need help with nitrates?

Question

I have a 55 gal tank it's NOT over stocked I have a Cascade 300 and a smaller Cascade also....I've done water changes and also used AmQuel + ... I can't got my water below 80 in nitrate ....I think the tank is just to big to get all the nitrate out of the gravel ...I do vacuum with a water change...my ? is how ofter can I use the AmQuel + ?

the tank is planted ....I have several large angels and 6 glofish danios a siamese algea eater and 3 frogs...and I clean water twice a month

Answer 1

First thing you should do is test your tap water for nitrates.

If you do have high nitrates in the tap water then I recommend using filter media meant to absorb nitrates, rather then a chemical meant to neutralize it.

If you don't have high nitrates then you really shouldn't be using chemicals at all - a 55 gallon is not that large a tank and you would need to figure out why you can't get them down. Maybe you don't clean out the filter often enough, maybe you don't vacuum enough, maybe you don't do water changes often enough... (you didn't mention how often you do it or how much each time)

Answer 2

Hello...have you tested your tap water for nitrates? Only ask, because some areas have as much as 50ppm in the local tap water, so obviously doing a water change doesn't help the problem!

If your tap water is the problem, it can still be sorted. The best option is to use RO water, buying barrels from your local retailer works out the same price as installing an RO unit into your mains supply.

You could also buy a 'Nitraking' cylinder which is a bit more tricky to use, but basically works in the same way as the nitrazorb in that it contains crystals that absorb the nitrates as the water passes through. You can either put it inline with an external filter or use it attached to a hose from your tap and get the water ready before you need to use it for a water change.

Otherwise, high nitrates are caused by the following:
- overstocking (which you're not)
- overfeeding (just a small bit once a day or once every other day is enough)
- water changes which are either not big enough or frequent enough. (if you have an internal filter you need to be doing about a third once a week, an external about a third once a month, in both instances use a gravel cleaner to remove the water as you are doing). The gravel only needs to be about 2cms deep, maybe slightly deeper at the back if you have plants.

I'm personally not familiar with the product you describe, but there are a few products that successfully lower nitrate levels. I'm not sure how the liquid products can work as they claim, but certainly the products that take the form of a sachet that you either suspend in your tank or (more effectively) put in the last stage of your filter, which absorb nitrates are excellent and work really well. Some of them, such as 'Nitrazorb' can be recharged with aquatic salt and used again.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Plants will consume nitrate. Maybe you over feed a little or don't change water enough. Nitrate is in the water not the gravel. Change the water more and more often. Your nitrates should be under 20 ppm to remain safe for your fish. The only way to reduce nitrate successfully is to change 50% or more of the water when its time. Its time anytime the nitrates reach 20 ppm. Do a few successive large water changes this week to keep it under control. Do not add chemicals to remove it, I don't think its a good idea.

Answer 4

First of all, nitrates as high as 120 is not toxic to your fish so relax. It is the NITRITES that are. People tend to get them confused here.

Your tank is fine running on 80 for the nitrates however it seems strange since you have a planted tank.

Test your tap water first. the US Government allows 80 ppm of nitrates in the tap water. Also, are you trimming your plants or removeing them to cut back dieing roots? Sometimes overplanted tanks will have rotting roots adding to the ammonia nitrate breakdown there for adding more nitrates. 80 is fine. Water changes once a week will help to bring down the nitrate levels.

Answer 5

Do not listen to these other answers, there is a major flaw in their reasoning, here is the problem....

Nitrates (NO3) are completely harmless to freshwater fish in any concentration. Period. Don't even worry about testing for nitrates. I work with a marine biologist who helps out at the Baltimore National Aquarium and we tested the nitrate on some of their fish only tanks once out of curiosity and they were all way off the charts. The only time you need worry about nitrate is in a saltwater reef tank. Live corals and inverts don't handle nitrate in high concentration very well.

Nitrite (NO2) however, is terribly toxic to fish. You usually only get Nitrite when you are cycling a new tank, once aerobic bacteria colonize sufficiently in your tank, the Nitrite is usually kept in check unless there is a major catastrophe.

Answer 6

Get a hornwort plant, this thing soaks up nitrate like a sponge. I had troubles with nitrate as my tap is 20ppm to start with. Well with the hornwort, levels in my tank dropped from 50-60ppm to 10ppm in a week. The hornwort is kinda messy though, it drops pieces all the time. I just suck up the bits with a gravel Vac.

Answer 7

Assuming little or no nitrates in your tap water, you should change 30-50% of the water in the tank every week. If that doesn't work, then more plant mass or less fish would be your only option.

Answer 8

You don't mention what fish you have, also test your water supply see if theres any readings from that, as with the above plants would help to solve your problem plants permitting if not then you'll need to put a larger filter on using the meterial in the smaller one.

AJ

Answer 9

25% weekly water changes and vacuum the gravel every time you change the water, in an established tank there should not be no nitrites! This works for me, I have 4 tanks! Good luck!

Answer 10

I would say you get live plants as they absorb sove nutrients for the water-nirtates andphosphate-this will help your eco-system.