salt water mix problem

[bottoms01]

Hi, I am new to salt water . A friend or maybe my new not so good friend gave me a 200 gallon tank . I filled it up and started running it it has a sump the tank was drilled I think it is cool . Here lies my problem the first go around I used tap water and when I checked it in like a week it was crazy high in nitrates . I went to my local coral /fish store the nice guy told me to do water changes . I did like 4 of them within 2 weeks . no change . I purchased live rock like 50-60 pounds . no change . vacuumed , no change , sea hair , no change , hermit crabs , ect . well I tested the water I have been buying for the hell of it , no nitrates test confirmed . tested the 20 gallons today I mixed up yesterday for my 50 gallon water change . NITRATES OFF THE RICTOR SCALE WHAT GIVES. the salt I am using has it in it . The bag says no nitrates ect !!!! help any Ideas?

[wildreef]

OK ,
1, what do you plan ? a "fish only" with live rock ? or A full blown reef ?
2, do you have an RO unit ? "reverse osmosis" ( to remove all the nasteys from your tap water that can cause high readings and some chemicals in straight for the "tap" can harm/kill your fish.
3, sand bed in the bottom of the tank ? or did you use the sand it came with when the tank was given to you ? ( if so ' the sand is most likely filthy and needs to be washed out )
4, you have enough circulation ? i.e , main water pump, skimmer in place ? ,, good filtration system ? ( large tanks require this if you have quite a few fish/reef )
5, how long has the tank been running ?
6, how "curred" was the live rock that you obtained from the lfs ?

[sean_p_f]

maybe if you tell us what salt you are using it may help that and just wait for one of the resident experts

[missionsix66]

Does your system have a protein skimmer? How long has it been set-up? What type and how much do you feed? How many fish do you have? What type of salt are you using?

[bottoms01]

yes I have good filtration and all that . the water I just tested has never been in the tank . MY water source is good . the guy who runs it has a coral only tank . once I mix the salt with the good water my nitrates tested way high

[missionsix66]

Originally Posted by bottoms01

yes I have good filtration and all that . the water I just tested has never been in the tank . MY water source is good . the guy who runs it has a coral only tank . once I mix the salt with the good water my nitrates tested way high

What kind of salt mix is it? I use reef crystals.

[bottoms01]

I have not fed the hermit crabs at all for like 3 weeks the 2 sea hairs are new .

[bottoms01]

coralife

[wildreef]

Bottom ?
DO YOU have a "RO" unit ?

[bottoms01]

I thought my problem was the old sand I di clean it and all but now I took allthat out of the eq. good water I guees bad salt .