How do I lower nitrate levels in my tank...I have done a 50% water change and two 25% water changes, have also added the special filters that are made (charcoal, i think)....nothing seems to be helping in lowering my nitrate levels.....I have a banded shark in my tank & am worried about the levels being too high... any suggestions would be appreciated....thanks..julie[/b]
How do I lower Nitrate levels?
- Thread starter jp
- Start date
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BillyZ
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to Aquarium Advice!!
first question would be for a little more info on the tank (size, setup, filtration, etc), what the actual nitrate levels are? Once we have that info we'll help you any way we can.
first question would be for a little more info on the tank (size, setup, filtration, etc), what the actual nitrate levels are? Once we have that info we'll help you any way we can.
hi..
it is a 125 gallon tank. i have three filters running...
1- bio wheel pro 30,hot magnum bio pro system
2-emperor 400
3-whisper filter
i have a sand subtrate, some coral and some live rock in the tank
nitrite level= 3.0-5.0
nitrate level= 80-160 range
i have a shark, puffer fish, trigger, damsels, clown fish, crab, sea apple...
i feed them flake food & gold fish..
my water changes haven't lowered my nitrate levels...(which became really high in the last few weeks)....all my fish seem to be ok, i just don't want to lose them, especially the shark..
any help would be appreciated....thanks.
it is a 125 gallon tank. i have three filters running...
1- bio wheel pro 30,hot magnum bio pro system
2-emperor 400
3-whisper filter
i have a sand subtrate, some coral and some live rock in the tank
nitrite level= 3.0-5.0
nitrate level= 80-160 range
i have a shark, puffer fish, trigger, damsels, clown fish, crab, sea apple...
i feed them flake food & gold fish..
my water changes haven't lowered my nitrate levels...(which became really high in the last few weeks)....all my fish seem to be ok, i just don't want to lose them, especially the shark..
any help would be appreciated....thanks.
jackdp
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Your nitrite concentration should be undetectable. Have you checked for ammonia lately? Have you just added any livestock or live rock? How long has the tank been up and running? Are you using a protein skimmer? A skimmer can help reduce nitrates. Test your makeup water for nitrates before doing a water change, your source water could be the culprit. Still, I would be more worried about the high nitrites.
HoopsGuru
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Any nitrite levels in an established aquarium are a sign of something very wrong.
IMO, you most likely have a combination of too many large fish with too little bio-filtration. I would look to return some of the fish or get a larger tank along with a bulkier filtration system.
The nitrites must be taken care of immediately by reducing the bioload as mentioned and/or getting a more efficient filter that you can move onto the larger tank. A large wet/dry system would be more efficient than HOB filters. Large water changes could help you in the meantime reduce the nitrite levels.
IMO, you most likely have a combination of too many large fish with too little bio-filtration. I would look to return some of the fish or get a larger tank along with a bulkier filtration system.
The nitrites must be taken care of immediately by reducing the bioload as mentioned and/or getting a more efficient filter that you can move onto the larger tank. A large wet/dry system would be more efficient than HOB filters. Large water changes could help you in the meantime reduce the nitrite levels.
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