Nitrates wont go down.

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Mustangman11224

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Mar 12, 2013
Messages
400
Hey all, I am fishless cycling my 75 gal tank. I'm into day five and my amonia, and nitrites are zero. But my nitrates won't go down. I did a 25% water change, and I checked my permitters and no change. So I did a 50% water change and still no change. The only thing I did today was add plants and plant food and now my nitrates are stuck at 40ppm will
This spoil
My cycle and kill the plants?
Thanks for the help
Dan
 
My tap water does not have nitrates, and I am fishless cycling with filter media from one of my other tanks. I have been dosing with ammonia every day. Could it be the plant supplement I added?
 
Hi

I would only add ammonia every few days. The more you add, the more is converted in to nitrates and the more will be converted in to nitrates.

You are probably adding more ammonia than a correctly stocked and fed tank would produce. A heavily planted tank will also help to bring the nitrates down.

Cal.
 
It's not uncommon to have high nitrates at the end of the cycling process. It can take several water changes to get them down. My 46g had 40+ nitrates for a week or two at the end. It took me multiple 50%+ water changes over about 2 weeks to get nitrates in check. Ever since they stay <10. I will add I had fish in.
 
You added seeded media from another tank and between that and the plants your tank is cycled. To verify this dose 2-4ppm of ammonia and in 24 hours see if your ammonia and nitrite readings are 0. If so your ready for fish.

And doing several WC's is the only way to lower nitrates.
 
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