Hi, I have a 55 gallon fresh water Cichlid tank 2 aqua clear 110 hob filters. 1 air stone. 1 Texas and a couple Gouriams. I am not able to get the nitrates to come down. The nitrates at are at 80 ppm. I am using the api liquid test kit. The amn-0 nitrite-0 ph-7.5 kh-2 temp 80degres F. I did not always change the water every week like i should have. After reading reading here about what the nitrate is and understanding it I have been trying to lower the level. I have done several water changes this week but the nitrate has not moved that much. I have always used a gravel vac and the gravel is clean. Anyone have an opinion on how I can lower the nitrate level.
high nitrates
- Thread starter Turion2112
- Start date
50% every other day until it comes down to a manageable level. Might also want to change out the mechanical media. Or you could always dangle a Pothos plant's roots into the water. They'll suck the nitrates up.
Water change every other of 50 percent will ok to the fish? Can the filter media contribute to the nitrate level? I did not think it did.
The plant idea sounds good to me i should leave the roots in the tank for a few days?
thanks
The plant idea sounds good to me i should leave the roots in the tank for a few days?
thanks
80ppm is kinda high, but it's not high enough to shock your fish when you introduce clean water. Or you could do an 80% today, an 80% tomorrow and be done with it.
If the mechanical media has a lot of gunk in it, it's going to be producing a lot of ammonia, which will go through the cycle and end up as a bunch of nitrate.
You could find a way to leave the plant in permanently, and it'll keep your nitrates at 5ppm or less. Pothos prefers indirect light, anyways, so just the ambient light would be enough. You'd still have to perform water changes to remove organics and replenish essential elements, but you could reduce water changes without worrying about nitrates.
If the mechanical media has a lot of gunk in it, it's going to be producing a lot of ammonia, which will go through the cycle and end up as a bunch of nitrate.
You could find a way to leave the plant in permanently, and it'll keep your nitrates at 5ppm or less. Pothos prefers indirect light, anyways, so just the ambient light would be enough. You'd still have to perform water changes to remove organics and replenish essential elements, but you could reduce water changes without worrying about nitrates.
Ghost9001;4789434; said:
They do (after all, I doubt shutting down an organism's immune system would be considered "not that much"), it's just that it takes a much higher concentration than it would be if it were ammonia or nitrite.
Make sure to clean your filters on a regular basis. You'll be surprised that your nitrates can drop quite a bit just by cleaning your filters if you don't clean them on a regular basis. Make sure to test your tap water, your tap could have a high nitrate reading which could be the reason why your nitrates aren't dropping.
Ghost9001;4789434; said:
Compared to Nitrites I suppose
but don't help anymoar k
Turion2112;4789391; said:
The Solution to Pollution is Dilution