reducing nitrates

[Sab_Fan]

you have any plants in there? I have found plants to be a very effective means of controlling ammonia/nitrite/nitrate parameters . . .

 

[andyjs]

the tank has been set up for about a year. current occupants are what i have in my sig. i cycled the tank for 7 weeks with four gold fish i believ i am under filtered i only have an ac70 on it

Current occupants aren't in your sig-what are they and how big is the tank?

If you're underfiltered, step it up some and definitely step up the water changes. More filtration should help with ammonia and nitrite and the WCs will help all 3

 

[ken 429]

have you checked your water source? this could be contributing to your problem. ive read some posts on here about a high nitrate problem from their water source. i believe it was tcarswell. sp?

 

[disgustipated]

most of your bacteria lies in your bed the bac feed off of the gravel and accumulate creating a bacteriological bed in which you sometimes dont need filters at all considering stocking and feeding if you are having to vacuum the so often do not feed as much in one sitting limit to what they can eat to where they can eat everyhting your putting in before it touches the gravel then feed again and so on and so forth your bioload is too much for you bac bed thus cause a spike in nitirites and ammonia

 

[SnaKeheAdSrAwSomE]

sorry they were in my sig i edited it tho they are currently
1x polypterus endlicheri at 8 inches
1x p. delhezi at 8 inches
1x lepomis cyanellus at 9 inches
1x marbled goby at 7 inches
55 gallon

so should i add another ac 70 + a sponge filter?

 

[andyjs]

most of your bacteria lies in your bed the bac feed off of the gravel and accumulate creating a bacteriological bed in which you sometimes dont need filters at all considering stocking and feeding if you are having to vacuum the so often do not feed as much in one sitting limit to what they can eat to where they can eat everyhting your putting in before it touches the gravel then feed again and so on and so forth your bioload is too much for you bac bed thus cause a spike in nitirites and ammonia

If you are relying on bacteria in the substrate for all of the biological filtration, you still need something to keep the water moving through the substrate. If there is little water movement in the substrate, little of the bacteria will accumulate there. If you are running adequate filtration, most of the bacteria will accumulate there. Unless you are using an undergravel filter system, the substrate bed contributes little

 

[BPags52]

sorry they were in my sig i edited it tho they are currently
1x polypterus endlicheri at 8 inches
1x p. delhezi at 8 inches
1x lepomis cyanellus at 9 inches
1x marbled goby at 7 inches
55 gallon

so should i add another ac 70 + a sponge filter?

If you got another ac70 I doubt a sponge filter would be necessary (though im not too familiar with that stock so not sure how much waste we're talking about).

How is the media currently setup in your ac70? I've seen alot of MFKers recommend using the sponge, with 2 of the bio-max bags on top (rather than 1 carbon bag and 1 bio-max bag).

 

[TwistedPenguin]

Do a 75% water change and you'll knock the ammonia % nitrites down to zero and knock the nitrates down to 10 (40 minus 75%=10).
Pretty simple actually.

 

[rdlkgliders]

very strange according to your maintnance schedule you should not have this problem .
maybe your bio load exceeds your filtering capacity but still strange .

 

[SnaKeheAdSrAwSomE]

yea, i believe I'm under filtered