pizzaguy December 4, 2012 Share December 4, 2012 I don't mean to hijack but I have a question. My tds reading coming in is 260 to 280 coming out is 1 to 2 at most. But when I mix my saltwater my nitrates are 10 ppm right off the bat. Any idea what would cause the high nitrates or what u could do to lower it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef December 4, 2012 Share December 4, 2012 Did you check your nitrate reading on your water before mixing it..Nitrate has nothing to do with TDS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 4, 2012 Share December 4, 2012 I don't mean to hijack but I have a question. My tds reading coming in is 260 to 280 coming out is 1 to 2 at most. But when I mix my saltwater my nitrates are 10 ppm right off the bat. Any idea what would cause the high nitrates or what u could do to lower it. Nitrate will get picked up by a TDS meter (which measures electrical conductivity and, thereby, infers ionic density). Artifical salt mixes are known to have some ammonia impurities. It's plausible there might be nitrates, too. However, 10 ppm seems very high. It might be worth performing several tests: 1) If your RO/DI water is stored in a container prior to mixing your artificial salt water (asw), then test it from the container for nitrates. 2) Take a sample of the fresh water from your storage container and, in a clean glass jar or measuring cup, mix up a cup or so of ASW the the proper concentration and test it. What test kit are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 4, 2012 Author Share December 4, 2012 I'm using Api and red sea test kits. I use both kits with the same results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 Split topic... Go ahead and run a few tests (as listed above) to see where the nitrates are introduced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 What Salt are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 Brightwell aquatics neo marine reef salt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 I have no tanks setup right now because I'm getting ready to start the new build so my Rodi is not hooked up. I'm gonna hook up tomorrow and try the tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 Does anyone know if either of the test kits I have will test the nitrates in freshwater. I was gonna try tap water and Rodi water to see if nitrates are present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 I def wanna resolve this as quickly as possible so I can eliminate before tank is setup. I tried to go get my tank tonight but the guy couldn't find a carpenter to tear his door frame apart to get the stand out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 Brightwell aquatics neo marine reef salt Excellent salt. Are you on Winchester's water system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 It's Frederick county water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 Your TDS being at 1 or 2 I don't think it would be RO filters. Try cleaning your mixing container really good and see what you get then. When I was using RSCP my bucket would turn brown after a few batches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 Rscp? That's funny I noticed that the other day. Like a brown slime forming inside the trash can. What causes that? And could that have something to do with the nitrates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 Red sea coral pro. Its left over organics from how they process the salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy December 5, 2012 Author Share December 5, 2012 Is that bad or anything to do with nitrates. Do you know if my kits will test freshwater nitrates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 It could be. If the contaminants in the water promote bacterial growth, the bacteria will convert the ammonia contaminant (a common one) and other organics to nitrates. Look at your API nitrate test kit box. It should say on the label if it's good for both fresh and salt water. Same with the Red Sea kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incredible Corals December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 The API nitrate test kit is the same for both FW and SW but the color chart is different. Just goggle API Nitrate fresh water color chart and you can use that. The color chart is only around 10ppm off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now