bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
0 ammonia 0 nitrItes PH 6.5+/- Why is nitrAtes high +/- 30 ???? I have all live plants 40gal
NitrAtes ???
- Thread starter bkiggy
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shellieca
Aquarium Advice Addict
When my 46g tank was freshly cycled I had high nitrates for a while, then they dropped to <10 & have remained there ever since. How long has your tank been cycled? Are you doing proper water changes each week? Are you vacuuming well when doing a water change? Are you feeding too much? How many fish & what kind? There are a few factors that could contribute to high nitrates.
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have 40g, 7 Cory's, Pleco, pictus cat, USD cat, and 10 guppies. 15+ live plants w/ flourish tabs food, gravel vac every 7 days, WC 30% every 12+/- days - use prime, vitachem, stability BB
In reality it's not really that high!
I know u guys have lower nitrates in ur tap water than us in the uk but ur fish will be ok, my tank is very rarely below 40ppm and can go as high as 80ppm! My fish are happy and healthy and don't have and probs with them!
I know u guys have lower nitrates in ur tap water than us in the uk but ur fish will be ok, my tank is very rarely below 40ppm and can go as high as 80ppm! My fish are happy and healthy and don't have and probs with them!
If you don't have a high-tech setup that grows plants fast to the point where you're having to trim them constantly, you're not going to see them export nitrates at a noticeable level. You may have some success with non-aquatic plants dipping their roots in the water, since C02 is readily available to them, but even that takes a lot to see a difference and they too must be fast growing plants.
30PPM isn't that bad really. I was neglecting my tanks from a water testing standpoint until recently (I was doing bi-weekly 40% PWC's and just assumed I was holding steady), which I noticed when new additions to the tank were dying. My existing stock was surviving in 80PPM for who knows how long.
Lowering a high amount of nitrates isn't a matter of doing a single water change. I don't advocate removing too much water during one change, so what you want to do is consecutive changes of about 50% each time. Remove water > add conditioner > fill tank > remove water > add conditioner > fill tank > repeat as necessary. Removing 50% of the water does not remove 50% of the nitrates basically.
Took my 55 gallon 4x changes at 50% to get nitrates from 80PPM to 5PPM, but your results may vary.
30PPM isn't that bad really. I was neglecting my tanks from a water testing standpoint until recently (I was doing bi-weekly 40% PWC's and just assumed I was holding steady), which I noticed when new additions to the tank were dying. My existing stock was surviving in 80PPM for who knows how long.
Lowering a high amount of nitrates isn't a matter of doing a single water change. I don't advocate removing too much water during one change, so what you want to do is consecutive changes of about 50% each time. Remove water > add conditioner > fill tank > remove water > add conditioner > fill tank > repeat as necessary. Removing 50% of the water does not remove 50% of the nitrates basically.
Took my 55 gallon 4x changes at 50% to get nitrates from 80PPM to 5PPM, but your results may vary.
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Plants need to be trimmed a lot !! Grow like,well; 'weeds'
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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Nitrate Level
Hello bk...
Nitrates in the 30 ppm range aren't bad. Even a level twice that high at most would give your fish a very slight headache. Nitrates are in our public tap water and fish have adapted for decades. All you need to do to ensure safe water conditions for fish and plants, is remove and replace half the tank water every week.
By flushing a lot of pure, treated tap water through your tank weekly, there's no time for toxins to build up before it's time to change out the water. The more water you remove and the more often you do, the healthier your tank.
Just a suggestion.
B
Hello bk...
Nitrates in the 30 ppm range aren't bad. Even a level twice that high at most would give your fish a very slight headache. Nitrates are in our public tap water and fish have adapted for decades. All you need to do to ensure safe water conditions for fish and plants, is remove and replace half the tank water every week.
By flushing a lot of pure, treated tap water through your tank weekly, there's no time for toxins to build up before it's time to change out the water. The more water you remove and the more often you do, the healthier your tank.
Just a suggestion.
B
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
I probably don't replace enough water , that often, I gravel vac a lot but leave the water alone. It's due for a clean WC.
Cichlid Kid
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with the other posts. 30 trates isn't bad at all, especially considering your ph is at 6.5 
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
PH affects levels ?? I also add a little aqua salt for electrolytes
What would be considered dangerous??
What would be considered dangerous??
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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- May 24, 2011
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Nitrates
Hello again bk...
Here's a tip I picked up quite a while ago. Water is "the great dissolver". Everything eventually dissolves in the tank water. That's why vacuuming the gravel isn't critical to the health of your tank. Removing the water is. The nitrogens like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from the fish waste dissolve in the water. If you remove a lot of water frequently, you remove the toxins too.
Next time you do a water change, look at the water. It's a yellow color. That's the dissolved fish waste. The more often you change out the water, the lighter the water color, that means less concentrated waste.
I've heard of fish dying from too much waste in the water. Haven't heard about fish dying from water that's too clean.
Change out half the water weekly and your fish and plants will thrive.
B
Hello again bk...
