Advice on newly setup Tank

[funkymonk1984]

Hi guys,

So I’ve just set up a new tank. I added ADA power sand, Amazonia v2 and some powder soil along with hardscape.

I connected up the filter and added stability every day for 7 days and it’s been running for 3 weeks with no light or CO2 running.

Today I drained 90% of the water and planted it all and refilled adding prime, stability and flourish excel. Lights and co2 are now programmed although max light power is set to 70% ramping up and down over 7 hour period.

My question is when to move over my shrimp/fish from old aquarium? I’ve done tests and Nitrite/Ammonia are reading 0 but Nitrate is high at approx 100ppm.

I’m going to let the plants establish for another 2 weeks and do more tests in those weeks but wondered people’s thoughts?

 

[hypnogogia]

I’ve done tests and Nitrite/Ammonia are reading 0 but Nitrate is high at approx 100ppm.

Not sure I’d trust these measurements.

 

[G mac]

Do you trust your test kit?

the scape looks great 👍

 

[MichaelJ]

I’ve done tests and Nitrite/Ammonia are reading 0 but Nitrate is high at approx 100ppm.

If I understand this correctly, you said you just changed 90% of the water and measure 100 ppm (!) of Nitrate (NO3) ? That sounds way off...

What sort of level do you see straight out of the tap / water source ? and what test kit are you using?

Yes, nice scape!


Cheers,
Michael

 

[Superpuma1]

Something isn’t right there, it’s a new setup, how can you have nitrate so high?
Unless you have high nitrate in your tap water……
You surely have a dodgy test set or high nitrate in your tap water, which is to me unlikely.

 

[funkymonk1984]

If I understand this correctly, you said you just changed 90% of the water and measure 100 ppm (!) of Nitrate (NO3) ? That sounds way off...

What sort of level do you see straight out of the tap / water source ? and what test kit are you using?

Yes, nice scape!


Cheers,
Michael

If I understand this correctly, you said you just changed 90% of the water and measure 100 ppm (!) of Nitrate (NO3) ? That sounds way off...

What sort of level do you see straight out of the tap / water source ? and what test kit are you using?

Yes, nice scape!


Cheers,
Michael

API Master Freshwatet Test Kit… I agree those levels seem off. I’m going to let things settle anyway and I want plants to root in and get some growth. I did the dark start method to avoid massive amounts of water changes but I’ll prob do 2x 50% over these 2 weeks to be sure.

 

[funkymonk1984]

If I understand this correctly, you said you just changed 90% of the water and measure 100 ppm (!) of Nitrate (NO3) ? That sounds way off...

What sort of level do you see straight out of the tap / water source ? and what test kit are you using?

Yes, nice scape!


Cheers,
Michael

I’ll also test my Tap water as it’s a new house but same area so although hard water should be ok

 

[Bradders]

API Master Freshwatet Test Kit… I agree those levels seem off.

Just to add my input, I have had two API Master Test kits and noticed that the Nitrate tests are the first to 'go off' and give very high readings - and this was in an established tank where the math did not make sense.

Two seperate test kits (one was NTLabs and cannot remember another one) all showed a more sesnsible level taking into account my averate tap water content and ferts etc.