I'm having some nitrate issues with 210g African tank. The tank has been up for about three months and seemed to be fully cycled before I started adding fish in addition to those I used to cycle with. Ammonia and nitrites have been stable at zero, nitrates have been bouncing around 20 - 40ppm. I'm religious about my weekly water changes, 40 - 50%.
Anyway, I checked my water parameters this morning before doing my weekly water change and my nitrates are way high. It is hard to tell exactly how high as the test color does not match up, but they are between 80 and 160ppm. I will test again after my water change.
My questions; can I do a few extra large water changes without causing stress to my fish? If so, what frequency and quantity. My wife has been feeding my fish, I think she is over feeding. I'm going to start doing it myself and only once per day. Anything else that could cause the nitrates to spike like this? The tank is not very heavily stocked, 32 juvenile Mbuna, all less than 2" each.
Anyway, I checked my water parameters this morning before doing my weekly water change and my nitrates are way high. It is hard to tell exactly how high as the test color does not match up, but they are between 80 and 160ppm. I will test again after my water change.
My questions; can I do a few extra large water changes without causing stress to my fish? If so, what frequency and quantity. My wife has been feeding my fish, I think she is over feeding. I'm going to start doing it myself and only once per day. Anything else that could cause the nitrates to spike like this? The tank is not very heavily stocked, 32 juvenile Mbuna, all less than 2" each.
) or maybe someone died. Check the tank and see if anything is dead or rotting. If not, blame the wife. 
