About two days ago here was my stock: 13" red Oscar, 8" red head, 6" Blackbelt, 2 7" red tail tinfoil barbs, 4" flowerhorn, 4" Raphael cat, 8" walking cat, 5" red tail shark. Here is my current stock, as I sold off a lot of the larger fish: 13" red Oscar, 8" walking cat, 4" Raphael cat, 5" redtail shark, 6" golden severum(new). After I sold the redhead, blackbelt, barbs and flowerhorn. I did 50% water change as always. Tested my nitrates and they were between 80-160ppm!!! Over the next two days, I changed 80-100% of the water, I checked the nitrates again and their still 80+!! Its a 125g with two marineland c360 canisters and a 80g fluval hang on the back. regular weekly 50% water changes. Im using an API test kit and heard they have a tendency to be off on the Nitrates. Anybody?? My sponges were rinsed and replaced last week, and the bio max and bio balls rinsed only with tank water. Thanks in advance!
Need some help...Nitrates.
- Thread starter mahoney709
- Start date
This would be my guess as well. There has to be a collection of detritus somewhere that isn't getting removed, for the nitrates to still be so high.
The tank was cycled months ago. Current stock: 1 Oscar, 1 severum, 1 walking cat, 1 red tail shark, 1 Raphael cat. Once - twice a week ALL décor is removed and I use silica sand, so all the waste just sits on the top of the sand and its vacumed EVERY time I do a water change.
Also the water is crystal clear.. ammonia is 0 nitrites are 0 everything is fine other then the nitrates.
I would continue changing a good portion of the water daily until they come down, assuming you've done all the necessary cleaning, looking for detritus, etc...
The colors can be hard to read, maybe you misread the first time and they started out even higher than 160ppm.
The colors can be hard to read, maybe you misread the first time and they started out even higher than 160ppm.