sounds like you need a low range nitrate tester, mine testes(lol) from
10-100 in high range, and 1-10 in low range, if you get a 10 in the high
range, you NEED to test in lower range to see actual.
now are you sure that is 15 and not 150ppm? im assuming your tester reads
between 10 and 20? if so, thats kinda high, but not for a new tank.
wolfhedd

"Doug Wright" wrote in message
...


Hi this is my first post and I must say that I am new to fish-keeping. I
read
books and crawl the web before I made the commitment to go with a marine
tank. After this research I finally bought the biggest setup I could
afford.
I know it's not much, but I hope to upgrade in a year if all goes well.
Here
is what I have...
29-gallon Eclipse Show Glass aquarium, Eclipse 3 Hood, submersible
aquarium
heater, digital thermometer (link to the tank setup below)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...=6&pCatId=9018
Even though this is small, the LFS (learned the acronym for this group)
said
that I could put together a very nice setup. I got 2 bags of live sand and
10lbs ornamental rock and 30lbs of live rock. I dropped 2 snails and 10
hermit crabs in to work the rock while the tank cycled. I opted to not put
any fish in to cycle and let the live rock drive the show. Well, just 10
days later salility held at 1.023, ph at 8.2, ammonia was at 0, nitrites
were under .2 (test kit has that as lowest color), and nitrates were 10. I
added 2 perculas and waited for my inexperience to catch up with me and
for
ammonia and nitrites to go to 900,000ppm. 3 days later the stats are the
same with the exception of my nitrates which are now at 15. I went back to
the LFS and picked up an orange star and a sand sifting star and 2 turbo
snails. Everything seems to be on track, just taking so much less time
that
i thought.
My goal (which was blessed by the LFS) is as follows...
2 percula clowns (which are in there and doing great)
some kind of anemone to love them
regal tang
reef safe wrasse
shrimp
flame scallop
corals
several more inverts.
Now the question part.
After continued reading in the last few weeks as well as posts from this
group I wonder if my goals are too lofty for the cheaper equipment that I
was forced to start off with. Does this seem like too many fish for a reef
tank of this size? is the eclipse floresent light powerfull enought for
this? Do I need a protein skimmer? It is suggested but not required and my
LFS says no. He is suggesting that I put phoshorus strips over the
mechanical filter. Is this OK? Do I need to punt and do a FOWLR (another
acronym I learned for you all)? Even If I do that, I wouldn't be able to
put
that many more fish in such a small tank. I want to enjoy this new hobby
and
upgrade to a 200g as soon as the wallet allows. I desire grandure but want
to be prudent and not over do it. Please share some experiences. I'll give
up the 2 stars if I have to abandon the reef tank plan.