nitrates/ph just won't budge

[redraptor]

I have a 26 bowfront tank with a fluval 105. I'm a little over stocked(18 inches of fish. 4" of which is keyholes) so I do weekly water changes all that jazz. So testing my water a week ago I found high nitrate levels and low ph 6.3 or so. Did a big water change that day and the next day, no change whatso ever. Next day removed all the decorations and vacuumed the gravel good, only got moderate detritus out of the tank. Still no change. Got myself some nitrate resin beads to help absorb some of the nitrates, took the levels down to about 30-40 but the ph won't budge.

My fish are all south americans(apistos and keyholes) or from low ph african rivers (p. sacramontus) so seems ok with the ph. I have perky fins all over the tank. My ph out of the tap is 7.2 so I want to get the ph up and the nitrates down to prevent ph shock.

Any suggestions? I'm going to lower the stock levels soon, but the tank I'm going to move fish into is currently being used to raise angelfish fry so it wont be available for a couple months.

Added note: I have no wood or plants in the tank, just plastics and a couple of shells.

 

[LyndaB]

If the shells are real, they are raising your pH.

If you add driftwood, it will help bring it down.

I wouldn't add nitrate beads (whatever the heck they are) to lower the nitrate. Gravel vacs/water changes will do that.

What is your nitrate level? You want to shoot for <20.

If you're overstocked, that will raise the nitrates which means you probably need to do more water changes than you are at the moment. I believe keyholes should be in a 40 gallon minimum.

 

[redraptor]

like I said my nitrates are holding at 30-40 on both of my test kits. the nitrate beads are resin that absobs nitrates as a helper, not to replace water changes. Its helped a little. I'm doing a lot of big water changes right now to little effect. probably the whole tank twice over across the span of a week right now.

The keyholes are happy, most of the care sheets I see for them suggest 20 gallons or bigger for a pair.

 

[Hholly]

What's your nitrate out of he tap? If you're on a well, it could be as high as 40.

 

[redraptor]

nitrate 0 out of the tap.

 

[Mr.Pleco]

I'd say the problem that sticks out to me is that you got a Fluval 105 instead of a 205 or 305. 105 is up to 25g so could be not enough filtration with your stocked bioload.

 

[boadams87]

I have a 26 bowfront tank with a fluval 105. I'm a little over stocked(18 inches of fish. 4" of which is keyholes) so I do weekly water changes all that jazz. So testing my water a week ago I found high nitrate levels and low ph 6.3 or so. Did a big water change that day and the next day, no change whatso ever. Next day removed all the decorations and vacuumed the gravel good, only got moderate detritus out of the tank. Still no change. Got myself some nitrate resin beads to help absorb some of the nitrates, took the levels down to about 30-40 but the ph won't budge.

My fish are all south americans(apistos and keyholes) or from low ph african rivers (p. sacramontus) so seems ok with the ph. I have perky fins all over the tank. My ph out of the tap is 7.2 so I want to get the ph up and the nitrates down to prevent ph shock.

Any suggestions? I'm going to lower the stock levels soon, but the tank I'm going to move fish into is currently being used to raise angelfish fry so it wont be available for a couple months.

Added note: I have no wood or plants in the tank, just plastics and a couple of shells.

If its high just do a big change wait an hr check it again and if still high do another PWC wait an hr then check it.

 

[Scott F]

If its high just do a big change wait an hr check it again and if still high do another PWC wait an hr then check it.

Hate to thread steal but is it ok do change so much water in so little time ?

 

[boadams87]

Wont hurt anything.