Nitrate levels

[danielsaylor]

I am having a hard time getting my nitrate levels to come down. They are very high. My fish are fine and lively. Anyway to fix issue. I have done 2 20 to 30 percent water changes in last week.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by danielsaylor

I am having a hard time getting my nitrate levels to come down. They are very high. My fish are fine and lively. Anyway to fix issue. I have done 2 20 to 30 percent water changes in last week.

What is the actual level?

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Check your aquarium water and your tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Depending on where you live, you might have nitrates in the tap water.

If your tank is new and the filter is still cycling (developing the beneficial bacteria used to convert ammonia into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate), you might have a nitrite reading in the water and this will show up as nitrate. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and can give you a false reading if there is nitrite in the water.

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Small water changes don't do anything. Bigger water changes dilute things much more effectively. I usually do a 75% water change every day until the levels are 0ppm.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

If you do a 25% water change each week you leave behind 75% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 50% water change each week you leave behind 50% of the bad stuff in the water.
If you do a 75% water change each week you leave behind 25% of the bad stuff in the water.

[Magaratz]

Remember dead plant residue will also contribute to higher numbers.

[Joe_D]

Keep in mind that Nitrate is not toxic to fish unless it is at a very high level.
Also, plants need nitrate to flourish..
Do not confuse Nitrate with Nitrite which is toxic even at lower levels.

No one can even really agree what is considered a high rate of nitrate in an aquarium

So, if all fish are doing great, do not worry about nitrates/
Just continue your water changes

[larochem595]

Try getting some hornwort and floating it in your tank. It is great at reducing nitrates. You can find it online pretty easily.

Also check your tap water nitrates. When I lived with my parents, I discovered that their well water had super high nitrates so I couldn't use it in my tank (it's starting point was 30.) I suspect that either their well was placed too close to the leech field of their septic system (eww ��)or that there was runoff from when there were farms on their land. Every week I had to lug water from a family member's house to my parents' house to do my water changes. Needless to say, they drink bottled water now.

[Joe_D]

I actually have some hornwort anchored and some frogbit floating

[larochem595]

Originally Posted by Joe_D

I actually have some hornwort anchored and some frogbit floating

Nice!!
I do too! My city recently changed something about the water supply and I am starting at 0 nitrates. My tank has had very low nitrates so the hornwort isn't really thriving.

[Joe_D]

In addition, I have some Anacharis that will put down roots