Stressing out... Helping hand please :/

a few weeks ago I took off the 2 Emperor 400 HOB filters and switched to a sump/fuge system. At about the same time I started swapping out Texas 'holey' rock with live rock. I was only doing 10lbs a week. Tank's been running for 4+years.

Problem = Nitrates running high, 30-40ppm. I've stuck Seachem's de-nitrator in with the carbon in the phosban reactor. It's been since the weekend of the 15th that I last added LR. (chaeto in the fuge also btw).

Nothing's dead (yet) although my green coris has been hiding in the sand way more than he ever did and just recently I've not seen the 2 firefish.

Now here's the kicker... I went to the LFS today and took (as per usual) more Kenya tree frags and had them test my water. All the params came out great, even the nitrates. They only observed 5 ppm!!! What the heck? I asked how could that be and they asked how old my test kit was. Mine's prob at least 3-4 years old so I was stoked thinking my nitrates are actually ok at home. Well, I bought a new kit and gave it to the gf to take home and try again....she just texted and said it's showing 40+ppm

Anyone with some enlightenment?!! I'm about to leave work early so I can test it myself AND take water back to the LFS to try again. Needless to say I'm greatly troubled

 

Do a 50% water change, it should drop them in half.

 

You need to test it yourself and be certain...test it TWICE even.
When I get weird readings...back to the tube I go.
But, like oceanparidise1 stated...50 gallon WC would get ya back to basics.....But check again to be certain before you go there...relax...dont stress...I've had some bad days also.....many stories... ; (
Good luck.
LG

 

Nitrates are from moving stuff around and from the die-off of adding LR. That's why it's not recommended to add anything but base rock after the cycle
And its common for LFS's to tell you things are great with your water when they really are not. Heck, since your water is great, you might just walk out with a new purchase

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Checked this real quick b4 i shut off comp and head home. Going to check the thread again and try to hit 2 LFS's that I normally use. GF also at home brewing up buckets of ro/di to do a water change also. Thanks ocean for the 50% suggestion and welcome to 3reef! I just saw a post where you just got on here recently. Nice avatar and purdy lady ya got there

I'll check this thread again soon as i get home. Have an hour & 15 mins if i'm going to try to make it to both LFS...time for pedal to the metal 8)

 

Relax....40ppm nitrates is really not an emergency with fish or softies as long as they dont keep rising,water changes will definitely help though.I would probably do two or three smaller ones,maybe 20 percent each over a couple week period.In a few weeks the effect of your fuge with the cheato should start to be noticable also,and things should work out fine.

 

Agreed.

 

Thanks bro, i know it say 20% a couple times, that will work BUT if it was my tank, id want it under control before it gets out of hand, thus a 50% water change will take control!

 

thank you sailor and sparky Only had time to make it to the other LFS and they did test nitrates at 30ppm, but basically said what you guys did. Although I did buy a box of Algone to help. So basically I bought a new test kit for...even though it's testing the same as my old one :/ lol

 

Right on !
Glad to hear that....never hurts to have some extra "stuff" : P