Trying to reduce nitrite and nitrate.

[em_18]

Trying to work on reducing the nitrate/ite in my tank! Recommendations? I got some new filter media to help but I feel like it doesn’t help much. Everything else is testing fine except for the alkalinity which is a bit low. I have live plants (I forget the names but I can see if I can find out if that makes a difference) it’s a 5 gal and I have a Cory catfish and some guppies!

 

[Aiken Drum]

What precisely are your water parameters?

How long has the tank been running?

What fish do you have in there? What type? How many?

 

[em_18]

What precisely are your water parameters?

How long has the tank been running?

What fish do you have in there? What type? How many?

Here’s what my test strips read!

Tank has been running for about a year and a half recently added live plants instead of fake as well as switched the media after learning some more. I have two Cory cat and 4 guppies. Previous I had two black mollies and two Cory cat and it ran the same parameters.

Also due for its weekly water change of that makes a difference

 

[Colin_T]

Test the tap water for nitrate and everything else.

If you added a plant substrate, that could be leaching ammonia into the water, which is causing the nitrates to go up faster than they used to.

The easiest way to reduce ammonia, nitrite, nitrate or anything else from an aquarium is with big (75%) daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate. Do this until the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are 0ppm. Then do a 75% water change and gravel clean once a week.

If the nitrates continue to go up rapidly during the week (between water changes), then reduce the food going in or the number of fish in the tank. However, if it's the plant substrate, then you would have to remove that to stop the nitrates going up rapidly.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[Aiken Drum]

View attachment 325637

Here’s what my test strips read!

Tank has been running for about a year and a half recently added live plants instead of fake as well as switched the media after learning some more. I have two Cory cat and 4 guppies. Previous I had two black mollies and two Cory cat and it ran the same parameters.

Also due for its weekly water change of that makes a difference

Those test strips dont test for ammonia, so you could have a bigger problem than you are aware of. Test strips arent very accurate which could compound the issue.

Before doing your water change remove a sample of water. Either get a more accurate liquid test kit that tests forbpH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate or take the sample to a fish store and get them to test for you.

After 18 months your tank should have cycled but it hasnt. My opinion is that you have too many fish for a 5g tank. The tank and its filtration simply cant cope with the amount of waste that goes in. You need to either reduce the number of fish or get a bigger tank. In the meantime change 50% of the water every 2 days, and cut back on feeding. Only feed every 2 days until you decide whether to reduce fish or get a bigger tank.

You should be able to keep the 4 guppys ok in 5g, but they would be better in 10g. If you decide to keep the tank, rehome the corys. Corys are simply too big for your tank and need to be kept bigger groups than 2. If you decide to get a bigger tank, then 10g minimum, but it really depends on the type of cory. Unless its a pygmy cory or some other type of miniature cory then a 20g is the smallest size i would recommend and then getting another 4 corys will make them happier.

 

[em_18]

Those test strips dont test for ammonia, so you could have a bigger problem than you are aware of. Test strips arent very accurate which could compound the issue.

Before doing your water change remove a sample of water. Either get a more accurate liquid test kit that tests forbpH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate or take the sample to a fish store and get them to test for you.

After 18 months your tank should have cycled but it hasnt. My opinion is that you have too many fish for a 5g tank. The tank and its filtration simply cant cope with the amount of waste that goes in. You need to either reduce the number of fish or get a bigger tank. In the meantime change 50% of the water every 2 days, and cut back on feeding. Only feed every 2 days until you decide whether to reduce fish or get a bigger tank.

You should be able to keep the 4 guppys ok in 5g, but they would be better in 10g. If you decide to keep the tank, rehome the corys. Corys are simply too big for your tank and need to be kept bigger groups than 2. If you decide to get a bigger tank, then 10g minimum, but it really depends on the type of cory. Unless its a pygmy cory or some other type of miniature cory then a 20g is the smallest size i would recommend and then getting another 4 corys will make them happier.

Thank you both!! I will work to do all off that all I know is they are Cory catfish bc that’s all the label said at the pet store. If I get a ten gallon is it okay to keep all of the fish in the tank then? If I only get a ten should I keep at 2 or get some more Cory’s ?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Unless you know the type of cory then i would go for a 20g tank. They will obviously be better in 10g than 5g though. If you can only go 10g then stick with the 2 corys but dont get any more.

Post a photo and see if we identify them. How big are they?

 

[em_18]

Unless you know the type of cory then i would go for a 20g tank. They will obviously be better in 10g than 5g though. If you can only go 10g then stick with the 2 corys but dont get any more.

Post a photo and see if we identify them. How big are they?

This is the only photo I have on hand but if not good enough I will snag one when I get home tonight! All I know is the albino one about two inches long the other is black spotted and about 2.5-3 inches long!

 

[Aiken Drum]

Yeah. They are way too big for a 5 or 10g tank and will be creating more waste than your filtration can handle.

As said 10g is going to be better than 5g, but they really need to be in 20g +. They should really be single species and in a bigger group. Fish will often make the best of a bad situation, but it will be survive rather than thrive.

I should also point out that substrate doesnt look very good for an aquarium. The large stones will trap detritus, which decomposes and adds to your poor water quality. Regular gravel or sand would be better than larger stones

 

[em_18]

Yeah. They are way too big for a 5 or 10g tank and will be creating more waste than your filtration can handle.

As said 10g is going to be better than 5g, but they really need to be in 20g +. They should really be single species and in a bigger group. Fish will often make the best of a bad situation, but it will be survive rather than thrive.

I should also point out that substrate doesnt look very good for an aquarium. The large stones will trap detritus, which decomposes and adds to your poor water quality. Regular gravel or sand would be better than larger stones

Okay I will look into a 20g today! Because i already have the guppies should I look into rehoming or just wait until the pass and not replenish? Also I just bought sand the other week so I will put that in when I get the 20g!

 

[Aiken Drum]

If you are planning on keeping the 5g and setting up a new 20g, then the guppies can either be kept in the 5g or moved to the larger tank. 4 guppies in 5g will be ok, although they would be better in the larger tank.

The new tank will need cycling. I would move the corys and the guppies if thats your plan, and do a fish in cycle? Do you know how to do a fish in cycle? Taking a handful of the pebbles from the 5g and scattering them onto the new substrate of the 20g will help establish your cycle quicker.

Do you know the sexes of the guppies? If you have males and females be prepared to have an abundance of baby guppies.

Once your 20g has cycled enough for whatever fish you move there, then you should look at a few more corys. Try and get the same species as one of the ones you already have. After that slowly add in more fish, more guppies or maybe something different.

 

[Colin_T]

In America they do a 20 gallon tall and a 20 gallon long tank. I'm not sure whether Canada is the same but a 20 gallon long is better because it is longer than the 20g tall. So if you do have 20g tall and 20g long tanks there, get the 20g long.