Nitrates for 3 of my tanks. Ta-da

[pettygil]

Nitrates for 3 of my tanks. Ta-da
40 high tank is...5.0 ppm, this is right after water change
I was due to do a wc. It has been almost a month since my last wc.
6.5 tank nitrates 0 ppm, right after wc
Last wc few weeks ago.
6.5 tank nitrates ...5.0 ppm ..right after wc, few week ago.
All tanks are 0 for ammonia

[Joe_D]

In a cycled tank it is normal to have some nitrates.
Nitrates are not toxic to fish unless it is in very high amounts.
it is important not to confuse Nitrate with Nitrite
Nitrite is what you want to get rid of.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Joe_D

In a cycled tank it is normal to have some nitrates.
Nitrates are not toxic to fish unless it is in very high amounts.
it is important not to confuse Nitrate with Nitrite
Nitrite is what you want to get rid of.

I have 0 Nitrites for all tanks. How high can the Nitrates be to be toxic? Thanks for your reply. Yea at first I used to get confuse to, but not like now. I know the difference. Maybe all the water testing I do.

[Andy Sager]

Those numbers are good but it's more important to know what the levels are BEFORE the water changes. THAT is what helps tell you whether you are waiting too long to do water changes.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

Those numbers are good but it's more important to know what the levels are BEFORE the water changes. THAT is what helps tell you whether you are waiting too long to do water changes.

I agree. I know what the levels are before wc. and after. I am going through
a lot of api test kits. Cause I have 3 tanks. I check on the water, then, i have to check it again. I really feel like a mad scientist.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by pettygil

I agree. I know what the levels are before wc. and after. I am going through
a lot of api test kits. Cause I have 3 tanks. I check on the water, then, i have to check it again. I really feel like a mad scientist.

I know that feeling.
You don't really need to test after the water changes because the math will tell you how far the numbers fall. If you have a reading of 40 ppm and you do a 25% water change, your number will fall to approx 30 ppm ( 25% of 40 = 10. 40 - 10 = 30.) assuming you are not adding nitrate from your refill water. That should help you save on the nitrate reagents.

[Joe_D]

....I have 0 Nitrites for all tanks. How high can the Nitrates be to be toxic?

That is something that can not be agreed on. Some say they run high nitrates with no bad effects.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by Joe_D

That is something that can not be agreed on. Some say they run high nitrates with no bad effects.

Actually, high nitrates will effect the fish over the long term unlike ammonia and nitrite which will effect the fish in the short term. You can read the signs of it in these articles: https://www.petmd.com/fish/care/how-...-your-aquarium

https://www.aqueon.com/articles/fres...-water-quality

and if you are really into the science: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...47651320311258

What is under debate is how much is too much and that answer is really different between fish species. What's not under debate is that low nitrate do not effect the fish while it may effect the live plants in a tank. So as with most things in Tropical Fish Keeping, it's all situational.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

Actually, high nitrates will effect the fish over the long term unlike ammonia and nitrite which will effect the fish in the short term. You can read the signs of it in these articles: https://www.petmd.com/fish/care/how-...-your-aquarium

https://www.aqueon.com/articles/fres...-water-quality

and if you are really into the science: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...47651320311258

What is under debate is how much is too much and that answer is really different between fish species. What's not under debate is that low nitrate do not effect the fish while it may effect the live plants in a tank. So as with most things in Tropical Fish Keeping, it's all situational.

Thank you for the links. Also one of my fish died in my 40 gallon high. The water is fine. I checked it. Maybe the fish was old. I am not sure though. It was one of my neon that died. Well I have 20 more on the way. cause they like to school. I will check out the links you sent me.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by pettygil

Thank you for the links. Also one of my fish died in my 40 gallon high. The water is fine. I checked it. Maybe the fish was old. I am not sure though. It was one of my neon that died. Well I have 20 more on the way. cause they like to school. I will check out the links you sent me.

Actually the links were for Joe_D but feel free to look at them as well. And yes, when it's a single fish having the issue vs the tank, it's probably just a single fish issue and nothing to worry about. If more of them start to drop off now, one by one daily or in mass, you'd need to address that.

[Joe_D]

Like I said, how high it too high can not be agreed on and it has just been shown to be true in this thread.

[pettygil]

Originally Posted by Joe_D

Like I said, how high it too high can not be agreed on and it has just been shown to be true in this thread.

I got 80 pm for Nitrates. I did a 50 precent WC on my 40 gallon tank. I got down to 10 to 20 PPM. I also put a Nitrate pad in my filter. I hope this helps with the high Nitrates. My other tanks do not have high Nitrates. Well one of the tanks did. However the Nitrates went down, with the Nitrate pad.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by Joe_D

Like I said, how high it too high can not be agreed on and it has just been shown to be true in this thread.

As I said before, it will depend on the specie. Some can take more than others.

[Joe_D]

We are now just "arguing' semantics.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by Joe_D

We are now just "arguing' semantics.

A) We are not arguing, we are discussing.

B) it's not semantics. There will never be an accurate consensus agreement when one fish specie can handle , say, 100 PPM max and another specie can only handle, say 50 PPM max. The max amount will always depend on what species is in the tank.

C) That's all I'm saying. The rest of you can argue but it won't change that fact.

[Joe_D]

Again, you only wish to deal with semantics.

BTW....
Definition of an argument.........
a reason for or against something. b. : a discussion in which arguments are presented : debate. 2. : an angry disagreement : quarrel.