Rising Nitrates

[SABOB]

Don't think AD is opened on Tuesdays

[txav8r]

I'd be glad to test your water as well. I also have 15 gal. of RODI always on hand if you need more. Im at Stone Oak and Hardy Oak
215-9840

[allan]

Yeah, forgot about AD being closed today. I appreciate the offer guys.

I've changed out 95 gallons in about three days. At the very least, and I mean the very least my trates should have dropped by 50%, although a closer approximation would be 75%. My test still shows the same color so I am thinking it is indeed the test kit.

Alternatively if the test is good then water changes aren't bringing down my trate level... which wouldn't make any sense at all to me. None at all.

[kkiel02]

But if it was the the test kit wouldn't it be off when you tested the to water? Or by being bad does it mean they just give off bad readings when nitrates are present? Also I don't think it's the clams as even if they died in a 100 gallon would it even show a spike? Also do you have any nitrate removal going on like dsb or macro? I just thinned my macro out or I would offer you some of mine.

[RICKY81]

I did a complete thirty gallons last night. This time I shut off my return pump, siphoned what I could from the bottom tank and the remainding 30 gallons was pulled from the display. This was kind of late last night.
.

ok i was reading the thread tonight, and i noticed that (now anyone please correct me if im wrong), but i realized that you are siphoning ur gravel and i think that is what's causing your nitrates to go high....i don't know where in maast i read that you shouldn't disturb your sand bed cause you mess up you water parameters....

that is exactly what i would do when i had my 75gal, siphon the sandbed and nitrates would go high around .60....now i have a 210gal and i live the sandbed alone with water changes and nitrates have not been greater than .20 if at all.... just my .o2

[Squiers007]

Good call on siphoning the sand Ricky. I hadnt thought about that until you brought it up, might be having an impact. As far as the clam is concerned, depending on the one you bought several are from the gulf and are definately not "cold-water" clams and should do fine. If you can see there siphon and they are pumping then they are comfortable in your tank and are feeding. They filter-feed particles out of the water column and so long as you dose some phyto and zoo every once in a while they should be fine.

[allan]

No, I think I may have misrepresented myself. I siphon as much 'water' as I can from the 'bottom tank' meaning the fuge/sump. I don't really disturb the sand bed in either the fuge or the display, with the exception of some light vacuming. Very light and I don't go poking into areas where I can't see what I am doing.

I do not believe that disturbing the bed is the issue, unless it's something else disturbing it behind my back. I have a dragon goby that keeps 75% of my bed sparkling white. He leaves the other 25% to nature and it has a light brown covering of diatoms. I tend not to disturb that.

I'll go and get my water tested now. Hope AD isn't busy.

[allan]

Good news. I finally got off my fourth point of contact and drove down to ADs, my 'trates are around 10. Maybe a hair more but all in all I am at 10. Stands to reason that my test kit is a bit skewed to the negative.

I went ahead and picked up one of those pro kits. I'm ok as long as the wife doesn't find out.

Thank you all for the many offers of assistance and advice through my little mini emergency.