Super frustrated!

got a skimmer? it makes a difference.

 

Every water change is 50%? I've only heard to do that after the cycling process or in an emergency. Then 10-20% weekly/bi-weekly respectively. Changing out so much water is removing a lot of the bacteria that you want to have in your tank.

 

bacteria live on surfaces in the tank. they are weak against blue light when floating. So they prefer to be afixed. removing water does remove alot of bacteria but not significant compared to the rest of the tank.

the recommend change volume is really about fluctuations in ph, salinity, temp, etc.
but with you nitrates and no live stock i wouldn't worry.

 

The cheato is going in as soon as the NO3 get below 50 (I have killed it with this high of NO3 in my last tank the only reason I dont have in now). Which will happen once I am finished making water, and can do a water change. And yes I do have a skimmer, and its been running. But it also had to be broken in, which is done now.

 

Cool sostoudt. Thanks for the info. I usually just let things play out in my little tank, which works, aside from the weekly water changes. The more "self-sufficient" the tank is the better..

 

I figured out why my nitrates were soooo bloody high. First off the Nitrate kit I had was off. It would test the RO/DI water as 0. But my DT water was testing at 100+. Well had it tested by another source, it was 15-20. ILL TAKE IT! But then I tested my fresh salt water, with the reliable test, and it was 100+. So I figured out that the trash can I was using was either leaching nitrates or something that showed up as nitrates... Every water change I did just made it worse...my luck. Got a new holding tank (trash can), nitrates read 0!!! stoked;D

 

Congrats dude

Its not Droid, it's me fishies.

 

That's a bummer. At least you figured it out sooner than later. Sounds like you're good to go. Slowly. ;D

 

Yeah its was fixed alittle bit ago, I am just bad about sharing :