nitrate stay the same
- Thread starter Richard203
- Start date
So the nitrate was 40ppm when you started this thread, and when you wrote the above quote you had 0ppm nitrate and 1ppm ammonia?
Did you clean the filter in between the first post and the one I quoted? Because if you now have 0 nitrate and any ammonia at all, it sounds like you've messed up your cycle somewhere.
that was my tap water result when they ask for my tap water.
Most likely just not changing enough like others have mentioned. I'd shoot for 35-45% change if you were to keep the same schedule. It's far more effective to do a lot at once but I have a similar mentality to you. Combined with a much larger bioload, that was how I adapted, 40% wc every 1-3 days. Setting up a drip system took away all that work now.
Like mentioned, it's simple math. If you have 40ppm nitrates and you do a 50% water change, your nitrates will drop to 20ppm. If this is not happening, I'd question the test kit or how the kit is being used. Given most of us shoot to not exceed 20ppm, we do large water changes to get our tanks down to 5ppm or less, to allow for your normal daily nitrate creep.
I agree with the others, you are going to need to do much larger and more water changes to get nitrate down to a safer level, and once it is down, testing will tell you how much water to change, and how often.
I found if I did a 30% water change every other day as my regular routine, my nitrate level would hover between 2-5ppm. But I also used pothos and planted sumps to help.My tap water alkalinity was also@100ppm which helped buffer the metabolism by-products that create nitrate, if you alkalinity is low, larger and more frequent water changes may be a regular part of your life.
You also didn't say how often you rinse filters. A gunked up canister of any other filter becomes a nitrate factory if not un-gunked regularly.
I found if I did a 30% water change every other day as my regular routine, my nitrate level would hover between 2-5ppm. But I also used pothos and planted sumps to help.My tap water alkalinity was also@100ppm which helped buffer the metabolism by-products that create nitrate, if you alkalinity is low, larger and more frequent water changes may be a regular part of your life.
You also didn't say how often you rinse filters. A gunked up canister of any other filter becomes a nitrate factory if not un-gunked regularly.
ya just did a 50% water change yesterday going to test the water tomorrow. I already answered the tap water and when I wash the filter in first page I think. i'll answer again. I wash my filter every 3 month.
tap water -
ammonia 1ppm
nitrate - 0 ppm
nitrite - 0ppm
tap water -
ammonia 1ppm
nitrate - 0 ppm
nitrite - 0ppm
I had a similar problem despite large water changes.
I started cleaning my two canister filters once every 3 weeks alternatively instead of once every few months.This cured my problem.
I started cleaning my two canister filters once every 3 weeks alternatively instead of once every few months.This cured my problem.
