No Nitrates?

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 06:37 PM

So I tested my water today to discover I have an ammonia reading somewhere between 0 - 0.25ppm. Surprised, I also tested the nitrites and nitrates which were both 0.

This seems a little strange to me. Or is this normal?

Fish_wiz2 · 03/01/2008, 06:42 PM

Well if your cycling then ammonia first then nitrites and then nitrates will show up.

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 06:45 PM

It's been through the cycle already. I watched the ammonia spike then go down. That's when the nitrites and nitrates showed up. I did a water change once everything was 0 except for nitrates and since then, the nitrites and nitrates have been 0.

jonbry123 · 03/01/2008, 07:57 PM

Kristy,

The only reason you could have ammonia after your tank cycled is by adding a large group of animals so that the bacteria in the tank couldn't handle the new bioload. If this is not the case then I would question the accuracy of the test kit. Another possiblity combined with the last is a large fish, etc having died and is somewhere in the tank, regardless the only reason for an ammonia spike if not the test kit is to many animals added at the same time.

Scott

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jonbry123
Kristy,

The only reason you could have ammonia after your tank cycled is by adding a large group of animals so that the bacteria in the tank couldn't handle the new bioload. If this is not the case then I would question the accuracy of the test kit. Another possiblity combined with the last is a large fish, etc having died and is somewhere in the tank, regardless the only reason for an ammonia spike if not the test kit is to many animals added at the same time.

Scott

Thanks for the info Scott!

I only have one fish in the tank at the moment and it was added on Friday along with a rock with a button polyp colony on it. Would just adding that cause such a spike? What about not having any nitrates at all? I would have expected to have something.

Thanks again!
Kristy

Jocephus · 03/01/2008, 08:30 PM

If you have cycled, and now have ammonia, you would also have nitrates. I'd question your test kit's accuracy.

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jocephus
If you have cycled, and now have ammonia, you would also have nitrates. I'd question your test kit's accuracy.

Do test kits go bad? This is the same one I used since I started this tank and at one time did register nitrites and nitrates.

matt880305 · 03/01/2008, 09:22 PM

yes they do what type of test kit is it. if it is api it has a 4 year life to it before it goes bad

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 09:28 PM

It is an API, yes. I don't see a date on it though. I've only had it for about 2 months.

matt880305 · 03/01/2008, 09:31 PM

i think it is on the top of the label

Aquarist007 · 03/01/2008, 09:49 PM

How long has it been through the first cycle. Live rock can take up to three months to fully cure and still be releasing dead stuff which turns into ammonia
You also did not mention how big the fish was you added that in combination with the bacteria not cycling long enough could cause a small spike in ammonia
If that is the test kit that goes from puke green to a little darker puke green then it is very difficult to read

but in all cases the old tried and tested way to solve an ammonia spike is a quick water change

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 10:02 PM

The fish I added was a small yellow tang (don't worry, planning on upgrading to a 90g before too long)

That would be the correct test kit, capn. It is kinda hard to read, but I can tell that it's between the 0 and .25 color.

I'll do a partial water change tomorrow and see what happens.

Aquarist007 · 03/01/2008, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KristyS96
The fish I added was a small yellow tang (don't worry, planning on upgrading to a 90g before too long)

That would be the correct test kit, capn. It is kinda hard to read, but I can tell that it's between the 0 and .25 color.

I'll do a partial water change tomorrow and see what happens.

great --- a two to three inch yellow tang could cause a spike of ammonia that much--which isn't much when a small degree of colour change represents 25 times the concentration.
Make sure you measure your ammonia again tomorrow before you do the water change--if it was a true spike then it could be even gone tomorrow--and you don't have alot of small inverts in the tank yet that are very suspectible to ammonia spikes

happy reefing

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 11:15 PM

I'll see what it looks like tomorrow before I change the water. Thanks, capn!

One thing that I did think of... I wonder if the water in the bags that the fish and coral came in had some ammonia in it? They were in the bags for a little more than an hour and there were some junk floating around in the water. I suppose I'll have to test next time.

emoore · 03/01/2008, 11:20 PM

Did you add the water from the bags into your tank?

KristyS96 · 03/01/2008, 11:22 PM

I did. I was told not to expose the button polyps to air.

Should I not add the water to the tank? How would I go about acclimating them if I didn't add it?

KristyS96 · 03/02/2008, 11:52 AM

capn, I checked the water this morning and the ammonia looks to be a bit lower and I think my nitrates are somewhere between 1 and 5ppm. So I think I'm good now.

My biggest concern was that perhaps my biological filtration wasn't working like it should be, but looks like it may be just fine.

Thanks for the help!

Aquarist007 · 03/02/2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KristyS96
capn, I checked the water this morning and the ammonia looks to be a bit lower and I think my nitrates are somewhere between 1 and 5ppm. So I think I'm good now.

My biggest concern was that perhaps my biological filtration wasn't working like it should be, but looks like it may be just fine.

Thanks for the help!

glad to help---but can i suggest you add a quarantine tank up for all future purposes. By adding the fish to your main tank and the water from the LFS

is adding everything imaginable from their tanks---ich being a big concern.

consider the quarantine tank--the virus scanner of your main tank--being a web designer you should be able to identify with that.

KristyS96 · 03/02/2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
glad to help---but can i suggest you add a quarantine tank up for all future purposes. By adding the fish to your main tank and the water from the LFS is adding everything imaginable from their tanks---ich being a big concern.

consider the quarantine tank--the virus scanner of your main tank--being a web designer you should be able to identify with that.

