help with high nitrates

[troutking]

my nitrates level is really high and the general hardness is too. i dont want to do a huge water change b/c im afraid of raising the hardness higher. what should i do. my fish are fine and been living there for a long time. do u think its my api test strips are reading false readings

 

[cichlid2006]

if its the dip sticks then they are not very accurate. the liquid tests are far more accurate.
ive just tested my tank with a test strip and my nitrites are zero but it says my nitrates are higher than 200ppm cos the colour is darker than the reference. but i also know that if my nitrates were that high then all my fish would be ill 90% of the time. i also have live plants to help keep nitrates under control so i know the strips are very innacurate. saying that i do need a liquid kit.

 

[Potts050]

my nitrates level is really high and the general hardness is too. i dont want to do a huge water change b/c im afraid of raising the hardness higher. what should i do. my fish are fine and been living there for a long time. do u think its my api test strips are reading false readings

Why would a water change increase the hardness? Do you have really hard tap water? You could use RO water which will reduce the hardness and bring down your nitrates.

 

[FSM]

Get your water tested at the fish store, they'll do it for free.




Lowering nitrates is super easy. Do water changes.
Do small ones every day for several days until you get it lowered, and keep it from getting too high after that.

 

[B_IN_SD]

How frequent are you doing water changes and what % of water do you change ?

 

[pdbrady]

Water changes, water changes, water changes. Your hardness shouldn't increase that much. Your tap would have to come out in chunks. Don't do one massive change, do multiple small ones daily to start. As asked already, what's your waterchange schedule, amount, stock, tank size....so on?

 

[V1xIII]

Hardness will increase in a tank from water evaporating and adding more to top it off repeatedly, not from changing it.

 

[navygirl76]

i would ditch the strips and get a good API freshwater test kit-they are easy to use. then test your water. i suggest you do waterchanges, as your water hardness shouldnt go up with waterchanges.

i try to keep my nitrates under 40 ppm for my overstocked africans-and they are fine. some keep nitrates lower, i just cant seem to .

best of luck! let us know how it goes..

waterchanges, waterchanges, waterchanges...

 

[troutking]

if its the dip sticks then they are not very accurate. the liquid tests are far more accurate.
ive just tested my tank with a test strip and my nitrites are zero but it says my nitrates are higher than 200ppm cos the colour is darker than the reference. but i also know that if my nitrates were that high then all my fish would be ill 90% of the time. i also have live plants to help keep nitrates under control so i know the strips are very innacurate. saying that i do need a liquid kit.

same with me. the test strips says my nitrites is 0 and the nitrates is over 200ppm. is says my general hardness is over180ppm. if my test kits are wrong should i just get a new one

 

[chesterthehero]

yes.. trash the strips and get the liquid master kit ($25)
then test yer tank.. and test your tap water so you know what you are starting with