High Nitrates

[Scooby]

I have a 75 gal planted tank with a high nitrate problem. As you can see by my signature...I have a heavy fish load but I run 2 magnum filters....i with a micron filter and 1 with filter floss. My PH is 6.8 and KH 5 (24 PPM CO2-Pressurized) and my nitrates consistently run in the 30-40 PPM range. Regular water changes dont seem to solve the problem. (use RO water)

Any ideas????
Thanks
Dave

 

[TankGirl]

I would suggest that there is some overfeeding perhaps, but also a canister filter can be a big producer of nitrate if you do not keep it cleaned out. Those are the first things that come to mind.

What are you doing to the R/O water prior to water changes? If you are mixing it with tap water, check that for nitrates, often you will find nitrate right out of the tap.

Another thing is that your plants ought to be consuming that nitrate, so do you dose ferts and are the plants growing well? What kind of light do you have? Some fast-growing stem plants might go a long way to using up those nitrates.

All of this aside, 30-40ppm nitrate is not going to kill any fish, and should not worry you by itself. There is nothing wrong with maintaining this level, as your fish are acclimated to it.

 

[hashbaz]

Like TG said, some fast growing plants would eat it right up. Is it possible that one of your ferts has nitrates in it?

 

[malkore]

Unless the clown loaches are full grown, I wouldn't call that tank over-stocked.

Tell me more about your lighting levels and fertilizing regimen.

Also, what does your phosphate test show?

 

[Scooby]

I use staight RO water with Kent RO Right and I do weekly filter maintenance.
I've got 2 55 w PC's and 2-2xodno F32T8's. I'm not currently dosing KNO3 due to the high levels (havent doesed it in a long time). Just recently started dosing Flourish and Flourish Excel. Als Flourish plant tabs for the sword that the loaches are eating.....
I had a serious algae outbreak about a month ago and stopped all ferts.
My current phosphate is about 1 ppm
PH 6.8 and KH is 4 GH is 4 Ammonia and Nitrite 0. The tank has been up for almost a year and a half with no fish loss, they seem to be very happy and healthy. I dont think over feeding is a problem as nothing gets a chance to reach the bottom. Feeding Marinland Bio-Blend and Hikari Sinking Wafers.
One question.........the pc lights are about a year old....do they lose their intensity?? Maybe they nee to be replaced? The plants arent pearlint the way they used to.

 

[Maillis]

Florescent lights, although they may look about as bright, do lose a considerable amount of intensity after 6-12 months. I'd rotate in new 2 new bulbs and leave 2 old ones and every 6-8 months replace the two oldest bulbs.

 

[malkore]

fluorescents need replacing at 9-12 months with average use. Power compacts, however, can be used until the no long light up. they lose less of their spectrum than NO tubes, and their light output stays pretty high during the whole life of the bulb.

If you still choose to replace the PC's, I'd be happy to take the old ones off your hands

 

[savga]

Make sure your test kit is working properly. Check it on RO water. In a heavily planted tank, it is usually difficult to keep the nitrates up. At least that is the case for me.

 

[Scooby]

That's the hard part....I have 2 Red Sea test kits....cant get a reading on either of them(not expired), an American Pharm. and I've even tried the "dip strips". The AF and strips are close to the sample I mixed using RO water and added KNO3. The Red Sea test only seems to register nitrates untill the PPM is extremely high. I also had my LFS test my sample..result was similar to the AF and Strips. I have no faith at all in the Red Sea kits.

 

[TankGirl]

Lamotte is probably the most reliable test kit you can buy.

 

[malkore]

Yeah, RedSea kits are pretty bad. I've found the Aqua. Pharm. brand is 'reliable enough' for my nitrate testing needs. for phosphate I use SeaChem because it's as good as it gets until you drop $60 on a LaMotte kit.

Is your tap water really bad? I only ask because I see a lot of people using R/O water in freshwater tanks because they think their tap water is too hard. Unless you have detectable nitrates and/or phosphates from your tap water, I doubt you need 100% R/O for your tank.

 

[jibboo]

TG: where can you get the Lamotte test kits? I can't find them on any of the internet stores I check regularly ( www.petsolutions.com , www.thatfishplace.com or www.bigalsonline.com )

tia

 

[TankGirl]

You can find them here: https://www2.carolina.com/webapp/wc...10101&storeId=10151&productId=20121&langId=-1

You won't find them at your average LFS, online or brick and mortar. Environmental agencies use LaMotte tests for soil and water systems, so sites that specialize in lab supplies and environmental testing will carry them.

You can also get them from Marinedepot.com (also a few other sites for SW aquarium supplies) but I do not know if they are SW only or can be used for FW as well.

 

[malkore]

I'm pretty sure the nitrate and phosphate LaMotte kits are universal.

 

[TankGirl]

What do you think of Salifert kits, Malkore?