discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
i tested my tank last night with one of those strips. it said my nitrate was acceptable. but not safe. how do i lower it? 
question about nitrate.
- Thread starter discusdoodie
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sweetsuvvyb
Aquarium Advice Freak
water change!
how often are you doing them? Usually people around thier schedule water changes for when their nitrates are in the 20ppm range.
how often are you doing them? Usually people around thier schedule water changes for when their nitrates are in the 20ppm range.
Voodoo Chilli
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Sweetsuvvyb is right; water changes are the only way to lower your nitrates. You also may want to test your tap water's nitrate levels. I know several people that constantly tried to deal with high nitrate levels in their aquariums- only to find out they're tap water was high in nitrates! 
discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
i did the water change. then tested. i guess its in my tap water. but its weird because my friend down the road has low low nitrate levels. what will happen with higher nitrate levels?
Terry
Aquarium Advice FINatic
You don't say what your nitrate readings were, also useing a strip test kit is OK for a rough guide but to be sure what your nitrate are i would use a liquid test kit as they are better.
When lowering your nitrates just do what sweetsuvvyb said.
When lowering your nitrates just do what sweetsuvvyb said.
discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
i didnt say because i didnt know. i looked at my strip from yesterday and it is.. no3 is betqween 40-80ppm and no2 between 1-3 ppm. crap they look a lil high.
discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
stress zyme wouldnt have anything to do with it would it???
sweetsuvvyb
Aquarium Advice Freak
probably not. stress zyme doesn't really do a whole heck of a lot, IMO. why are you using it out of curiosity?
Your nitrite levels are more worrisome than the nitrate levels...since as I'm sure you know nitrites can suffocate your fish. Are you still cycling? Do you usually see a spike in nitrites after a water change?
I have to fight my nitrate levels a little bit in my tank, since it's overstocked. I combat this by doing more frequent water changes. I'm able to do this because I've got pretty stable bacterial colonies. If your colonies aren't as strong, when you do a gravel vac you can sometimes see a "mini cycle", a jump in nitrites usually, when they'd been at zero.
Are you near an lfs? It might be worth having them test your water, just in case the strips are a little off. You could also invest in some of the liquid tests...that's totally up to you. To be honest...now that my tank is cycled and healthy, I don't test my water that frequently...I'd rather just enjoy my fish.
Your nitrite levels are more worrisome than the nitrate levels...since as I'm sure you know nitrites can suffocate your fish. Are you still cycling? Do you usually see a spike in nitrites after a water change?
I have to fight my nitrate levels a little bit in my tank, since it's overstocked. I combat this by doing more frequent water changes. I'm able to do this because I've got pretty stable bacterial colonies. If your colonies aren't as strong, when you do a gravel vac you can sometimes see a "mini cycle", a jump in nitrites usually, when they'd been at zero.
Are you near an lfs? It might be worth having them test your water, just in case the strips are a little off. You could also invest in some of the liquid tests...that's totally up to you. To be honest...now that my tank is cycled and healthy, I don't test my water that frequently...I'd rather just enjoy my fish.
discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
i was using stress zyme for the biological filter. define cycling? and i vacummed the gravel yesterday. then i tested. prblem is i used my last strip so i cant see if it is better now..
sweetsuvvyb
Aquarium Advice Freak
I think we've solved the mystery!
Cycling refers to the process of creating your biological filter. Unfortunately, Stress Zyme, despite it's claim, does absolutely nothin' towards this process. There are a couple ways to approach the problem.
1. Cycle with fish. This is what you're in the midst of, most likely. The fish in your tank produce ammonia. The presence of ammonia fosters the growth of bacteria which use the ammonia as a food source (more or less). Ammonia is toxic to fish though, so you have to balance leaving some for the bacteria, but not leaving so much as you harm your fishies. These ammonia-eating bacteria then spit out nitrites. Nitrites also harm your fish...so again, you have to keep changing the water, but leaving a little in there so the next group of bacteria can grow. This group is much slower to colonize, it can take a couple of weeks. When they're settling in your tank, you'll start seeing nitrates in your tank, (they eat nitrites, and spit out nitrates). When you have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and some nitrates...you have achieved a cycled tank. At this point you only need to change the water when your nitrates get high. Your bacterial colonies are still relatively suscpetible though...so when you do a gravel vac, you're likely to start seeing some small levels of ammonia and/or nitrites.
