50 Gallon Nitrates

[ThomasG07]

After a 50 gallon is cycled, how long should it take for the tank to build up to let's say 20 ppm nitrates

 

[shellieca]

After a 50 gallon is cycled, how long should it take for the tank to build up to let's say 20 ppm nitrates

You should have nitrates before the cycle has completed, ammonia ~ nitrites ~ nitrates. As for how high your nitrates will be depends on stocking, filtration, etc.

 

[ThomasG07]

You should have nitrates before the cycle has completed, ammonia ~ nitrites ~ nitrates. As for how high your nitrates will be depends on stocking, filtration, etc.

I mean after it is cycled and I do a water change. How quickly should nitrates accumulate

 

[echoDreamz]

I mean after it is cycled and I do a water change. How quickly should nitrates accumulate

This as said above depends on your stock and filtration. There is no set rate.

 

[shellieca]

I mean after it is cycled and I do a water change. How quickly should nitrates accumulate

Well, I have a 46g, 8 female Bettas, 2 CAE's, 1 Mystery snail, an Aqueon 50 HOB filter. I did my weekly 50%+ water change, changed out the filter because it needed it, rinsing it in tank water 1st. I tested my water an hour or so after the water change & had virtually no nitrates, tested my water about 18 hrs later & had 5-10 nitrates. However if I hadn't changed out my filter I would've had nitrates when I tested after the water change. Your nitrates, if I'm not mistaken, shouldn't disappear unless your tap water has 0 & you do a HUGE almost 100% water change, I could be wrong & someone will correct me.

 

[librarygirl]

As said above there's no set rate. Tank size, fish stocking, feeding, etc all play a role. A smaller tank with many fish will likely produce more nitrate than a larger tank with the same number of fish. As long as nitrates stay <20 between each weekly water change then I wouldn't worry. If they start to rise more than that (40+) then you'll have to either do two water changes weekly or adjust your stocking/feeding routine (unless your tap water has large amounts of nitrates, which is another issue but can be addressed if needed).

 

[ThomasG07]

I have 2 opaline gouramis, 2 dwarf gouramis, 2 sunburst platys, 2 red tail sharks, 1 African leaf fish, 1 common pleco and 1 cobalt blue lobster. I do a water change very two weeks to clean the gravel and never have nitrates. I have two AC 50 filters and I feed twice a day

 

[jlk]

What are you using to test your nitrates? If your only changing the water 2x a month and your getting a zero nitrate reading, something is wrong either with the test itself or with the way your testing unless the tank is VERY heavily planted.

 

[librarygirl]

With all of those fish, most of which have pretty heavy bioloads, you should be seeing some nitrate. What test kit are you using? STrips aren't very accurate. The API kit is finnicky and needs to be done correctly or else you can get false readings. Shake and bang both nitrate bottles for 30 seconds then after adding the amount of drops to the tube (be sure you add the drops in the right order) shake the tube vigorously for 60 seconds then wait a full 5 minutes for the results.

FYI you're going to have problems with your stocking:
Red tailed black sharks should be kept alone; they are aggressive with their own species, so eventually it's likely one will kill the other.
You shouldn't mix Gourami types: the OPalines are likely to go after the dwarfs or vice versa
Common plecos can grow up to 18+ inches. I'd rehome it now as your tank size and filtration aren't enough to sustain this fish.

 

[ThomasG07]

With all of those fish, most of which have pretty heavy bioloads, you should be seeing some nitrate. What test kit are you using? STrips aren't very accurate. The API kit is finnicky and needs to be done correctly or else you can get false readings. Shake and bang both nitrate bottles for 30 seconds then after adding the amount of drops to the tube (be sure you add the drops in the right order) shake the tube vigorously for 60 seconds then wait a full 5 minutes for the results.

FYI you're going to have problems with your stocking:
Red tailed black sharks should be kept alone; they are aggressive with their own species, so eventually it's likely one will kill the other.
You shouldn't mix Gourami types: the OPalines are likely to go after the dwarfs or vice versa
Common plecos can grow up to 18+ inches. I'd rehome it now as your tank size and filtration aren't enough to sustain this fish.

My red tails do not fight at all and have both claimed and stay on their respected sides of the tank. The gouramis have never been aggressive with each other and the pleco is only 3 inches right now and will have a place to go when it gets bigger. Any of my fish are lucky to be alive with the my lobster in the tank. He has gotten two black Molly's so far and I look forward to seeing him hunt and kill again