Nitrates off the chart

[Kolenc]

I have a 40 gallon breeder tank with Ciclids. I have two Aqueon filters and lots of Java ferns and my nitrates never go down. My fish live for months and than I loose two or three at a time. Some of the fish have been in tank over a year. Any ideas why I can't get the nitrates down. I thought live plants are supposed to do this.

 

[flitabout]

How often do you do water changes? Plants only deal with with so much most will still need to be removed with water changes. Also have you done a 24hr tap test on your water? The nitrates may be in your tap water. I have heavily planted tanks and still do 50% water changes twice a week.

 

[Fresh2o]

Along with the above questions, how many and what kind of fish are you keeping? Diet plays a big role in the amount of nutrients/protein introduced into a closed system.

 

[Potluck]

Ferns really don't consume a lot of nitrates, I would guess overfeeding /not enough water changes, how often do you rinse the filter pads in tank water, how thorough do you vac the gravel, how much food do you feed, how many fish and what kind ?

I would up the water changes to get them to a lower ppm as water changes are the only way to remove nitrates, or add a bunch of nitrate consuming plants to the tank, check filters for built up waste in the pads, you could also get a common house plant and let it grow immersed with just the roots in the tank (pothos plant)


As far as losing fish, nitrates at an extreme high level >60-80 will weaken the fishes immune system so they get sick easier, can't fight off illnesses, you may have what I did was called old tank syndrome, i had big pebble gravel and no matter what I did I couldn't get my nitrates lower than 60 with my tap being sub 10% ppm, I changed gravel and my nitrates now are 20-35 and I dose 14 ppm no3 weekly.

 

[flitabout]

I don't dose mine with potassium nitrate until mine get down in the 5 ppm range which is really hard for me. My tap water has a tun of nitrate almost 10 ppm. So I keep adding more plants. I can still get mine upwards of 40-80ppm in a few days and my tank is way under stocked and I only feed every other day and very little then.

 

[Potluck]

I don't dose mine with potassium nitrate until mine get down in the 5 ppm range which is really hard for me. My tap water has a tun of nitrate almost 10 ppm. So I keep adding more plants. I can still get mine upwards of 40-80ppm in a few days and my tank is way under stocked and I only feed every other day and very little then.

It's not just nitrate I dose its every micro and macro in thrive all in one, I could get away with no nitrate as my tanks usually 15-20

 

[flitabout]

I dose pps-pro so I just leave out the KNO3 when I mix my bottles. I do use it on my plants in my garden in the summer tho so no waste!

 

[Caliban07]

Get some amazon frogbit and emersed houseplant as mentioned.

 

[tankdude]

Big water change should bring them down