160+ Ppm Nitrates!

[MowAddict]

Hi,

Tank: 500 litre 5x2x2
Filters: Aquamanta EFX400 (similar to the Tetra-Tec on the does 1400lph), Fluval FX5

Fish:
3 12-14inch plecos
3 kissing gouramis 3inches
1 spanner barb 4inchs
3 shuberti barbs 2inches
2 blue gouramis 4 inches
1 talking cat1 inch
1 unknown catfish 4-5inches
2 black widows normal black widow size.

Ammonia 0ppm (although never seems to be exactly 0 but not .25ppm)
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrates 160+ppm

I do 166 litre water changes and gravel-vac every Wednesday and the nitrate will be between 80-160ppm the next day I've got 40ppm in my tap water to start with so I don't know what to do?

I was thinking of getting a little external filter that only does 200lph and getting some seachem de-nitrate but I've read people saying it could possible leach poisonous stuff into the water.

So what should I do?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[electropunk06]

Hi, what test kit are you using?
If it is a true reading i would do a few water changes and it should bring it down i.e. 50% water change will reduce the nitrates by half.
Lloyd

 

[Harlequins]

Are you using a API test kit? if so - then try giving bottle 2 a good hard shake and tap the bottom of the bottle,the regeants get stuck at the bottom and it needs a really good shake,it may be giving you a false reading otherwise...

If not API then has suggested do several large waterchanges this will lower you nitrates down

Having large plecs in the tank will bump up the bacs due to them being very messy fish.

Adding another external would certainly help on filtration,bigger the better

 

[MowAddict]

It is an API test kit and I shake bottle 2 vigorously for a minute and the test tube for a minute. as I've got such high nitrates in my water if I did a few large water changes id only be able to get it down to maybe 40ish then surely it'd shoot straight back up again with the heavy bio-load on the filters?.

and how would more filters help? i was under the impression that ammonia was converted into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate and that nitrate was the end product, so i theory more filters would affect nitrates if more ammonia could be converted?

and has nobody used the seachem denitrate then?

Thanks Dan.

 

[Harlequins]

Extra Filter will help keeping the water quality good by filtering the water through with a higher turn over,especially with your plecs.

Nitrates are best removed with large weekly water changes,has opposed to adding chemicals...

 

[Rynofasho]

Do you have gravel substrate? How deep is it? Have you pulled up a lot of the wood, rock, whatever you have in there to REALLY vacuum everything well?

Also, there are some live plants (many floating species, various hygros, etc.) that also do a good job of using those excess nitrates. The real answer though is more frequent water changes and better cleaning of the substrate, typically.