High Nitrates?

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lighthouse39183

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
313
1
18
Mississippi
I'm having a problem with the nitrates in my 125 gallon. They are staying at 20ppm and I am doing daily water changes to keep them down to that. I just did a filter cleaning 2 weeks ago. I have a Fluval FX5 on the tank. It is loaded down with carbon, bio media, polishing pads, and clearmax. I vaccum the gravel with each daily 25% water change. My nitrites are reading 0 and my ammonia is reading 0 as well. It just seems like no matter how much or how often I do a water change nothing is improving. I add Amquel Plus with each water change as well. My water is not crystal clear either. It has a very faint cloudiness to it. Looking at it from the front it appears clear but looking from the end of the tank you can tell it is a little cloudy. I have a 9" oscar, 2 bumble bee cichlids (4" and 3"), 1- 4" giraffe hap, 1-4" electric blue hap, 1- 6 1/2" trewavasae, 1- 4" severum, 1- 5" pictus cat, 1- 6" pleco, 2- bala sharks (4" and 3"), 1- 4" kenyi, 1- 3 1/2" red zebra, and 5 tiger barbs in the tank. Is this overstocked? I have a bubble curtain running against the back wall. I know cichlids are nasty fish. Do I just need to break down the filter and do another cleaning on it as well as more water changes? Any suggestions? :confused:
 
I can take the tiger barbs out and put them in my 50 gallon. I need to leave the bala sharks in the big tank for obvious reasons. I can put my pictus in my 30 gallon community tank I think. Would this help?
 
Why are you using Amquel? Thats for ammonia correct? If so, stop using it. Your biological filtration will handle the load, as long as you have enough media in your Fx5.

How do you have your Fx5 loaded?

You do have a large stocking list but not to bad. You may want to invest in some chemical nitrate filtration or look into building a biological nitrate filter.
 
it is your tap water check the nitrate it is probably at least 10-15ppm
your stock doesnt sound that bad just a little random
you should probably condense and try to go in a specific direction with the tank ;)
 
I agree, it is overstocked. Try feeding only every other day and as long as nitrates remain under 40ppm, your fish should be OK. Continue with the regular water changes and forget about all those chemical additives. Get lots of aeration in the tank, too.
 
The amquel is a de-chlorinator but helps with nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. I don't use it every water change. I have aquasafe that I use as a de-chlorinator on days I don't add the amquel. I have carbon in all of the baskets, prefilter in the top, biomedia in middle and bottom, Clearmax in the bottom, and thin polishing pads in all three baskets.
 
lighthouse39183;2901152; said:
The amquel is a de-chlorinator but helps with nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. I don't use it every water change. I have aquasafe that I use as a de-chlorinator on days I don't add the amquel. I have carbon in all of the baskets, prefilter in the top, biomedia in middle and bottom, Clearmax in the bottom, and thin polishing pads in all three baskets.
Click to expand...
then of your mostly african go that direction
nix the oscar the severum and the bala sharks and see where you are
 
Can't nix the oscar. I don't have another tank for him. Plus he is the most peaceful fish in the tank. I can put the tiger barbs and pictus in another tank.
 
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