test kit, what do you guys recommend? Also I added a cleaner shrimp to my tank and it only lived maybe 30 minutes. I have also tried to put them in a tank that I have for my mom and they never last past the first night. I acclimated them correctly. Is there something else I can test for that might be killing them?
 
mtsully71

mtsully71

Well-Known Member
Ya copper. While I am on this, have you tried to treat ich or anything else with a copper based treatment? Old copper plumbing pipes maybe?

I know this may sound redundant, but dont put anything more in the tank until you figure things out. Here me out here

Go get new kits red sea, api , salifert etc. Test your ammonia and nitrates again.....If you see anything you may not have a cycled tank or something may be leaching into the tank. Test your RODI water (change the filters lately?), check your tank temp, check your salinity. Are you dosing anything??? Is it old or maybe dosing wrong? If so stop for a bit. How much and what type of live rock/dry rock do you have, did you just get it, where did it come from? What are your acclimation procedures?

Go back to basics, that usually will solve a problem. 0's across the board, 1.024-1.026 salinty, temp 76-82 ranges.

Tell us exactly what your doing, we would like to know more about what is in your tank, feeding habits and general tank husbandry. Show us what your testing for and mechanical inspections show.

There be way smarter guys on here than me and the more info you give us the more likely someone can help you with a solution. Nobody here wants to see a reefer fail or have a tough go, we want and like to help, just need more info.

Good luck Curl, you will figure this out
 
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