Here's a tip I picked up quite a while ago. Water is "the great dissolver". Everything eventually dissolves in the tank water. That's why vacuuming the gravel isn't critical to the health of your tank. Removing the water is. The nitrogens like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from the fish waste dissolve in the water. If you remove a lot of water frequently, you remove the toxins too.
Next time you do a water change, look at the water. It's a yellow color. That's the dissolved fish waste. The more often you change out the water, the lighter the water color, that means less concentrated waste.
I've heard of fish dying from too much waste in the water. Haven't heard about fish dying from water that's too clean.
Change out half the water weekly and your fish and plants will thrive.
B
bigbanker
Aquarium Advice Addict
Also make sure you are doing filter maintence! Rinsing your media in your removed tank water at least once a month
librarygirl
Look It Up
First test your tap water for nitrates, see if any are coming from there.
The amount of nitrates in a cycled tank is dependent upon the bioload (e.g. fish) and tank size. You have some messy fish in there (e.g. pleco) so it's reasonable that your nitrates would be rising to that level between water changes. What kind of pleco, do you know? If it's a common it's going to need a very large tank as it grows. With that said, 30 isn't overly high. Maybe try doing a 50% water change weekly and see if that helps.
ALso is your PH normally at 6.5 or is it dropping? Test your tap water for PH out of the tap, then leave a glass of water out for 24 hours (stir it occasionally) then test PH again. This is your true PH and what your tank's PH should be. If it's much lower, you might need to buffer the water with something like crushed coral.
Why are you adding salt?
The amount of nitrates in a cycled tank is dependent upon the bioload (e.g. fish) and tank size. You have some messy fish in there (e.g. pleco) so it's reasonable that your nitrates would be rising to that level between water changes. What kind of pleco, do you know? If it's a common it's going to need a very large tank as it grows. With that said, 30 isn't overly high. Maybe try doing a 50% water change weekly and see if that helps.
ALso is your PH normally at 6.5 or is it dropping? Test your tap water for PH out of the tap, then leave a glass of water out for 24 hours (stir it occasionally) then test PH again. This is your true PH and what your tank's PH should be. If it's much lower, you might need to buffer the water with something like crushed coral.
Why are you adding salt?
julielover
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Nitrates don't cycle out. The best and easiest way to remove them is theough water changes.
bigbanker
Aquarium Advice Addict
No. But cleaning the "gunk" out of the filter will help keep them in control along with water changes
Cichlid Kid
Aquarium Advice Addict
No bk ph doesn't affect nitrate levels but what i meant was the nitrogen cycle is more toxic at higher ph values.
thomasina
Aquarium Advice Freak
Now I am really confused!! Do a 50% WC, a 20%, clean the gravel, don't clean the gravel, pH affects the NitrAte, or it doesn't. Do a WC weekly, two weeks, everyday.
What is the right way for just a normal tank cycled tank?
What is the right way for just a normal tank cycled tank?
Cichlid Kid
Aquarium Advice Addict
Every tank is different. Some well planted setups with small bioloads require less pwc's.
An aquarium thats heavily stocked with no plant life will require a more aggressive pwc schedule. You can determine where you fit in by testing your nitrate levels frequently to see exactly how quick they build up.
An aquarium thats heavily stocked with no plant life will require a more aggressive pwc schedule. You can determine where you fit in by testing your nitrate levels frequently to see exactly how quick they build up.
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
BBradbury- thanks for the tip. The water is always yellow due to huge driftwood. But point taken that they are swimming in their own waste and there is only so much the filter can clean. I have guppies and have been looking for the Moscow Black Fancy. Very hard to get. I am getting 4 rare black Cory's,,, very excited !!!!
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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- 5,011
Tank Maintenance
Hello t...
You'll get a different version of the same goal. The goal is healthy fish and plants. My take on tank maintenance is large, frequent water changes. I change out half the tank water every week, regardless of the fish load. When I change out that much water, that often, there are a number of benefits. Here's some I've noticed: Don't have to test the tank water, it's always clean. Don't have to over filter my tank, the filters just turnover water that's already pure. Fish and plants thrive in the pure water conditions, there are never any toxins that build up to make the fish sick, because pure, treated water is constantly flushing out the waste.
Here's the deal: Think of your tank as an unflushed toilet, that's essentially what you have in your living room. Now, what if you lived in it and did everything in the water. How much and how often would you want the water changed?
B
Hello t...
You'll get a different version of the same goal. The goal is healthy fish and plants. My take on tank maintenance is large, frequent water changes. I change out half the tank water every week, regardless of the fish load. When I change out that much water, that often, there are a number of benefits. Here's some I've noticed: Don't have to test the tank water, it's always clean. Don't have to over filter my tank, the filters just turnover water that's already pure. Fish and plants thrive in the pure water conditions, there are never any toxins that build up to make the fish sick, because pure, treated water is constantly flushing out the waste.
Here's the deal: Think of your tank as an unflushed toilet, that's essentially what you have in your living room. Now, what if you lived in it and did everything in the water. How much and how often would you want the water changed?
B
