Excessive Nitrates

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Meesh

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
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163
A few months ago my nitrates in my 20 gallon tank spiked and everyone died before I got it under control. I abandoned the tank, emptying it of water and purchased and set up a (so far successful) 56 gallon tank.

I have refilled the 20 gallon tank with water. I had let the substrate remain. I ran the HOB filter all week and today I did a 25% change and tested the water. Ammonia and nitrites are 0 ppm but nitrates are in excess of 160 ppm. The tester tube turned deep magenta almost immediately.

Do I need to actually empty it, shovel out the gravel, sterilize with bleach and get new substrate?

I'm hoping there is a solution short of that. The gravel is nasty, I don't want to have to handle it or risk scratching the glass.

Thanks!!
 
I'd just replace the gravel it's cheap enough, sounds like nitrates are coming from the gravel
 
I had the same problem when I first had my tank. I ended up completely getting rid of the gravel and replaced it with black sand. Seems to be more manageable all around now. Good luck
 
To fully understand the "WHY" this is happening would take a lot more information by you as to whether the test kit was new or expired, chemicals shaken properly or not, the HOB used was a new/ dry filter before use or from your other working tank as well as what kind of substrate you are working with and whether it too was allowed to dry out completely before you reset up the tank. Truthfully, it really doesn't change the end result except for the age of the test chemicals but can explain what is going on. The substrate should have been totally cleaned out prior to being reset up. ( Especially if it were that "nasty". ) Unless you are willing to do that, you will be having a nitrate issue for a long time. If you change substrates and allow it too to get "nasty", you will have the same problem again in the future. Unless your substrate is not stone, there is little need to replace it but definitely needs to be cleaned. (y)
 
I emptied the tank, tossed the substrate and purchased new. Completely starting over. Going to do a fish less cycle then figure out what I want to put in there. Thinking a school of Harlequin Rasbora to start.
 
Cleaned out the 20 gallon, tossed the substrate, got new, added Dr Tim's and doing fish less cycle. Getting some plants over the weekend.

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just heavy stock with live plants like water wisteria and/or mosses. most these type ofnlive plants can just float in water column. you wont loose fish again to ammonia/nitrates.
 
It will greatly help reduce nitrates if you grow pothos out of the top of the tank. (Also Chinese evergreen) lots on YouTube about it and it works.
 
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