rising nitrates in tank

[butterfly_koi]

I've had my 29 gallon set up for about three months, cycled etc. I had taken the media out of the filter for about a week (was treating for ich) and now my nitrates seem to be rising. Any thought as to why and what is the best treatment for this?

Stock:
2 female guppies
1 male guppy
2 female balloon Mollies
1 male balloon Molly
And 1 guppy fry that had seemed to escape my net when I was catching them

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

What did you do to the media for the week it was out? For rising nitrates do a bunch of close succession PWC's until the nitrates are within safe levels.

 

[butterfly_koi]

What did you do to the media for the week it was out? For rising nitrates do a bunch of close succession PWC's until the nitrates are within safe levels.

I was told by my local pet shop to take the media out and put it in a bucket with some of the tank water to keep it from drying out and to keep the water circulating with a bubble stone, was this the right thing to do?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I'm not too sure but I believe its fine. The beneficial bacteria need oxygen and a food source (your old tank water) to continue on their nitrifying lives. Just not sure if a week is too long unless they had a steady ammonia source. I'm just speculating from what I've read though because I haven't had to treat for ich (knock on wood). However, I kept my BB alive in a bucket for a few days when I moved to another state. And the procedures to keep them alive in a bucket was the same. I was just curious as to what you did to your media for a week.

Nitrate is a good sign, means your BB are alive and converting the ammonia and nitrites. Just do a bunch of pwc's to get it at at a safe level (< or = 5 ppm). If it continues to rise despite your efforts, test your tap or water source. Good luck.

 

[aqua_chem]

<20 ppm is usually considered a good concentration. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to keep nitrates below 5 ppm in a decently stocked, unplanted tank.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Well I like to keep mine at 5ppm.. Between 5-10ppm.. Nitrate is basically a byproduct of nitrite = waste. 20 is still considered safe I guess. I do weekly pwc's because that's just my routine. But here and there I may skip a week. The one week I did, I decided to test my parameters to see how bad it was going to be because I keep my tank a bit overstocked. To my surprise (and delight) my nitrates were only 5ppm.. but I do have some live plants which helps.

 

[aqua_chem]

Are you shaking your nitrate tests for a full minute before using them? I doubt that a heavily stocked tanks would have low nitrates without heavy assistance from fast growing stem plants (wisteria, hornwort, etc) would be running <10 ppm.

I've never actually ever heard of fish dieing from nitrate poisoning. I have read in scientific literature that you start getting toxic levels around 100+ (some species as high as 1000 pppm), but I highly suspect that the nitrate levels we prescribe as "safe" are products of superstition and not actual safe limits.

Either way, some plant fertilization regimens have you adding 10 ppm nitrate in one dose and no one ever sees ill effect. I would say lower that 40 ppm and you're doing fine.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yup.. I follow the instructions on my API Master Test Kit to the T.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Are you shaking your nitrate tests for a full minute before using them? I doubt that a heavily stocked tanks would have low nitrates without heavy assistance from fast growing stem plants (wisteria, hornwort, etc) would be running <10 ppm.

I've never actually ever heard of fish dieing from nitrate poisoning. I have read in scientific literature that you start getting toxic levels around 100+ (some species as high as 1000 pppm), but I highly suspect that the nitrate levels we prescribe as "safe" are products of superstition and not actual safe limits.

Either way, some plant fertilization regimens have you adding 10 ppm nitrate in one dose and no one ever sees ill effect. I would say lower that 40 ppm and you're doing fine.

I have to pick up some more liquid testers today, ran out and all I have are those crappy test strips. I have two plants in my tank had more but my balloon Mollies keep uprooting them. I'll do a pwc when I get home (out in the woods right now setting up for turkey season Monday) the testers state that the no3 level is 0 and no2 is about 3.0

 

[LyndaB]

I was told by my local pet shop to take the media out and put it in a bucket with some of the tank water to keep it from drying out and to keep the water circulating with a bubble stone, was this the right thing to do?

Just when I think I've heard all the bad advice that the lfs can give......

The only thing you need to remove when treating for disease is the carbon, and that's only if you're using meds. If you used the heat treatment for ich, even with the combination of heat/salt, you would not have had to remove anything.

Now that we know the level of intelligence you're dealing with at your lfs, please be sure to come here and ask first before following any future advice they may give you.

 

[ejaramillo01]

Just when I think I've heard all the bad advice that the lfs can give......

The only thing you need to remove when treating for disease is the carbon, and that's only if you're using meds. If you used the heat treatment for ich, even with the combination of heat/salt, you would not have had to remove anything.

Now that we know the level of intelligence you're dealing with at your lfs, please be sure to come here and ask first before following any future advice they may give you.

Maybe was not bad advice,,, his media looks like will be still alive, I heard worst.
Plus we don't know if he used meds to treat against the ich....

Regarding nitrates.... I agree that if is less than 20ppm you should be fine...

 

[butterfly_koi]

Maybe was not bad advice,,, his media looks like will be still alive, I heard worst.
Plus we don't know if he used meds to treat against the ich....

Regarding nitrates.... I agree that if is less than 20ppm you should be fine...

ahem, "he?" Lol add an s on that to make it a she, I did use meds for ich that was before I knew that you didn't have to, I have the temp to 80° in the tank and added a little aquarium salt about a week ago because I had bought a guppy and she had a sore on her body from being in a tank that was EXTREMELY overstocked, other guppies had been picking at her. I did not know if it was ok to mix ick meds with medifix so I just treated for the ick

 

[ejaramillo01]

ahem, "he?" Lol add an s on that to make it a she, I did use meds for ich that was before I knew that you didn't have to, I have the temp to 80° in the tank and added a little aquarium salt about a week ago because I had bought a guppy and she had a sore on her body from being in a tank that was EXTREMELY overstocked, other guppies had been picking at her. I did not know if it was ok to mix ick meds with medifix so I just treated for the ick

Lol. Sorry miss...

 

[butterfly_koi]

Lol. Sorry miss...

Lol its ok kinda hard to tell with some people just by the id. ok back to business, I did a pwc earlier went and got some driftwood with plants and tested my levels again and it seemed to be lower. How often should I do the water changes?

 

[ejaramillo01]

Lol its ok kinda hard to tell with some people just by the id. ok back to business, I did a pwc earlier went and got some driftwood with plants and tested my levels again and it seemed to be lower. How often should I do the water changes?

Your level of nitrates will define the frequency... Keep measuring every two days... I hope that you will see that weekly PWC will be enough to maintain nitrates in check (below 30 ppm).
Some people who really like to keep nitrates below 20 or10 ppm do twice a week PWC. But this is like for more sensitive type of fish like discus or GBR.... I'm almost certain that weekly should be fine with your tank.