1st Test Results

[Floyd]

I finaly got a chance to test my water. 46 gallon bow, 55lbs live rock 60lbs live sand. PH 8.2 Amonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20!!!! I dont know what this means. How bad is that? I heard they were supposed to be 0. I currently have not put anything in it yet, can I. How do I get it to 0

[golfish]

Floyd,
Trying doing some water changes and see if that helps. You might also try testing with another kit just to make sure.

I always suggest to people to go real slow with new setups. I'd still wait a month or two after your tank stabilizes.

[Floyd]

How high is that. would that kill fish/inverts

[Reefland]

20 will not kill fish or inverts, but might allow some nuisance algae to grow. How old is your aquarium and what kind of filtration are you using?

[Floyd]

It has been set up about 6 with live rock about 3 weeks. Filtration is a empoerer 280 plus a bak pak2 skimmer

[golfish]

that's a real new tank. I'd let it go for a few months and see if the trates come down.

[ANGRY JOHN]

a nitrate of 20 is not a bad thing. it is standard as far as i know in a newer tank and as long as it does not contiune to rise you should be ok. fish are generaly not affected by these levels and things seem to moving along in your tank. not to say throw all kinds of stuff in but a few small things like a few cleanup snails and mabe a few hermits would make the tank more intresting as things move along.

[golfish]

never fails, you try and slow a guy down and then bang

[ANGRY JOHN]

i didnt mean to say go at it. i was simply saying it may be time to look at a cleanup crew and that would leave somthing to look at insted of just rock. i think the little crabs and snails are soooooo cool to watch and will take out some of the alge before it becomes an issue.

[golfish]

I know John, I was just bustin your bio balls...don't be Angry, John;)

[optical]

haha, bio balls, haha