Nitrates questions

[Ponera]

Hey! Finally got that ammonia to spike, then the nitrates, now my nitrates are 150ppm+ and the others are dramatically lower. It has been only a few weeks, but I did buy mature filter media and two kinds of bottled cycle bacteria. Questions:

-First nitrogen cycle complete?
-What happens to the nitrates?
-Do I just remove nitrates with water changes?
-Do I add a senegal bichir now, finally? (45 gallon)

 

[tlindsey]

Hey! Finally got that ammonia to spike, then the nitrates, now my nitrates are 150ppm+ and the others are dramatically lower. It has been only a few weeks, but I did buy mature filter media and two kinds of bottled cycle bacteria. Questions:

-First nitrogen cycle complete?
-What happens to the nitrates?
-Do I just remove nitrates with water changes?
-Do I add a senegal bichir now, finally? (45 gallon)

It sounds like you are almost there. I would wait a few more days and test all parameters. You can control Nitrate with water changes or ppm will just get higher.

 

[Jexnell]

Nitrates are removed via water change. Change out 50% of you water, you removed 50% of your Nitrates.

Say you have 60ppm Nitrates you go and Change 50% of the water your now down to 30ppm.

 

[esoxlucius]

Hey! Finally got that ammonia to spike, then the nitrates, now my nitrates are 150ppm+ and the others are dramatically lower. It has been only a few weeks, but I did buy mature filter media and two kinds of bottled cycle bacteria. Questions:

-First nitrogen cycle complete?
-What happens to the nitrates?
-Do I just remove nitrates with water changes?
-Do I add a senegal bichir now, finally? (45 gallon)

1. Yes, looks like your cycle is done.

2. Your nitrate will just continue to rise.

3. The most effective way of reducing nitrate is by way of water changes. You really don't want to be going past the 20ppm on nitrate in a stocked tank.

4. Do a large water change, using dechlorinator, and check your nitrate level afterwards. You don't really want your nitrate to be any greater than 5 or 10ppm after a water change, lower the better. Then you can add your bichir.

Then, moving forward, check your nitrate daily to establish what your nitrate creep is with your bichir. When you get to around the 20ppm level you need to be doing a further water change....and so it goes on.

One bichir might not give you a lot of nitrate creep as opposed to a heavily stocked tank, your daily nitrate checks will tell you what is what.

Good luck.

 

[Ponera]

The nitrates went from 0 to 150ppm in 2 days. Is that normal for the cycle?

 

[AaronKWolfe]

The nitrates went from 0 to 150ppm in 2 days. Is that normal for the cycle?

That's a bit high of a jump, I never had a jump that severe. It is normal to have a jump like that, though. What is happening is all of the ammonia in the tank is converted into nitrite, then all the nitrite turns into nitrate. It makes sense (and is important) to have nitrate levels higher than your ammonia and nitrite levels. I wouldn't worry about having a jump that high, though, so long as there are no inhabitants in the tank.

 

[twentyleagues]

Hey! Finally got that ammonia to spike, then the nitrates, now my nitrates are 150ppm+ and the others are dramatically lower. It has been only a few weeks, but I did buy mature filter media and two kinds of bottled cycle bacteria. Questions:

-First nitrogen cycle complete?
-What happens to the nitrates?
-Do I just remove nitrates with water changes?
-Do I add a senegal bichir now, finally? (45 gallon)

I may have missed something so forgive me. What did you use as an ammonia source? How high did the ammonia spike? Have you tested your source water?

 

[SantaMonica]

0 to 150ppm nitrate in 2 days is some sort of error.