How to Lower Nitrate Levels?

[Colin_T]

Just water change and gravel clean each day until it's down to 0ppm. You want to keep nitrates as low as possible and below 20ppm.

 

[TGOATW]

Just water change and gravel clean each day until it's down to 0ppm. You want to keep nitrates as low as possible and below 20ppm.

Thanks.
I've been afraid of doing large water changes due to the hillstream loach, since i've heard that it's very sensitive.

 

[Magnum Man]

hillstream's like water movement, as long as the water going in is good, you could do water changes continually...

is it possible the water you are adding already has nitrates??? there are many areas in the US that there are too many nitrates in the tap water ( a dirty little secret ) I live in an agricultural area, and we have high nitrates, so I use RO water, both for drinking, as well as have a dedicated unit, for my aquarium water...

BTW... snails themselves have a very small bio load, I suspect over feeding, since you have the snail bloom, and the nitrates

 

[TGOATW]

hillstream's like water movement, as long as the water going in is good, you could do water changes continually...

is it possible the water you are adding already has nitrates??? there are many areas in the US that there are too many nitrates in the tap water ( a dirty little secret ) I live in an agricultural area, and we have high nitrates, so I use RO water, both for drinking, as well as have a dedicated unit, for my aquarium water...

BTW... snails themselves have a very small bio load, I suspect over feeding, since you have the snail bloom, and the nitrates

No nitrates in my water, plus i'm from Malaysia.
And everytime i feed, they always finish it. Although i do sometimes feed a centimeter (a quater inch) long sinking disk pellet for the shrimps.

 

[Colin_T]

Thanks.
I've been afraid of doing large water changes due to the hillstream loach, since i've heard that it's very sensitive.

New fish can be sensitive to water changes but once they have been in the tank for a few months they are fine. Just start off with small water changes and build it up. Daily water changes and gravel cleans will do less damage to the fish than high nitrates.

 

[Sgooosh]

No nitrates in my water, plus i'm from Malaysia.
And everytime i feed, they always finish it. Although i do sometimes feed a centimeter (a quater inch) long sinking disk pellet for the shrimps.

hmm, how much are you feeding? sometimes fish finish more than they should eat, and poop extra, which may cause nitrate bloom as the snails can eat their poop also.

you can try to make snail traps to catch some, just put some vegetable or pellets in a small bowl and remove once in a while, shrimps are too fast to be caught.

 

[TGOATW]

hmm, how much are you feeding? sometimes fish finish more than they should eat, and poop extra, which may cause nitrate bloom as the snails can eat their poop also.

you can try to make snail traps to catch some, just put some vegetable or pellets in a small bowl and remove once in a while, shrimps are too fast to be caught.

Oh, that would have been helpful to know when i started keeping them. I read somewhere if they finish in 1-2 mins, it means they need more food, so most of the time i give seconds.
I thought it wouldn't matter as i have shrimps to take care of leftovers, and would always give a bit more so the shrimps can eat.

I've tried the daily 20% water change, and it has lowered, but only by a little. It could take about 2 more weeks.