If my nitrates were 50 in my 29 gallon tank, and i did an 8 gallon water change, do i still need to change?

Question

change out more than that?

i ussually do a water change at 20 to 30 but i didnt have time to get my water tested for about 2-3 weeks. i ussually test my tanks every week at my store.

Answer 1

You just did a 25% water change and got the nitrates down to about 37.5. Assuming your tap water is at 0 of course. Below 40 is no problem at all and you don't need to worry about it at all.

MM

Answer 2

50 isn't horrible. It isn't great either. After this 8 gallon change, you should test again (the advantage of having your own test kit) and keep in mind if it is one of those dip stick tests, it isn't that accurate. Use one with reagents like these:
http://www.aquariumguys.com/mastertestkit.html
http://www.aquariumguys.com/laborettetest.html

Too much of a water change at once can cause problems. I'd consider waiting at least 48 hours between water changes. A second or third and everything should be OK.

Answer 3

I would change out alittle more water,,say 10 gallons every other day until your nitrates are in normal range again.Your nitartes wont drop to fast that way and shock your fish.Don't rush getting them down with water changes every other day they will come down.
Vac the gravel while removing the water,this will help remove food and waste that are raiseing the nitrates.
I wouldn't cahnge out to much water to fast this will only stress your fish

Answer 4

Nitrate is the result of the bacterial breakdown of ammonia > nitrite > nitrate which is the final stage of the natural biological metabolic waste conversion also known as the nitrogen cycle.

Although less toxic than ammonia/ammonium and nitrite, nitrate as a nitrogen compound also causes stress at all levels making a fish’s organs work harder to adjust to it’s new environment. The increasing stress results in the loss of ability to fight diseases, the ability to heal itself, and the ability to reproduce.

It is essential for you, the aquarium hobbyist, to maintain a proper environment for your aquatic companions. High nitrate levels are a sign of poorly maintained aquariums and will cause problems in the long run.

The process of breaking down ammonia > nitrites > nitrates is known as the nitrification process. It takes place in an aerobic environment. Nitrifying bacteria settle on gravel and build colonies. They need nutrients (ammonia and nitrite) and oxygen in order to perform their tasks. The result is nitrate. The removal of nitrate, if not utilized by plants, takes place in an anaerobic environment and is called denitrification.

"...I tried Algone and it cleared all of the algae out of my plant tank in a couple weeks. This with Dayton, Ohio tap water is impressive. Our water has 2ppm of PO4, and about 20-30 ppm nitrate. Excellent Product..."


Nitrates are potentially dangerous due to the effects on the water chemistry and on a healthy environment for your fish while nitrates are accumulating. The higher the nitrate levels the higher and severe the consequences due to the stress on your fish and the favorable conditions for a serious algae outbreak.

Nature provides an almost nitrate free environment with levels around 5 ppm or less. The higher the nitrate concentration the more stress for the fish. Extremely severe stress is reached at levels exceeding 60 ppm. Most of the plants fail before reaching this level. This due to an accumulation of live forms feeding from the waste, and the consequently higher biomass (animals living in the aquarium) leads to an increasing demand of oxygen.

Therefore nitrate levels (NO3) should be kept under 10 ppm. As most of the test kits measure nitrogen – nitrate (N-NO3) the reading has to be multiplied by 4.4 to get the accurate nitrate (NO3) concentration.

Nitrate is also a key nutrient source for algae. Most of the pesky and unwanted algae thrive on poor water quality, high nutrient levels and excessive nitrate. Many initially cycling tanks experience an algae bloom due to this effect.

Avoid algae outbreaks by reducing nitrates. Algone is an excellent nitrate reducer. Algone is gentle on your fish, plants, and live rock.


Generally speaking common algae types thrive on nitrates above 10 ppm. Keeping the nitrate levels lower will at least eliminate a major factor of algae outbreak.

http://www.algone.com/tank_maintenance.php

Answer 5

i would do a 50% you should really try to keep them below 20ppm. vac the gravel