i have just tested my nitrate level, im using aquarium pharmaceuticals test kit, i will be getting a silfert test kit this weekend to get a more reliable reading.

however the test i have just done shows my nitrate to be between 20-30ppm, i would assume this is far to high.

i guess 0ppm is ideal, but what is the level in your tank?

what method(s) are you using to control your nitrate?

just for the record my po4 is .3 (silfert)

Pretty normal levels in a newish tank, wouldn't sweat it at this stage.

nitrate 5 or lower is considered ideal, but 20 is commonly regarded as a fairly good level.

Your phosphate level, to me anyway, would be more of a concern, although the pics you recently showed of your tank did not show any signs of excess phosphate. I'm fairly sure that if you just continue the good husbandry over the next few months, you will find that these levels will slowly go down.

My current tank was set up best I can remember around 6 months ago, and included some new rock that I put in uncured. First couple of months both phosphate & nitrate were alarmingly high although a tad lower each time I tested. My corals suffered badly during this time. Eventually nitrate went to 10, but for several months refused to go lower. Then all of a sudden it dropped to 2 1/2, where it is now, no idea why, other than the tank is still slowly maturing & getting balanced.

Good things take time!

thanks wasp, not sure how long my tank will remain newish though? i have had this setup for 2 years (in a few differant tanks) apart from 2 new rocks that i cured before putting in this tank when i moved in october.

nitrates were lower before the move, around 5-10, but i have been more concerned with phosphate since i moved, and becouse i dont really trust my nitrate test kit i have paid little attention to it, now im keen to get it lower, and a more reliable test kit will amke me test more frequently.

so still some maturing to go, as always, good things do take time.

much higher and you anemone may get stressed.

I had that problem for a while.

Water changes, reducing feeding will help. There was a couple of other things but I can't remember off hand.

Cheers

what method(s) are you using to control your nitrate?

big fat skimmer

AP902

berlin classic

use it to grow algae

Mine were up that high

I cut the feeding in half from twice a day to once meaty food one day then dry the next.

I also made a small refuge in the sump.

Cleaned the sand and gave the rocks a good blow once a week.

Did weekly water changes.

Used vodka.

My nitrates are 10 now and Phosphates 0.001

Do you use a phosphate remover I run mine in a deltec fluidiser.

My big problem is I am very heavy handed when it comes to feeding and I always have to pull my self up for it.

go bb you can feed heaps and get very little nitrate

im not sure its feeding that is doing it, maybe though, i feed mysis 2 frozen squares once a day, i have 1 maroon clown 1clown tang 1 yellow tang 3 chromis 2 cleaner shrimp and 2 starfish. i always feel like im under feeding them, i think if i cut back they would become skinny. :roll:

i was using a po4 remover but have stoped around a month or so ago as i need to get some more and the lfs in hamilton dont stock any.

i had a massive clean up on tuesday night this week, cleaned all the sand and blew out most of the rocks with a power head, heaps of crap came out, i havnt done that for a while so that may have been a part of the problem. i do 10% water change every week without fail (its my thing to do on tuesday nights)

i tested them againg tonight and they were a little lower a positive 20, so it might be a passing thing. :-?

did you find the vodka a benfit on things other than cyno fay? i have some that i use on a 70ltr tank that i play around with coral frags etc, great on cyno but do you think it will help nitrates?

I feed 1 x frozen every second day other wise dry only. I feed a little twice a day.

Still got crap....

This is growing in a low flow area.. any ideas?

Monthly water changes 200l at a time.'>

This is growing in a low flow area.. any ideas?

Monthly water changes 200l at a time.

Clown tangs need a lot of food to stay healthy and survive long term. So I would not recommend cutting down feeding. Best to concentrate on exporting more.

Also, the nitrate itself isn't too much of a worry, the phosphate will cause more problems.

with the po4 at .3 i was happy, is this still too high? it has been on a downward trend for the last 2 months and has not increased since i stopped using the po4 remover.

my clown tang is a bossy but super healthy fish, i have heard they can be hard to keep but mine has never shown any signs of ich or any health worries at all. i must admit however he is going to leave my tank as soon as i can catch him (man hes fast and clever) he is responsiable for 2 fish deaths and one was my big blue tang that i just cant forgive him for. he is going to a good home where he will have plenty of room. then i can get another blue tang, yay!!!

anyway back on topic, so po4 at .3 is too high?

Yes, way too high.

It needs to be undetectable for optimum long term health of sps, and to keep algae and cyano at bay.

JDM, do you wash your frozen mysis and discard the water? i drop mine in rodi to defrost and thro the water which is high in PO4. i use a stainless spring loaded ball type tea infuser (Briscoes $4) to wash it out.

Good point, I use a small net and the tap. But I all ways wash frozen food. Have you ever tested the waste water for PO4... try it. It bad. :evil:

yep i rinse my frozen food, use a small tea strainer.

ive tested the rinse water and there is no way i would add that to my tank.

got me a silfert nitrate test kit today, it is reading about the same, around 20ppm, also rechecked my po4 and found i had recorded it wrong and also posted the reading on here incorrectly, it is 0.03.