My nitrate reads 20ppmm. I was wondering why is it so high? My Ammon and nitrite are 0. Feeding them 3 times a day because they are still 3 inches and below. O 4-3 in, 2xsal 3-2 in, lima 4 in, 3xsilver dollar 3-2 and JD 4-3 in a 110 gal running a fluval fx5 and Emp400. I did a 30% water change(regular w/c) and I cut back on feeding to 2 times a day but the next day it was about 40ppmm or above(forgot). I did a 60% water change that day and began to feed them twice a day. The next day nitrate was 20 ppmm. Im going to cut feeding to 1 per day. Oh yea I feed like 7 pellets every time I feed. Is it because Im overstocked or feeding too many pellets? Will this affect my fishes growth rate both feeding and nitrate? Also what nitrate level can these fishes live in without problems.
High Nitrate
- Thread starter Terrorizing Cichlid
- Start date
that does seem weird...are you using the strips or liquid tests? Those strips are USELESS IMO. Get a liquid test kit (the kind with the drops and the tubes that is!).
Your stocking levels and feeding plan sounds good...but make sure you aren't feeding any more than what the fish eat in about a minute. And if I am decoding what fish you have correctly (you have 15 total, correct?) I hope you have plans to relocate like half of those fish...your tank WILL become DRASTICALLY overstocked as they grow!
And hey...theres only one answear to nitrate problems...MORE AND LARGER WATER CHANGES!
Good Luck
Your stocking levels and feeding plan sounds good...but make sure you aren't feeding any more than what the fish eat in about a minute. And if I am decoding what fish you have correctly (you have 15 total, correct?) I hope you have plans to relocate like half of those fish...your tank WILL become DRASTICALLY overstocked as they grow!
And hey...theres only one answear to nitrate problems...MORE AND LARGER WATER CHANGES!
Good Luck
yes I have the liquid test kit, no I have 8 fishes total(1 O, 3 silver dollar, 2 sal, 1 lima and 1 JD) and thank-you for the quick reply.
Check your water supply for all water params, it is a good idea to know what your putting into your tank.
I would check you test kit against another one for varification. I actually have a bottle of test solution from API that will show double the nitrates of any other test including API.
I would check you test kit against another one for varification. I actually have a bottle of test solution from API that will show double the nitrates of any other test including API.
Assumine your tapwater doesn't have nitrates, it's simply because you have not cleaned your filters out enough, you are overfeeding, you have not siphoned the gravel or bottom of the tank consistently, and/or you are not doing water changes consistently enough for the fishload and amount of filter maintanance and siphoning you do.
How often do you break down your filters? It does NOT matter how many filters you have on your tank, or how strong they are, they will NOT eliminate nitrates unless you are running nitrates absorbing media like carbon or something similar. And even then you MUST replace it often or else it will be ineffective other than trapping waste and growing more biobacteria which will raise your nitrates, not lower it.
Nitrates are not complicated. It's not hard to figure out why you are having nitrate problems if you look at your maintanance and feeding schedule.
Nitrates are the end product of the nitrification process (elimination of nitrites and ammonia). Nitrates do not leave your tank no matter how many filters you have on your tank, and in fact if you have a lot of filters but don't maintain them often enough they will CAUSE high nitrates.
So what I'm guessing your main problem is is you are not breaking down your filters enough and replacing or rinsing off the polishing media, and you are feeding enough food that it's getting sucked into the filters and/or getting trapped in the gravel.
My 55g baby dat tank will get high nitrates really fast if I don't rinse the cartridges in the HOB filters every couple of days and do 50% water changes at least every other day. This is because I have to feed so much because of their size, and a lot of it gets sucked into the filters. Also, in return they themselves put off a lot more waste.
Also, a word of advice: Break your filters down and clean the tubes and replace/clean the polishing pads and THEN do a water change. If you still have all this detritus trapped in your filters they're just going to be pumping nitrates right back into your tank.
BTW, 20 ppm is NOT high nitrates, especially if you don't have plants in your tank, it's actually pretty good. Anything below 40ppm is acceptable for most fish, even if you'd like to keep it lower.
