Stocking/Nitrate

[Matthew C.]

I have an established cycled 30 gallon freshwater aquarium, with no live plants.
I have water parameters of:
pH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0.0
Nitrite: 0.0
Nitrates:. 40.0

I use a ehiem 2215 canister filter, and my tank consists of:
14 Glofish
5 Nerite Snails
2 Red eye lantern Tetra
2 Emerald green Cory's...had 4 originally, but two passed on as did 4 of latern tetras...way before any Tetra....this was about 9 months ago
I just can't seem to keep my nitrates below 40 after 7 days or so before a water change? I use chemipure elite but it doesn't do anything...wc seem only a temporary fix...am I doing something wrong?
Am I overstocked, b/c site bioload calculator states I have more than necessary filtration....no brown or green algae,. Fish consume all I feed...and only feed once a day, every other day. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[IHaveAquariums]

I don't think you're overstocked IMO, have you tested at like a LFS and made sure the tests are reading the same and yours hasn't expired? Would be my first guess. Are you on city or well water? Some waters have some nitrate so that might adding to it. Also whats your wc schedule? And I would add a couple moss balls or java fern as low light easy to grow plants, they will consume some of the nitrates

 

[Matthew C.]

Thanks for your quick response...
Using API drop tests... 10/2020 xperation

Tested at local fish store, same parameters as I, and I have tested straight from tap as well....does stay at zero,as when I do wc
Water changes every 7-9 days

 

[Matthew C.]

I do have a slow growing anibus in there...since the very beginning

 

[Matthew C.]

Was researching moss balls last night, to see if the are good to coexist with Cory's and nerites...from what I read it's good

 

[King Fisher]

My 29g is in the same boat. At 7 days I'm at 40ppm nitrates. Has been that way for years. Although, I'm maxed on my stocking. I haven't had adverse effects from 40ppm. I think anymore than that would be an issue.

 

[King Fisher]

I have two live moss balls and I'm moderately stocked with plants. I also run 90g worth of filtration (3x the tank size) because I'm maxed out.

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Cory cats basically exist with anything so no worry about moss balls, I would clean like half of your filter pads in normal water to kill the extra bacteria because high nitrates mean the bacteria is converting it too well so I think that needs reduced, then in about 3 days do a 50% wc. That should hopefully lower it and balance it. Nitrates aren't too toxic but in excess they can be, and while 40ppm isn't great it seems to be ok for now

 

[Potluck]

40 ppm isn't bad, as mentioned you might have excess buildup in the filters, you don't want to kill the beneficial bacteria so I would just rinse filter pads in tank water from the tank you siphon out during a water change, nitrates are removed by water changes and plants, alough the plants you have aren't nitrate consuming monsters, you could be overfeeding which would explain it as if you have 40 ppm nitrate and do a 50% pwc that will bring it down to 20.

What is the nitrate of the source water (tap water) you could also have old tank syndrome.

I would test the tap see what the nitrate is of the tap, lighten up on the feeding if your overfeeding, do a thorough gravel vac to remove excess organics, clean filter pads in tank water, 30-50% pwc and test a few days later.

 

[flitabout]

After trying to work with my own issues I have 30 ppm nitrate after my 24 hour tap test. The best advice I can give you as it was given to me. Rinse out your filter pads every week during or 50% water change, gravel vacuum, stock light, feed little.
I too am fighting 40ppm nitrate in a heavily planted under stocked little fed well filtered tank. I fertilize with no KNO3 I have plants out of the top and in HOBs I do bi-weekly 50-60% water changes and still I run 30-40 ppm.
Just do your best with frequent large water changes. and remember if you are running 40ppm a 50% pwc will only bring your total nitrate down to 20 ppm. If your aren't showing any nitrate in your 24 hour tap test then you may need to several large water changes to get those numbers all the way down. Then go from there watching your nitrate levels and doing large water changes when they hit 20. This should keep it in line. If the nitrate is in your water then isn't a whole lot you can do. Anubias are very slow growing plants and will remove very little nitrate. Fast growing plants like wisteria will eat up way more of the nitrate

 

[Potluck]

After trying to work with my own issues I have 30 ppm nitrate after my 24 hour tap test. The best advice I can give you as it was given to me. Rinse out your filter pads every week during or 50% water change, gravel vacuum, stock light, feed little.
I too am fighting 40ppm nitrate in a heavily planted under stocked little fed well filtered tank. I fertilize with no KNO3 I have plants out of the top and in HOBs I do bi-weekly 50-60% water changes and still I run 30-40 ppm.
Just do your best with frequent large water changes. and remember if you are running 40ppm a 50% pwc will only bring your total nitrate down to 20 ppm. If your aren't showing any nitrate in your 24 hour tap test then you may need to several large water changes to get those numbers all the way down. Then go from there watching your nitrate levels and doing large water changes when they hit 20. This should keep it in line. If the nitrate is in your water then isn't a whole lot you can do. Anubias are very slow growing plants and will remove very little nitrate. Fast growing plants like wisteria will eat up way more of the nitrate

If you do 50% bi weekly then that's why you have 40 ppm would be around 20 if you did weekly

 

[flitabout]

Rick it's because my tap has 30ppm nitrate. It never truly drops I have tried weekly and it's 40. I tried every 2 weeks it was 40. Every experiment I have tried over the last 5 years has failed. I am down to waiting for the new water system to hook up this summer. If that doesn't help I will have to get an RO unit. That will be my last ditch effort to fix the problem. I am hoping I don't have to go that route, because that will cost a tun of money with five young kids I don't have to maintain and remineralize.

 

[echoezra]

What percentage of water are you changing during your current water changes?

 

[Potluck]

Rick it's because my tap has 30ppm nitrate. It never truly drops I have tried weekly and it's 40. I tried every 2 weeks it was 40. Every experiment I have tried over the last 5 years has failed. I am down to waiting for the new water system to hook up this summer. If that doesn't help I will have to get an RO unit. That will be my last ditch effort to fix the problem. I am hoping I don't have to go that route, because that will cost a tun of money with five young kids I don't have to maintain and remineralize.

Dilute your tap 50/50 tap to ro/di, you can put a pothos plant roots only in the tank which will help, but you can easily reduce nitrates by going 50/50 with your water changes, 40 isn't bad I know a lot of people with planted tanks keep their nitrates 30-40ppm.. Some higher, my nitrates are around 40 as well but I dose heavy weekly and I have a big stock which is fine cause I have 4x the filtration needed, I read on a different post someone uses the pur water filter you hook up the end of your faucet to reduce their nitrates.

 

[flitabout]

I have pothos and wandering jews in the hobs

 

[Kitekat87]

Floating plants such as frogbit are amazing for reducing nitrates. I had them in one of my fully stocked tanks and only ever got a reading of 5 on the nitrates. I also had them in a betta tank and never got a nitrate reading until the light broke and the frogbit died off.