Immediate Help Please! High Nitrate

[BettaGal]

I would say give them their fertilizer so they can grow and use some of your nitrates. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think if they are fertilized they would be able to use the nitrates while they're growing.

 

[bkiggy]

I keep lights on 10hrs - use Flourish Tabs and API root tabs - do ferts affect NitrAtes ?

 

[BettaGal]

I don't think so. I think they just give the plants iron and potassium.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

The only root fert that I know of that will push up nitrate levels are DIY Osmocote Plus. The API and Seachem tabs won't raise or lower levels. They're great to use.

 

[bkiggy]

Well did a HUGE gravel vac and WC 3 hours ago. Here are the nitrate levels today +/- 30
I also did plant maintenance - trimmed overgrown and removed dead leaves

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Looks like 10 in the picture. Pretty much perfect for plants! Nice work.

 

[bkiggy]

So maybe stop worrying so much that I have high nitrates and all my fish are going to die?!! LOL
10 sound better than 30

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Hopefully your work will be rewarded with healthy fish. Just feed lightly and watch to see if your nitrates spike again. With a clean tank, clean filters and no overfeeding your tank should recover. A good water change once a week will really help to keep all your fish in fine shape.

I've been overfeeding a little lately and algae is just starting to show up. -_- My nitrate test looked just like yours (about 15ppm).

 

[bkiggy]

Mine was up to 80!! WC WC WC !!! over feeding

 

[bkiggy]

I have a new feeding/cleaning schedule to help nitrAte control. Feed AM, Clean/ gravel vac, WC in PM. Every 3 days . At least the gravel vac will get out what they didn't eat earlier in day

 

[CorallineAlgae]

There should never be any food left over after about 20-60 seconds. Any more food than that and it's way to much. I was feeding what the fish could eat in 30 seconds twice a day and it was still overfeeding! >_<

 

[bkiggy]

Well with 13 Cory's and a Pictus fighting for food, i spread it out throughout the tank. Sprinkle flakes at top for danios and guppies

 

[bkiggy]

So what do you think? 30/40 +/- ppm ? NitrAtes
I only feed a little every 3 days and do 50% WC at night after being fed in am - and it is STILL high... and I have Seachem De*Nitrate in filter

 

[bkiggy]

Does it take a long time for Nitrates to go down? Despite WC and filter media ?

 

[Hholly]

How deep are you gravel vacuuming? If not very deep, really jam the vac down in there. You'll be amazed how much gunk comes out. Does your tap water have nitrates?

 

[bkiggy]

DEEP! Nobody gravel vacs as well as I do!! No nitrates in water source

 

[Hholly]

Purigen might help.

 

[bkiggy]

Yep have that too. Have 2 trays of BioMax, 2 trays of De*Nitrate, 1/2 ammonia 1/2 carbon, 2 trays of foam/poly
Fluval 406

 

[BettaGal]

Maybe try doing daily water changes for a while. Get them down and watch them closely. After a while, if they stay low for a few days, don't do a water change until it goes up to like 20 ish. If this is a bad idea, someone here can correct me, but as far as I know it should help out.

 

[bkiggy]

I did daily 50% WC for 2 weeks. Got to hard on my back.... Just cleaned out canister filter. Did 50% WC