Nitrates in Salt?

I can't figure out what has caused the tank to go from 0-40 nitrates? We moved on Saturday, did more than 50% water change during this, and I am taking the anemone back to the LFS tomorrow...maybe my powerhead is not strong enough? Or the PS? Could it be the Instant Ocean salt?-I have been trying to raise my salitnity the past few days...

Don't really know what to do?

 

its a new tank, it wont have any anerobic zones besides the rock yet. you can always use a nitrate absorbing material similar to carbon. you could always get some plants and set up fuge, or a denitrator coil for the system.
it takes a while to get used to feeding the fish in a reef tank.

also dont worry you will figure out the amount of salt it takes to change the salinity. i think in your other post you were only adding a gallon or something aday.

 

Yeah

I got the salt up to 1.030 and added about 2 cups or so, it raised! So I will do that gradually. But yeah, I bought Biozyme and have been adding that..maybe that's why the nitrate hasn't gone over 40. But I will definately go buy one of the things you suggested tomorrow when I take in the anemone. It also doesn't help that I changed substrates lately. The tank is cleaner than it has ever been and is probably going through a mini-cyle? You think?

 

i think your just wasting your money on biozyme, its only adds bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite to the next level, no anerobic bacteria for nitrates.
your lr came from a set up system so it has plenty of bacteria no need to add more, that product is for new pristine systems. reefers use live rock, instead in new systems too. no need for both.
well your substrate is new and if its deep enough for anerobic zones, it hasnt populated them yet. but i think a fuge or a coil would be a better nitrate remover. if you go with fuge i recommend chaetomorpha algae or caluerpa, dont get pressured into buying a mangrove as they dont do much. if you use caluerpa you want a 24 hr lighting schedule to hopefully prevent sexual reproduction.

 

I will probably...

I'll just do a coil for now since I need to learn more about plant fuges first. I am also getting rid of the anemone just to be safe. He is fine but I want OTHER things once I am at a stable level of expertise.

 

Ditto.

You can get a good coil through Roger at AAT (Tangster). He makes them himself. It will run you, I believe, $80 plus shipping. It does take a month or two to really kick in. It is not a quick fix. I have one on my tank.

 

isn't your tank brand new? if nitrates are just rising for the first time, ride it out. you can control the level with water changes. as the cycle completes it should settle down, depending on overall "input" to the nitrogen cycle in your tank.

 

True

I think my levels are high due to the stir up of the old set-up...water changes it is.

 

exactly=)

 

Sooooo

So, pulled out the yucky brown filter that was looming over my bio-balls today, replaced with a nitrate remover filter pad. Then I put about 3 cups ammonia-nitrate remover sponge bag on TOP of my bio-balls to start the process...I guess it takes roughly 2 months or so for this to start working? Not really worried about nitrates, but I hope the fishies don't mind the changes.

Next step will be to do a water change from the sump. There is gewky brown mud/dirt/bacteria all over the bottom layer of the sump, and the bottom layer of bio-balls. Might take those balls out when I do this cleaning anyways..

Any opinions? Keep balls or ditch? (like I ditched the anemone..)

Am I cleaning toooooo much? Replacing old substrate and 50% water change, and all?