LOL.. yes, I am quite familiar with virus scanners

I've already purchased a little 10g tank that I planned to have as a QT, I just haven't set it up yet (looking for a place to put it).

Aquarist007 · 03/02/2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KristyS96
LOL.. yes, I am quite familiar with virus scanners

I've already purchased a little 10g tank that I planned to have as a QT, I just haven't set it up yet (looking for a place to put it).

good probably the best protection you can have on hand.

rbursek · 03/02/2008, 03:35 PM

The way to climitize fish is dump out have the water from the bag, add tank water, and repeat 3-4 times, over a 30 minute period, your chem params are differentthen your LFS, you need to let your new purchase get used to it, espeally PH differences, then dump out as much water from the bag as possible in the sink and then add purchase. When it comes to fish I dump all the water before adding. Make sure the strainer is in the sink drain, buddy lost one that way, down into the garbage disposal.

Aquarist007 · 03/02/2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rbursek
The way to climitize fish is dump out have the water from the bag, add tank water, and repeat 3-4 times, over a 30 minute period, your chem params are differentthen your LFS, you need to let your new purchase get used to it, espeally PH differences, then dump out as much water from the bag as possible in the sink and then add purchase. When it comes to fish I dump all the water before adding. Make sure the strainer is in the sink drain, buddy lost one that way, down into the garbage disposal.

do you not qt your fish rbursek?

03/01/2008, 06:37 PM	#1
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	No Nitrates? So I tested my water today to discover I have an ammonia reading somewhere between 0 - 0.25ppm. Surprised, I also tested the nitrites and nitrates which were both 0. This seems a little strange to me. Or is this normal?

03/01/2008, 06:42 PM	#2
Fish_wiz2 Mangroves are kool. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 5,246	Well if your cycling then ammonia first then nitrites and then nitrates will show up. __________________ -The Wiz Current Tank Info: Elos Mini Seahorse Tank, 2500 gallon Koi pond

03/01/2008, 07:57 PM	#4
jonbry123 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: allentown, pa Posts: 581	Kristy, The only reason you could have ammonia after your tank cycled is by adding a large group of animals so that the bacteria in the tank couldn't handle the new bioload. If this is not the case then I would question the accuracy of the test kit. Another possiblity combined with the last is a large fish, etc having died and is somewhere in the tank, regardless the only reason for an ammonia spike if not the test kit is to many animals added at the same time. Scott __________________ Bryan "You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and still come out completely dry."-Norman Juster Current Tank Info: 300gl FOWLR/155glRT

03/01/2008, 09:49 PM	#11
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	How long has it been through the first cycle. Live rock can take up to three months to fully cure and still be releasing dead stuff which turns into ammonia You also did not mention how big the fish was you added that in combination with the bacteria not cycling long enough could cause a small spike in ammonia If that is the test kit that goes from puke green to a little darker puke green then it is very difficult to read but in all cases the old tried and tested way to solve an ammonia spike is a quick water change __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

03/01/2008, 06:45 PM	#3
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	It's been through the cycle already. I watched the ammonia spike then go down. That's when the nitrites and nitrates showed up. I did a water change once everything was 0 except for nitrates and since then, the nitrites and nitrates have been 0.

03/01/2008, 08:30 PM	#6
Jocephus Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Dover, DE Posts: 995	If you have cycled, and now have ammonia, you would also have nitrates. I'd question your test kit's accuracy.

03/01/2008, 09:22 PM	#8
matt880305 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: montgomery, il Posts: 844	yes they do what type of test kit is it. if it is api it has a 4 year life to it before it goes bad

03/01/2008, 09:28 PM	#9
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	It is an API, yes. I don't see a date on it though. I've only had it for about 2 months.

03/01/2008, 09:31 PM	#10
matt880305 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: montgomery, il Posts: 844	i think it is on the top of the label

03/01/2008, 10:02 PM	#12
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	The fish I added was a small yellow tang (don't worry, planning on upgrading to a 90g before too long) That would be the correct test kit, capn. It is kinda hard to read, but I can tell that it's between the 0 and .25 color. I'll do a partial water change tomorrow and see what happens.

03/01/2008, 11:15 PM	#14
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	I'll see what it looks like tomorrow before I change the water. Thanks, capn! One thing that I did think of... I wonder if the water in the bags that the fish and coral came in had some ammonia in it? They were in the bags for a little more than an hour and there were some junk floating around in the water. I suppose I'll have to test next time.

03/01/2008, 11:20 PM	#15
emoore Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 570	Did you add the water from the bags into your tank?

03/01/2008, 11:22 PM	#16
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	I did. I was told not to expose the button polyps to air. Should I not add the water to the tank? How would I go about acclimating them if I didn't add it?

03/02/2008, 11:52 AM	#17
KristyS96 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 160	capn, I checked the water this morning and the ammonia looks to be a bit lower and I think my nitrates are somewhere between 1 and 5ppm. So I think I'm good now. My biggest concern was that perhaps my biological filtration wasn't working like it should be, but looks like it may be just fine. Thanks for the help!

03/02/2008, 03:35 PM	#21
rbursek Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: germantown,wi Posts: 2,339	The way to climitize fish is dump out have the water from the bag, add tank water, and repeat 3-4 times, over a 30 minute period, your chem params are differentthen your LFS, you need to let your new purchase get used to it, espeally PH differences, then dump out as much water from the bag as possible in the sink and then add purchase. When it comes to fish I dump all the water before adding. Make sure the strainer is in the sink drain, buddy lost one that way, down into the garbage disposal.