Cant lower my nitrate!! Help!

[TheBettaMan]

Hello experts!
My tank is a 5 gallon No CO2. Bio filter, I took out the carbon inside, I only keep the sponge there because I feed my plants with Excel and Flourish. Im ordering Purigen so it comes next week. My tank is 80% planted and it has about 7-8 pieces of Dragon Rocks. I have 2 guppies which just had 6-7 babies, 2 baby corry, 5 snails, 10 cherry shrimps. Temperature is at 78F. Light is on 6-8 hours a day.

So 2 days ago, pH around 6.2, ammonia rised to 1, nitrite to 2 and nitrate is super high, at least 80. I did 50% water change. Then I placed 2-3 stems of Pothos into the filter media because I know it helps to suck out the nitrate.
Today, pH is 6.7-6.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, thanks God. BUT Nitrate is still high, over 80. Its almost Red color with API test kit. I feed my fish twice a day, feed my plant once (3 drops of Excel mixed in a cup with water from the tank then pour it slowly into the filter. 10 drops of Flouris straight into the water)

My shrimps were stressed 2 days ago, some of them died. My fish are happy. Now the shrimps start to come out, swimming and playing, which is a good sign. Fish are still happy and playing.

Anyways, how do you keep the Nitrate level low?? I tried alot of things: using Pothos, 50% water change, add more plants, feed fish less...what else should I do? Please give me suggestions! (someone told me maybe its the substrate I use, Its a Japan made one especially for shrimps and plants, forgot the brand)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Baker]

I'd bet money that your source for nitrates is the excel, you're probably dosing waaay too much for your tank. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that your tank being 80% full is full of low tech, slow growing plants. These plants really don't require co2 and excel isn't true co2 anyway. Excel is organ carbon meaning that it breaks down into nitrogen. On top of that you've also got the constant supply of fish waste, AND you're dosing flourish comprehensive, which adds yet more nitrogen in the form of plant nutrients. It's also possibly that you've got nitrates coming out of your tap. This means you've got your BB cycle working overdrive converting all this organic matter into nitrates and you can't possibly water change enough to keep up with the production. If I were you I'd cut way back on the excel dosing. It's highly likely that your plants don't need it anyway. Start feeding minimally and dosing minimal fertilizers and I bet you'll notice a drop in nitrate production within a few days

 

[TheBettaMan]

I'd bet money that your source for nitrates is the excel, you're probably dosing waaay too much for your tank. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that your tank being 80% full is full of low tech, slow growing plants. These plants really don't require co2 and excel isn't true co2 anyway. Excel is organ carbon meaning that it breaks down into nitrogen. On top of that you've also got the constant supply of fish waste, AND you're dosing flourish comprehensive, which adds yet more nitrogen in the form of plant nutrients. It's also possibly that you've got nitrates coming out of your tap. This means you've got your BB cycle working overdrive converting all this organic matter into nitrates and you can't possibly water change enough to keep up with the production. If I were you I'd cut way back on the excel dosing. It's highly likely that your plants don't need it anyway. Start feeding minimally and dosing minimal fertilizers and I bet you'll notice a drop in nitrate production within a few days

Thank you! I will slow down with the Excel!

 

[Byron]

Excel is a highly toxic chemical that can kill plants, fish and bacteria. You don't need it as Baker said.

Have you tested your tap water on its own for nitrate? Nitrate can be in tap water depending upon its source, and this should always be eliminated/confirmed. If it is free of nitrate, and nitrate is only occurring within the aquarium, we can more easily deal with that. But first test the tap water. Good idea to check tap water for ammonia and nitrite while you're at it.

 

[StevenF]

I'd bet money that your source for nitrates is the excel, you're probably dosing waaay too much for your tank.

the key ingredient in excell contains no nitrogen. The short time I used it in my 5 gallon tank it had no effect on nitrates. Please test your tap water before adding it to your aquarium. Also 10 drops of flourish Comprehensive (I assume it is comprehensive) may be too much. Go to the store and buy a 1 ml syring. That is more precise. I would recommend not overdosing on Flourish Comprehensive.

 

[TheBettaMan]

Excel is a highly toxic chemical that can kill plants, fish and bacteria. You don't need it as Baker said.

