ideal level of nitrate?

[svtim]

so what would it be i have two tanks at about 10 to 20 ppm and one at 40 to 80 ppm what is to high.

 

[bigspizz]

Depends on the stock, and your goal...

 

[svtim]

healthy fish is my goal i wouldn't think stock should matter but correct me if im wrong.

 

[bigspizz]

Some fish are more sensitive to nitrates, so yes, you are wrong. I can tell you that 80ppm is pretty darn high, and should be avoided.....

 

[svtim]

ok thanks i dont think my emperor 400 will do the job ne more the stock is a 2 foot fire eel and a 9 inch bifa i also have a power head with a sponge to circulate the water hmmm new tank set up in progress i guess in order another excuss to get another tank.

 

[johnptc]

ideal is 0 .......... fish tolerate various levels but the damage caused is not always clear or understood

 

[svtim]

im talking nitate not nitrite. dont you want nitrates to kill the nitrites.

 

[johnptc]

ok thanks i dont think my emperor 400 will do the job ne more the stock is a 2 foot fire eel and a 9 inch bifa i also have a power head with a sponge to circulate the water hmmm new tank set up in progress i guess in order another excuss to get another tank.

water changes reduce nitrates not normal filtration

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

You have ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. The first 2 are highly toxic to fish and then nitrate is alot less toxic and most of the time only is a problem in very high numbers. But ideally if we could have it, you would want all of them to be zero. You get ammonia in your tank from fish waste then a type of bacteria eats this ammonia and its waste is nitrite then another type of bacteria eats the nitrite and its waste is nitrate. Or better known as the nitrogen cycle.

 

[tak]

You could make a DIY denitrator. But you have to be careful of ammonium sulfide, if the output is not regulated correctly.