2.Fishless cycle. Basically the same process as above...except don't use any fish as an ammonia source, you use household ammonia. Kinda tricky, but guarantees your fish won't be stressed in the cycling process.
3. Bio-Spira. This product does what stress-zyme claims to do...sorta. Basically its a mixture of those 2 bacteria, kept refridgerated, and in some kinda of nutrient solution. Purportedly, you can add bio-spira, and a full tank of fish all at once, and achieve an "instant" cycle. I see that as a kind of best case scenario. I've never used the product, but my guess is that more often, its kinda like a big jump start on the cycle.
The good news? If you have nitrates, and nitrites, and no ammonia...you're in the home stretch of cycling your tank. Hopefully your fish have all gotten through the process ailment-free. It is important to keep up with water changes when your nitrite levels are high...not necessarily gravel vacs (since the bacteria colonize in there, and you don't want to keep sucking them out!), but changing out 10-15 percent of the water with fresh water when you have nitrites in the tank.
I'd do a 10-15% water change (not a gravel vac!) every other day (or even every day) or so until you can get a new test kit, or until your water smells like wet dirt.
Cycling refers to the process of creating your biological filter. Unfortunately, Stress Zyme, despite it's claim, does absolutely nothin' towards this process. There are a couple ways to approach the problem.
1. Cycle with fish. This is what you're in the midst of, most likely. The fish in your tank produce ammonia. The presence of ammonia fosters the growth of bacteria which use the ammonia as a food source (more or less). Ammonia is toxic to fish though, so you have to balance leaving some for the bacteria, but not leaving so much as you harm your fishies. These ammonia-eating bacteria then spit out nitrites. Nitrites also harm your fish...so again, you have to keep changing the water, but leaving a little in there so the next group of bacteria can grow. This group is much slower to colonize, it can take a couple of weeks. When they're settling in your tank, you'll start seeing nitrates in your tank, (they eat nitrites, and spit out nitrates). When you have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and some nitrates...you have achieved a cycled tank. At this point you only need to change the water when your nitrates get high. Your bacterial colonies are still relatively suscpetible though...so when you do a gravel vac, you're likely to start seeing some small levels of ammonia and/or nitrites.
2.Fishless cycle. Basically the same process as above...except don't use any fish as an ammonia source, you use household ammonia. Kinda tricky, but guarantees your fish won't be stressed in the cycling process.
3. Bio-Spira. This product does what stress-zyme claims to do...sorta. Basically its a mixture of those 2 bacteria, kept refridgerated, and in some kinda of nutrient solution. Purportedly, you can add bio-spira, and a full tank of fish all at once, and achieve an "instant" cycle. I see that as a kind of best case scenario. I've never used the product, but my guess is that more often, its kinda like a big jump start on the cycle.
The good news? If you have nitrates, and nitrites, and no ammonia...you're in the home stretch of cycling your tank. Hopefully your fish have all gotten through the process ailment-free. It is important to keep up with water changes when your nitrite levels are high...not necessarily gravel vacs (since the bacteria colonize in there, and you don't want to keep sucking them out!), but changing out 10-15 percent of the water with fresh water when you have nitrites in the tank.
I'd do a 10-15% water change (not a gravel vac!) every other day (or even every day) or so until you can get a new test kit, or until your water smells like wet dirt.
discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
my water smells like wet dirt now?
discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
by the way sweetsuvvyb thank you very much for taking time to explain something to me. i appreciate it greatly. 
sweetsuvvyb
Aquarium Advice Freak
No problem! That's what what this site is for!
If you've got the wet dirt smell, you're in pretty good shape (ammonia smell is pretty self-explanatory, high nitrites give off kind of a sharp odor). I'd still stick to maybe doing a 10% change every other day (just siphon out the water, no gravel vac) for a week or 2 (i'd wait at least a week until your next gravel vac).
oh, and you can probably stick the stress-zyme in a dark corner ...probably don't need it
If you've got the wet dirt smell, you're in pretty good shape (ammonia smell is pretty self-explanatory, high nitrites give off kind of a sharp odor). I'd still stick to maybe doing a 10% change every other day (just siphon out the water, no gravel vac) for a week or 2 (i'd wait at least a week until your next gravel vac).
oh, and you can probably stick the stress-zyme in a dark corner
...probably don't need it discusdoodie
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
great to hear.. haha thank you!!!!
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