Nitrate and Nitrite...

[Kara101584]

I just got a new test kit tonight and went home and tested all my tanks. One if them is VERY high in Nitrate and Nitrite! How do I change these results to make it safer for my fish???

Thanks!

 

[The Mohave Kid]

Nitrates can be removed by water changes. Test your tap water to see what the nitrate levels are since some people report nitrate in their tap water ... water changes can only lower tank Nitrates to that of the tap water. My tap water Nitrates are zero ...

Nitrites should be kept at zero via bacteria and are converted to nitrates by which then can be removed as above. Ofcourse simple water changes can help until you get things in order.

What are your numbers by the way ??

Good Day ... B)

 

[Kara101584]

What are your numbers by the way ??

Oh gosh, I don't know my numbers... I bought these strip test things tonight... never used them before. I only know how to do pH stuff, so its all new to me.

All I know is that the Nitrate was all the way up and over the color it was suppose to be... The bottle says it would be over 200?

Doing water change tomorrow night and will test my tap water, we have well water so it should be OK... I hope!

 

[a.i.m]

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/home.php
goto TOOLS / fish keeping calculators / water change calculator. This will help you understand what size water changes you should be doing and how often. Any problems under your results PM me.

 

[jflowers]

Well water may well ( ) be your problem if you are in an agricultural area. If you are then everything the farmers add to the land to help plants grow will end up in your water, plus any nasties they add to control pests.

Jon

 

[gadazobe]

Don't bring down the level of nitrate too quickly, small and often water changes, not one big drastic one. Reducing the levels too quickly will shock the fish and it can kill them. Why are your nitrites so high? Is this a new tank?

 

[Kara101584]

Don't bring down the level of nitrate too quickly, small and often water changes, not one big drastic one. Reducing the levels too quickly will shock the fish and it can kill them. Why are your nitrites so high? Is this a new tank?

I'm not sure why they are so high, I have never tested for them until I joined this forum.... I will be doing water changes when I get home from work, we'll see what the test says after that.

No, this isn't a new tank, had this tank set up with fish in it for almost a year now.

 

[gadazobe]

Right, let's analyse this. Nitrates are high because of one or both of these reasons: not enough water changes and/or high nitrates in tap water. Also live plants help in keeping nitrate levels within the norm. Do you have any live plants?

Nitrites come after ammonia, ammonia comes from overcrowding and/or overfeeding. Are any of these applicable?

 

[leafs]

Don't bring down the level of nitrate too quickly, small and often water changes, not one big drastic one. Reducing the levels too quickly will shock the fish and it can kill them. Why are your nitrites so high? Is this a new tank?

Why would bringing down the nitrAtes too quickly cause any stress to the fish? I thought that nitrAtes were waste? How can removing waste cause shock?

 

[gadazobe]

Nitrates are waste, but the fish will get used to them and any sudden drastic change in water parameters will stress them. Gradual change is preferable.

 

[leafs]

Nitrates are waste, but the fish will get used to them and any sudden drastic change in water parameters will stress them. Gradual change is preferable.

I see. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[The Mohave Kid]

Interestingly ... my local aquarium shop had at least 160 ppm Nitrate in water I tested when I purchased fish from them ... I'm glad i did not put their water in my tank !! ... they claim even 200 ppm is OK for fish ??

I'm confused.

Good Day ...

 

[Kara101584]

Right, let's analyse this. Nitrates are high because of one or both of these reasons: not enough water changes and/or high nitrates in tap water. Also live plants help in keeping nitrate levels within the norm. Do you have any live plants?

Nitrites come after ammonia, ammonia comes from overcrowding and/or overfeeding. Are any of these applicable?

No, I do not have live plants in this tank.

Yes, this tank is overcrowded... It's a 35 gallon take full of Koi/Goldfish because our pond sprung a leak during the winter and I am holding them in 2 tanks (other one is fine with nitrate, its a 55 gallon) until we can fix the pond this summer.

But I do regular water changes, mostly weekly... About to start doing another change now. And will test my tap water too.