Driftwood a source of Nitrates?
- Thread starter lujor
- Start date
Note that driftwood varies considerably in density, even from tree to tree of the same species. If your' driftwood was breaking down you should see it from the plecos grazing.
And I agree with the sand guy as well. Sand traps detritus you don't need.
And I agree with the sand guy as well. Sand traps detritus you don't need.
Defeatist;4445206; said:u didn't ask how many tho
Are you suggesting it's common practice to not mention the number of fish in a tank when you list the stock?
I to have had same problem whith my 75 gal . how much gravel should be on the bottom of the tank, i'm new at this. maybe I have to much.
LOL (RBP)Pretty much covered this in post #5.Defeatist;4445206;4445206 said:u didn't ask how many tho
Wierd problem.
Listing the stock type/number would seem a reasonable request when aking for imput.
I really don't think you have an issue at all.
40-60 ppm nitrate is not unusual at all for messy fish like RBP's, especially five 6" ones in a 75g.
even though you don't overfeed, when you do feed, piranhas are very messy. ie they leave lots of bit/scraps of food in the tank that decay and create nitrates.
having said that, you don't need to kill yourself trying to get your nitrates lower.
that level is perfectly fine provided it doesn't climb higher and you are keeping up with your weekly water changes. many of us with monster fish rarely have nitrate levels below 50 mg/L (ppm) even with massive weekly water changes. its impossible unless you are changing your tank water daily which is not needed.
as long as your fish are not showing signs of infections indirectly caused by poor water quality (ie cloudy eye, pop eye, fin rot or fungus) and your nitrites/ammo remain zero, I would just keep up with your regular weekly water change and don't worry about it.
having said all that, if your pleco was eating the wood, it certainly creates a lot of detritus in the tank as he digests. with the driftwood/pleco moved to another tank, your nitrate levels will start to fall over time as this source will be eliminated and your water change schedule will remain the same. so your nitrates should read a little lower in the future.
good luck
40-60 ppm nitrate is not unusual at all for messy fish like RBP's, especially five 6" ones in a 75g.
even though you don't overfeed, when you do feed, piranhas are very messy. ie they leave lots of bit/scraps of food in the tank that decay and create nitrates.
having said that, you don't need to kill yourself trying to get your nitrates lower.
that level is perfectly fine provided it doesn't climb higher and you are keeping up with your weekly water changes. many of us with monster fish rarely have nitrate levels below 50 mg/L (ppm) even with massive weekly water changes. its impossible unless you are changing your tank water daily which is not needed.
as long as your fish are not showing signs of infections indirectly caused by poor water quality (ie cloudy eye, pop eye, fin rot or fungus) and your nitrites/ammo remain zero, I would just keep up with your regular weekly water change and don't worry about it.
having said all that, if your pleco was eating the wood, it certainly creates a lot of detritus in the tank as he digests. with the driftwood/pleco moved to another tank, your nitrate levels will start to fall over time as this source will be eliminated and your water change schedule will remain the same. so your nitrates should read a little lower in the future.
good luck
I may not have been clear. My pleco is in the 240gal not the 75gal with the RBPs. I was going to move the DW out of the RBP tank and put it in with the pleco so it could chow on it.
Also, it is an API test kit. I follow the steps exactly. My job involves lab work, so I appreciate (even if I don't always understand) how specific I need to be when testing. The test tube caps often leak a little bit which certainly affects the test results, but how much I do not know.
I don't have sand. The substrate is black gravel EcoComplete
Also, it is an API test kit. I follow the steps exactly. My job involves lab work, so I appreciate (even if I don't always understand) how specific I need to be when testing. The test tube caps often leak a little bit which certainly affects the test results, but how much I do not know.
I don't have sand. The substrate is black gravel EcoComplete
