Nitrates

[WyldFya]

I have had several different setups in the tank. I have had a fully blown pleco tank with 20 plecos in the tank, ranging from 12"-5"; a carnivore tank with 5 aros at 12", a royal knife at 12", ornate bichir 8", and 8 plecos; now I have a community, with 20 diamond side tetra, ~20 assorted other tetras, rainbowfish, 4 plecos, 2 whiptails, 5 RTBS 4-5", 4 whitefin sharks 3-4", 1 rainbow shark 5", 3 cories, 13 otos, 14 checker barbs. All of these tank setups have yielded similar results. My carnivore tank actually had a problem with too little nitrate. I would have to dose 1 1/2 tsp nitrate daily just to maintain a 10ppm nitrate level.

 

[hillbilly]

Is there anything i can do to help control the nitrate level? I finally got a large enough filter to handle the ammonia and nitrites to get them to 0, but I am still having a problem with the nitrate levels. I know that water changes help this...what is a safe amount i can clean out of a 55 to get this down also? 50%? 20%?

This is a 55 setup with livebearers, live plants, and an eheim 2026 filter, with a sand bottom.

Have you checked your source water for nitrates? That would be a starting point. Many areas have nitrates in the water, so it will be there in the beginning of water changes. It's already been asked, but an important question.

 

[cichlidcichlid]

do water changes!

 

[Mentzer]

Is there anything i can do to help control the nitrate level? I finally got a large enough filter to handle the ammonia and nitrites to get them to 0, but I am still having a problem with the nitrate levels. I know that water changes help this...what is a safe amount i can clean out of a 55 to get this down also? 50%? 20%?

This is a 55 setup with livebearers, live plants, and an eheim 2026 filter, with a sand bottom.

Check out practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
register there and look out the calculators section, they have a water change calculator, enter a few of your own various perameters and follow the results.