Have you tested your tap water on its own for nitrate? Nitrate can be in tap water depending upon its source, and this should always be eliminated/confirmed. If it is free of nitrate, and nitrate is only occurring within the aquarium, we can more easily deal with that. But first test the tap water. Good idea to check tap water for ammonia and nitrite while you're at it.

I tested my Tap water. Everything is perfectly fine. Nitrate is Yellow from API tester. So I think the Excel is the solution. Thank you so much guys

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I tested my Tap water. Everything is perfectly fine. Nitrate is Yellow from API tester. So I think the Excel is the solution. Thank you so much guys

Excel is not the issue, as Steven points out, there is no nitrogen in that product. It is a "Carbon" supplement.

One thing is that you are feeding a lot... more than you need to. I don't feed my fish every day, let alone twice a day. Reduce your feeding and you will reduce your nitrate... and if you are overfeeding, the rotting food will also produce excess nitrate as well.

I'd say the biggest contributor to the nitrate you are seeing is not any 'supplement' you are adding for the flora, but the food you are adding for the fauna.

 

[Byron]

I'll just briefly summarize the sources of nitrate within an aquarium, as one or a combination of these must be the issue here. We start from the position there is no nitrate in the tap water.

Live plants help, but are limited as they take up ammonia/ammonium first and turn to nitrate when this is insufficient in balance. So they are controlling nitrate by using ammonia that would otherwise continue through nitrite to nitrate, and possibly taking up some nitrate.

Water changes should be 50% or more, once a week minimum. This is probably the most important factor. Vacuum the substrate during water changes, in open areas. Keep the filter clean, rinsing the media as often as needed, at every water change won't hurt with small tanks.

Fish load must not be beyond the capability of the aquarium's biological system to support. The additives can enter the equation here, as all these chemicals can interact and do strange things. It is more a matter of keeping the water more fresh water rather than full of additives, as this promotes a healthy system better.

Feeding must not be more than necessary, as others have mentioned.

Byron.

 

[TheBettaMan]

Excel is not the issue, as Steven points out, there is no nitrogen in that product. It is a "Carbon" supplement.

One thing is that you are feeding a lot... more than you need to. I don't feed my fish every day, let alone twice a day. Reduce your feeding and you will reduce your nitrate... and if you are overfeeding, the rotting food will also produce excess nitrate as well.

I'd say the biggest contributor to the nitrate you are seeing is not any 'supplement' you are adding for the flora, but the food you are adding for the fauna.

How often should I feed my guppies and shrimps? Thank you for the info!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

How often should I feed my guppies and shrimps? Thank you for the info!

I feed my tank 5 times a week... once a day. Guppies and shrimp will both graze for algae and microorganisms as well... and its healthy for them to do that.

Guppies, as with other livebearers, are gluttons. They will gorge themselves if there is food present. Its just what their instincts are.




Along those lines, these fish can go a week without food easily and benefit more from that when going on vacation than they would from a novice overfeeding them in your place.

Fish will always behave as though they are hungry. They will always come to the surface when you are near the tank (once they learn that you are the source of food)... but that doesn't mean they need that much food. Their stomachs are roughly the size of their eye and they are 'cold blooded', which means their temperature is regulated by the water temperature, not their bodies... requiring far less food.

 

[TheBettaMan]

Thank you so much for great advices everyone. I will lower the amount of Excel to 1 drop a day and feed the fish once a day. See what happens in the next 2 days

 

[Byron]

Thank you so much for great advices everyone. I will lower the amount of Excel to 1 drop a day and feed the fish once a day. See what happens in the next 2 days

I recommend discontinuing Excel completely. It is not going to help your plants, and it really is highly toxic stuff. Glutaraldehyde (the ingredient) is used in embalming fluid, anit-freeze, hospitals for sterilizing instruments...you get the idea. You don't want this stuff inside fish.

 

[TheBettaMan]

I recommend discontinuing Excel completely. It is not going to help your plants, and it really is highly toxic stuff. Glutaraldehyde (the ingredient) is used in embalming fluid, anit-freeze, hospitals for sterilizing instruments...you get the idea. You don't want this stuff inside fish.

Ok will do. Thanks!