Partial Water Change Question (NitrAtes)

[TigerFusion]

Ok, I know that Ammonia is heavier than water so when cleaning aquarium before it has cycled, you vac water close to the bottom...

My Question:

After tank is cycled... If you have high NitrAtes... Are NitrAtes at the bottom or are they in a different level of the water column

 

[Delapool]

Have you tried testing the water column at different levels?

My thought is it is going to be well mixed through-out. If not, then your filtration flow may need a look at. Sometime back there was a thread where we tested this (can't remember what we tested ), there was no difference at different levels in the tank.

 

[TigerFusion]

Thank you Delapool,
I was kind of embarrassed to ask that, but I have been having a problem keeping Nitrates under control, even with doing multiple partial water changes this past week.

 

[Delapool]

No worries, now I'll be up to 2am trying to remember what we tested for We thought we had something but didn't work out. You could always test it though - one at top and bottom just to see.

 

[BillD]

The nitrates are in solution. Solutions strive for equilibrium. If you have a nitrate problem, one large change will do more than several small changes.

 

[TigerFusion]

This past week I did 3 40-50% changes and still had high levels.

 

[Delapool]

I think you had tested tap water and that was 0 nitrate?

What sort of filters are you running. If nitrates get too much for me, I bite the bullet and clean one of the canisters.

 

[TigerFusion]

Straight out of the tap, was 0 Nitrate.

I have a Marineland Emperor 400 (which I just took off and wiped and rinsed out. I am also running a Fluval 406 Canister. I have not wiped and rinsed that out yet. I am also getting a flexible brush to get into the Ribbed Tubes. The brush should be here this evening. I had previously rinsed the Media and Filter Pads, but not the tub itself.

 

[Delapool]

Larger water changes and filter cleans are the way to go. Plants will use up some.

Is this a newly cycled tank or anything? Or have nitrates just been creeping up?

 

[TigerFusion]

Larger water changes and filter cleans are the way to go. Plants will use up some.

Is this a newly cycled tank or anything? Or have nitrates just been creeping up?

I started the tank in mid September. It fully cycled quickly due to the Caribsea Instant Aquarium Gravel. The only thing out of the ordinary is that we lost power for about two hours (if that) a couple weeks ago. I had been doing weekly water changes and gravel vacuuming but shortly after the power outage my Rainbowfish were all hanging down near the bottom.

I read (after the power outage) that you should unplug the filters and rinse all media in tank water after power comes back on, but I did not know that at the time. Not sure if that could have thrown off the balance.

 

[Delapool]

I started the tank in mid September. It fully cycled quickly due to the Caribsea Instant Aquarium Gravel. The only thing out of the ordinary is that we lost power for about two hours (if that) a couple weeks ago. I had been doing weekly water changes and gravel vacuuming but shortly after the power outage my Rainbowfish were all hanging down near the bottom.



I read (after the power outage) that you should unplug the filters and rinse all media in tank water after power comes back on, but I did not know that at the time. Not sure if that could have thrown off the balance.

Would you have all readings, including ph?

For me, cleaning a canister filter will halve nitrates, then water changes and plants to keep under control.

I'll look later but I think 1ppm ammonia will go to 4ppm nitrates. I do 30% weekly pwc to keep nitrates around 20 to 40 ppm. I have fairly common hardy fish.

There's no need I know of to clean filter after power outage. I regularly forget to turn filters back on overnight. The bacteria will go dormant without food and are still good for several months. Less certain is if the water goes anaerobic (eg canister turned off for a week). There is some thought they will still survive.

 

[TigerFusion]

Oh, wait....,
40ppm Nitrate is Ok????

 

[Angela1108]

40 is kinda the high of acceptable. Lower is better though. It mostly depends on what creatures you have in your tank. Some tolerate it a little bit more than others


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[TigerFusion]

2 Shubunkin, 2 Golden Dojo Loach, Boesemani Rainbowfish & WCMM in a 75 gallon.

I have been going crazy. The Nitrate has been 20-40. LOL! I thought that was way too high!

 

[Delapool]

Mine are angels, live bearers, catfish, loaches, small tetras and rosy barbs.

I'll dig up an article which I think is a nice summary. 50ppm nitrate is my set limit.

I have trouble with the colours of the API nitrate test kit so I take 40 as the upper limit. By that I mean I work on bringing it down and don't stress out on it. It's certainly gone higher than that with no issues, however I do believe I have noticed the fish getting a touch ragged when I over dose ferts so for me 20 to 40 works well.

Others prefer 20 or 10 (particularly with sensitive fish) while more rarely people will regard 80 and above as fine.

 

[Delapool]

2 Shubunkin, 2 Golden Dojo Loach, Boesemani Rainbowfish & WCMM in a 75 gallon.

I have been going crazy. The Nitrate has been 20-40. LOL! I thought that was way too high!

To me that sounds fine. What was it before all the water changes? If it has generally been that then sounds ideal.

 

[Angela1108]

I have to agree- of all the tests the nitrates are the hardest for me to be able to tell apart.





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[TigerFusion]

Thanks Delapool,

Unfortunately, I used to use the Test Strips and it was too long between those and getting the API Master Test Kit. While on the strips, if I am remembering correctly, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate were all Zero, or up to 20ppm on the Nitrates.

I also agree with you Angela. The Reds are hard to tell apart.

 

[Rare]

Not sure on your lvls in keeping fish but just in case.

Have you checked the date on your test kit bottle? Do you shake the hell out of solution #2?

What substrates do you use? What decor do you have & do you move it around to clean under and around it.

If all the above doesnt pan out then something in your filter is creating your high nitrate as stated.

 

[Delapool]

Articles

Nitrate - Chronic Toxicity - Table 3 p8 (got to re-read that one)
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=14949

Is Nitrate Toxic? A Study of Nitrate Toxicity

Nitrate - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki