High Levels Of Nitrate

[ChelseaL1991]

Hello everyone,

I have a 20 gallon tank with 3 South American Puffer Fish, 3 Tiger Barbs, 2 Cory Catfish, 1 Upside Down Catfish. I have tested my water for Nitrates using a Nutrafin test kit. The color shows very pink... So far I have done 3 water changes within 5 days. The water condition doesn't seem to be getting better and I don't quite understand why. Each water change I do I take about 4 gallons out. I don't if this is to much or to little. Any knowledge on the subject would be wonderful. Thanks for reading.

Chelsea

 

[KittyKat]

What is your tap nitrate?

 

[ChelseaL1991]

I've tested that too.. and it's next to none.

 

[KittyKat]

And what is the actual nitrate reading?

You can do 50% daily water changes without problems, as long as you dechlorinate and use temperature matched water.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Up your water change to 50%, test imidiatly before & after the change to see any Nitrate variance.

 

[StandbySetting]

I wouldn't be trusting the nitrate test kit personally, what reading are you getting?

 

[ChelseaL1991]

And what is the actual nitrate reading?

You can do 50% daily water changes without problems, as long as you dechlorinate and use temperature matched water.

The Nitrate reading for the Nutrafin test is below 0.1

 

[ChelseaL1991]

I wouldn't be trusting the nitrate test kit personally, what reading are you getting?

The testing with the Nutrafin test kit for Nitrate is at 110. And like I have posted before I have a 15 gallon tank. And within 5 days I have done 3, 4 gallon water changes. And I am about to do another water change.. maybe 50% this time.

 

[This Old Spouse]

What are your ammonia and nitrite readings?

 

[ChelseaL1991]

What are your ammonia and nitrite readings?

Nitrite is below 0.1 and ammonia is below 0.6. So everything is reading fine except the Nitrate.

 

[ChelseaL1991]

Okay so just an update.

I tested for Nitrates before a water change. And it was 110. Then I tested my Nitrates after my water change and it does not appear to have changed in the slightest bit.

This is driving me nuts. Is there anything else that I can do aside from water changes? PS I have a Purigen Ultimate Filtration that I haven't put back in yet... Just cleaning it.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Erm, unless your ammonia and nitrite readings are dead 0, they aren't "reading fine."

Have you tested your tap water?

How are you cleaning your filter? I'm hoping you're not replacing the media (which contains the good bacteria you must have in order to have a healthy tank).

 

[ChelseaL1991]

Erm, unless your ammonia and nitrite readings are dead 0, they aren't "reading fine."

Have you tested your tap water?

How are you cleaning your filter? I'm hoping you're not replacing the media (which contains the good bacteria you must have in order to have a healthy tank).

They are not reading 0.. they do have a reading. Just not high. Which is good because those are toxic. I have tested tap water which I have stated above and it reads 0.

And about the filter.. I do not wash the media I simply wash the fan in the motor and maybe the gross stuff around it.

I also siphon the gravel for any broken down food. My fish tank as been up an running since November 2010. So I know that it is properly cycled.

I don't know if this information is useful... But when I started my aquarium I had a bad Nitrite and Nitrate problem due to not being properly cycled. But then I got the water conditions to normal. I don't know if this affects what is happening now. I don't think so.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Sorry. Missed that the first time around.

Sounds like you're doing everything right. All I can suggest is to do a couple big water changes to see if the level will drop.

 

[ChelseaL1991]

Sorry. Missed that the first time around.

Sounds like you're doing everything right. All I can suggest is to do a couple big water changes to see if the level will drop.

Well I did a decent water change... This is my 4 within a 6 day period. But the Nitrate levels have not dropped one little bit. So I did this one suggestion which was test your water before and after the water change.... and the Nitrate levels didn't drop one bit. And my tap water has no Nitrates in it. And I do weekly water changes. Do you think my water could just be highly polluted with Nitrates?