Reading curing water parameters

Your water looks like its still cycling. THere is probably some die off causing the Am spike

 

Have you been doing water changes? Remember that is the only way to get rid of your Nitrates. If you have a lot of die off then they will be more important. When your Ammonia and Nitrites go to 0 your cycle is done. But nitrates have to be artificially removed, for the most part anyway.

 

You could always do a coil dinitrator...right Joel? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif

 

Actually I was thinking of paying $50 for the parts to build a coil denitrator and then waiting 6 weeks for it to cycle only to find out it is almost impossible to control. Then spending $400 on a commercial sulpher denitrator that works awesomely but then figure out this is actually even a simpler design and could have been built DIY for about 1/3 the price. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

Hmmm, I can see not doing them early so as not to dilute the ammonia to get the cycle started. But IMO once nitrates start going up you should start water changes. What forum were you told this, not that that matters much. What are others opinions?

 

I would reccomend reading some articles on the Nitrate cycle. There are some good ones in Reef Keeper magazine on Reef Central. Here is one on about.com, although it is a freshwater cycle the conecpt is the same:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm
The cycle is Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate. The problem is that the bacteria that turn Nirate into Nitrogen gas that can leave our tanks are low in quantity in our tanks. The reason is that they are anaerobic or can only grow without oxygen. This is only the case in a deep sand bed and deep in our rock. But when you think about it, if there isn't oxygen how does the water get there to turn the Nitrate it contains into Nitrogen gas? It is a slow process and in the meantime our tanks collect Nitrates that really can only be removed with a phyical water changes or the devices we have been talking about. It is possible to use a Deep Sand bed in conjunction with macro alage in conjunction with mangroves and then even add some sugar. Those are the methods that are usually employed to reduce nitrates.
I am way off topic here sorry. The point is, at some point you want to get that nitrate out of the tank. I would imagine your only option (since your name is Noob and you don't have a denitrifier) is by using water changes. Just remeber, if you change 50% of the water and add water with 0 Nitrates then you will have reduced the nitrates by 50%. Change 50% in an hour again and you will have reduced it by 75%. You can continue to use this math to reduce the Nitrates.

 

Posted By Noob on 08/07/2008 3:24 PM
On Sunday
Am      1.0
N02     .2
N03   10
Today
Am   .75  between .5 and 1.0
No2  >.5
No3  7.5  between 5 and 10
So they are all going down.  I keep thinking that the ammonia will rise, like a traffic jam of nitrates wanting to turn into ammonia and it'll go up.
Ammonia going down and Nitrite going up makes sense, that is the cycle. Nitrate should start increasing more then Nitrait will go down. When Ammonia and Nitrite are 0 the cycle is done. Nitrate going down now without water changes doesn't make sense IMO. I would be suspect of one of the tests. But it really isn't anything to worry about at this point. A nitrate reading of 10 isn't going to hurt anything unless you are starting with SPS Corals.

 

This is very true, everyone has an opion. That is why I tag many of my comments with IMO. I also agree there is a definate Art involved. But if you try to just obtain the art and don't learn the science you will be in trouble. I think any experienced aquarist would agree with that. I am not saying you are goign to try that just another "IMO". /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/laugh.gif

 

Do you have a Culligan RO or are you buying the water. If you have one are the filters good?
Oh, and you have a a Queen of Hearts. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/cool.gif

 

You can usually find used RO/DI's cheap. It won't take buying much water to make the cost of a good used RO.
Last I heard Hung charged $20 per hole. There may others in your area that ill help you cut a hole. Make dang sure the glass is not tempered.