Nitrates

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knicks791

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2009
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yonkers ny
How low do you keep your nitrates?

I have a oscar with HITH. Nitrates are low but some one said ideal should be under 10ppm.

That sounds like a water changes everyday. Anyone else keep their nitrates that low?
 
I do! I've got 6 Oscars, I swore when I got them their nitrates wouldn't get over 10 ppm, it's been 2 1/2 yrs and they never have. They look great and grow super fast, too. Real active and feel good. Either get a tank big enough or do multiple weekly water changes and you're good to go. My 125 g with 2 Oscars gets 2 75% water changes a week but my 125 with 1 Oscar and a couple 2" juvie cichlids gets 1 75% water change a week. I happen to be one of those women that gets overly attached to my Oscars. I may lose them to something I can't control but I refuse to lose them to HITH (which I firmly believe stems 90% of the time from nitrates too high).
 
you can try to manage a better filtration system?? my 55 gallon is overstocked with 1 oscar, 1 med jag, and one convict. nitrates are never above 10ppm. i do two 25% wc's per week, water is crystal clear. a lot has to do with how well you can gravel vac your tank too.
 
i dont know how your tank is but i just mean a bare tank is super easy to vac, where as a tank with deep gravel and decor is a little more difficult. does that make any sense
 
Have you checked the water comming out of your tap? You might be fighting an uphill battle. Yonkers may have high NO3 to begin with.
 
My alpha-male Blue Dolphin cichlid had HITH disease once. It occurred when I added carbon to the tank for the first time. I removed the carbon and added cichlid essential (after doing 40% water change). The HITH went away almost immediately!!! I'm never using carbon again! :headbang2

So, if you have carbon on your tank, try removing it and see what happens!
 
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