How often do you break down your filters? It does NOT matter how many filters you have on your tank, or how strong they are, they will NOT eliminate nitrates unless you are running nitrates absorbing media like carbon or something similar. And even then you MUST replace it often or else it will be ineffective other than trapping waste and growing more biobacteria which will raise your nitrates, not lower it.
Nitrates are not complicated. It's not hard to figure out why you are having nitrate problems if you look at your maintanance and feeding schedule.
Nitrates are the end product of the nitrification process (elimination of nitrites and ammonia). Nitrates do not leave your tank no matter how many filters you have on your tank, and in fact if you have a lot of filters but don't maintain them often enough they will CAUSE high nitrates.
So what I'm guessing your main problem is is you are not breaking down your filters enough and replacing or rinsing off the polishing media, and you are feeding enough food that it's getting sucked into the filters and/or getting trapped in the gravel.
My 55g baby dat tank will get high nitrates really fast if I don't rinse the cartridges in the HOB filters every couple of days and do 50% water changes at least every other day. This is because I have to feed so much because of their size, and a lot of it gets sucked into the filters. Also, in return they themselves put off a lot more waste.
Also, a word of advice: Break your filters down and clean the tubes and replace/clean the polishing pads and THEN do a water change. If you still have all this detritus trapped in your filters they're just going to be pumping nitrates right back into your tank.
BTW, 20 ppm is NOT high nitrates, especially if you don't have plants in your tank, it's actually pretty good. Anything below 40ppm is acceptable for most fish, even if you'd like to keep it lower.
if my nitrates are 20ppm that is great..........i am happy when i can get them that low...............most fish are ok at 50ppm some reported ok at 500ppm.........
why did you think 20 ppm is bad ???
remember the bio filter converts ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate.....the nitrate builds up.....until its reduced by water changes.
ammonia and nitrite are very toxic...nitrate is not so bad
why did you think 20 ppm is bad ???
remember the bio filter converts ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate.....the nitrate builds up.....until its reduced by water changes.
ammonia and nitrite are very toxic...nitrate is not so bad
johnptc;1047538; said:
Agreed. Other than very lightly stocked tanks, planted tanks, or tanks where someone runs nitrate absorbing media consistently, it's HARD to get nitrates below 20ppm. 20ppm is a great number. I try to keep mine below about 80 on most of my tanks.
All my weekly w/c I use the python I have, so I do vac gravel every week.
Yes I have check water supply on the day of the 60% w/c and it read 0 nitrate. Bderick I was considering the same thing.
Phoenix no missing fish and no real plants only plastic.
Shadow I havent tried cleaning media or filter because I read that canisters should be change like every month or so and I guess I can go clean my media for the emp400. I do 30% w/c every week and as stated above I always use vac. I break the Emp400 every month or so(did it 2 weeks ago) and I clean media every 2 weeks (guess I can do it every week). No carbon.
john I say its bad because it came from 0 to 20 in one day.
Oh I also did some test on my 29 gal tank w/ tetras, cats and gouramies (about 12 fish total) and it came out to about 10ppmm and I just did a 50% w/c yesterday is it normal? feed 1 per day. Leaning toward bad test kit but dont see why it would be bad. It worked well until now. Thanks for the advice Ill do it now.
Yes I have check water supply on the day of the 60% w/c and it read 0 nitrate. Bderick I was considering the same thing.
Phoenix no missing fish and no real plants only plastic.
Shadow I havent tried cleaning media or filter because I read that canisters should be change like every month or so and I guess I can go clean my media for the emp400. I do 30% w/c every week and as stated above I always use vac. I break the Emp400 every month or so(did it 2 weeks ago) and I clean media every 2 weeks (guess I can do it every week). No carbon.
john I say its bad because it came from 0 to 20 in one day.
Oh I also did some test on my 29 gal tank w/ tetras, cats and gouramies (about 12 fish total) and it came out to about 10ppmm and I just did a 50% w/c yesterday is it normal? feed 1 per day. Leaning toward bad test kit but dont see why it would be bad. It worked well until now. Thanks for the advice Ill do it now.