Nitrates need to die!

[becca22]

Hi I have a 75g with a Fluvial fx6 (for up tp 400g) with about 40 child, 10 large and 30 1-3in". I have aggression but no fin damage or signs of stress. I changed half the water for 4 days to get the 80 nitrates to 20. I wait half a week and they are back at 60. I change half the water last night and now they are at 50 but I'm getting some slight nitrite readings. I am using sponge as a bio media in my fluvial, should I change that to something more effective? I also use carbon, purigen, and poly filters. I moved about a month ago but have had this nitrate problem always. Could my NITRITE issue be because of the move and its a delay reaction? Or am I being too vigorous with the water changes? The filter is about a half a month over due changing, but I didn't want to change it because of the move. Help please

Thank you!
Becca

 

[2xEcho]

It sounds like you are over stocked. All the fish waste is ammonia, which is converted to nitrite and then nitrate. Is your aquarium planted? Plants help to take up some of the nitrates. That is a lot of fish for a 75 gal. I have a total of 11 rainbow fish at about an inch each, 4 goldfish at about 3 inches each, 14 neons and 7 diamond tetras with a 2 inch red tail shark and 4 1-2 inch blue spot sun fish. My tank is close to max stocked with a filstar L canister rated for more than double my tank size. Having 10 large and 30 small/medium fish is pushing the biological load, even with a large filter.
The filter helps get rid of ammonia and nitrites, but results in all the waste being turned into nitrates...no amount of filtering will get rid of the nitrates, only water changes will do that.

Good luck!

 

[becca22]

It is a lot of fish, but African Cichlids need to be overstocked to dispute their aggression. I think I am just going to add matrix to some of the chambers in the fx6.

 

[keegster803]

What did you stock in there? Peacocks? Haps?


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