Why will cleaning my filter media reduce my nitrates?

[NJGourami]

I have high nitrates and was wondering why a cleaner filter would help to minimize the nitrate levels. Also I have three filters so should I clean them all at once or 1 a day for 3 days?

 

[neilanh]

cleaning your filter won't reduce your nitrates. The only way to do this by PWC, or by stocking live plants which will consume it.

 

[NJGourami]

so then what does cleaning your filter accomplish?

 

[Jarred Darque]

gets the crap off the filter so it doesnt clockup.

Also, and he didnt quite touch on this,

Your filter does pickup some debris, fish poop etc. cleanign it does get rid of it, which means that that stuff wont decay and increase the nitrates more, so inthe longrun, yes. BUT, you need to clean it in tank water, dont runit under clorinated water or you can kill of beneficial bacteria, that is unless you use a biowheel or other media that collects the bacteria, eventually all the good bacteria will be on those nad not on the filter media if you clean it often.

I clean my filters under hot tap water, all my biological filtration is either in the tank or on the biowheels, not on the filter pads

 

[theotheragentm]

To clarify what Jarred mentioned, cleaning your filter will remove some debris before it adds to the bioload, but it's generally not a good practice to continually clean the filters that often as you may be removing the food source for the bacteria which will cause problems when you are not able to do a water change and cleaning right away.

Also, when he said clean it in tank water, he means removed tank water, not in your tank. That may be obvious, but it's good to add that. Syphon some water into a bucket, and rinse out the sponges in it.

I actually don't recommend cleaning any of the filters in anything but discarded tank water, because while it may not be the biological portion primarily, even sponges, carbon filter, and the baskets that carry them have useful bacteria on them.

Do your filter changing in shifts, one a week on different weeks. That will be fine.

If you have a problem with nitrates still with weekly water changes, you are more than likely overstocked. What size is this tank, what is in it, and what is your water change/cleaning regiment?

 

[NJGourami]

Its a 75 Gallon tank. I make 50% water changes twice a week. The tank has 10 rosy barbs, 7 tiger barbs, 4 giant danios, 4 silver dollars, 1 choc plec, 2 gouramis, 1 albino rainbow shark, and 1 pictus catfish. I cant get my nitrate test kit to come up orange. My theory is if the test comes of red than it is not ideal.

 

[Jarred Darque]

ok, you are not overstocked, but a 50% water change twicea week is to much I think. I do about 20% weekly, and I wont lie...occasionally I mis my water changes. sometimes instead of doing 1 PWC a week, I might do like 1-2 gallons a day, collecting crap that collects on the sand bed in a pile

 

[rich311k]

Twice a week is fine if you want to do it. You can never do too many changes. Your fish will grow faster and look better because of it.

 

[hashbaz]

I have a few suggestions:

1. Make sure that you are not overfeeding (depending on how you look at it - this is worse than being overstocked)

2. Get a second opinion on your nitrate readings. It is possible that your test kit just doesn't work.

3. Check the nitrates of your tapwater (after verifying your test kit).

 

[NJGourami]

I got a new test kit and its reading much better than before. Nitrates at 30ish

 

[Jarred Darque]

that isnt bad at all. I mean, ideal is 0 of course, but in FW unless your planted that is virtually impossible.

I think that 20-40 is the normal range? someone correct me if I am wrong. I sit in the upper 30s lower 40s most of the time.

 

[newfound77951]

30 ppm nitrate is fine in a FW, non-planted tank.

hobby grade test kits are notoriously inaccurate. And even the good ones go bad after a year or two. if you ever doubt your test results, take some water to the LFS and have them test it (they test enough water that their kits get used up before they go bad, and they usually use good brands) or get a new test kit.

Also, the nitrate test particularly requires that the directions be followed to the letter. If it says shake for 1 minute, you have to shake for 1 minute....or you'll get bad results. All the tests are like this but nitrate is especially picky, it's just the chemistry involved in the test.

 

[theotheragentm]

You may want to keep nitrates at about 20 PPM as some fish, like Mollies, seem to have a lower tolerance for the presence of nitrates in freshwater.