Test results.

[Jen]

I've done tests every day since I have moved this tank... about 5 days now, and had consistant results before I changed the tank.

Heres what I've got. It's a 35 gal tank. I have 7 rosey barbs (1 adult maybe 2 inches, and 6 babies less than an inch.) 7 platies (1 full grown adult, 6 babies) 4 zebra danios, 1 cory.

The tank had been running for about 8 months (i completely empty and clean it every year and a half) and I had decided to move it from one floor to another so that I actually see my fish. I moved it, kept about 25 percent of the water, and 75 was new dechlorinated water. The filter stayed the same, never emptied the water out. I had the fish in another tank while the new water went through the filter for 2 days. I have a few live plants.

Current water perams:
NitrAte - between 25 and 50. I know it's too high, but no matter how often I clean I cant get it down.
NitrIte - 0 or so close that I cant tell.
PH - 7.6 or higher - but so is my tap water, so I dont think I can do much to change it unless I dump a ton of chemicals in.
Amonia - I can't see any colour, so I guess it's low and thats good.

Anyone have a guess as to why my nitrates are so high? I keep up on my cleaning, and filter changes. I want to get it proper for my fish.

 

[Phantom Thief]

Have you tested the tap water? Very possibly the nitrates are that high out the tap.

P.T.

 

[fishman 1]

Nitrate is far less harmfull than nitrite and ammonia.

Phantom thief is right, it may be like it straight out of your tap.

As long as you ammonia and nitrite is trace I would not worry too much as it means your filter must be running efficiently.

Plants will consume some of the nitrate but not great quantities if it.

I cannot see the point of completely emptying the tank every year and a half. Regular maintenance is a far better way to sort things out and is less stressfull for your fish. A 25% water change after a gravel clean and a wipe arround the glass would be a better idea than a strip down.

 

[Jen]

I have just tested my tap water, and it's nitrAte is less than 12.5. Probably around 10 or so. So my tank it not too high in comparison. So I shouldnt worry about doing mad cleaning to try and get it lower? Any time I get my LFS to check the water they tell me that it is way to high and vacuum every other day until its lower.

 

[Yenko]

25-50 is kind of high, but most fish will still tolerate it. I hope you have good luck with getting plants going; that will help much more than tank cleaning.

 

[Jen]

the plants I have are thriving. hygro polysperma and anazon sword. they grow like crazy

 

[gale]

I moved it, kept about 25 percent of the water, and 75 was new dechlorinated water. The filter stayed the same, never emptied the water out. I had the fish in another tank while the new water went through the filter for 2 days.

For 2 days you had no fish in it? I'm not sure the bacteria could survive for 2 days with no fish. But I guess since your ammonia and nitrite are ok, then at least most of it did survive.

Sorry I can't hep with the nitrate-I have the opposite problem. Too little.

 

[fishman 1]

Hello gale,

Sorry I can't hep with the nitrate-I have the opposite problem. Too little.

I wouldnt say it was a problem having low nitrate as it is better for the fish.
Leaving the filter switched off causes the bacteria to gradually die too.
As already said good tank mainenance will help with frequent water changes.
This will get it down but only as low as what you get out the tap.

 

[gale]

Hello gale,

Sorry I can't hep with the nitrate-I have the opposite problem. Too little.

I wouldnt say it was a problem having low nitrate as it is better for the fish.
Leaving the filter switched off causes the bacteria to gradually die too.
As already said good tank mainenance will help with frequent water changes.
This will get it down but only as low as what you get out the tap.

Actually it's become a problem for me. I also have low phosphate and a lot of blue-green algae, which is thought to be caused by the "wrong" ratio of phosphate to nitrates. So my 20g which usually has about 20 nitrates has no bluegreen algae but my 10g which always has zero-5 nitrates and .1 phosphate is full of bluegreen algae. I can't believe I might have to add nitrates to my tank.

 

[Rodders]

My tap water has nitrates of 100 (dark red on test)
Im using Amquel at the moment, but getting a Interpet Nitrasafe pack which has sachets in them to absorb the nitrates from the water. You just put it in your filter and it sucks up 7000ppm of the stuff, so they say.

 

[fishman 1]

I think the product I use is called nitrasorb in my external power filters.
Or something like that?

It comes in a a type of mat/sachet form within a container as packaging.
I will have to have a better look at the new tubs I bought of the stuff.

 

[Rodders]

Nitrazorb, z instead of s, must be american!!!
They can be recharged too.

 

[fishman 1]

yes sorry you are right it is a Z in it. )
I didnt need to look, it was just a spelling mistake.
Spelling isnt a strong point of mine.
And yes it can be recharged if I can be bothered.
I normally just pick up some new ones from the fish auctions.

 

[Rodders]

Wasnt critising mate, just spliting hairs and looking like i knew something
My spelling sucks too.......

 

[fishman 1]

Hi Rodders,
I wish i had enough hair to split.... in fact I wish i had hair!
Am glad to hear someone else struggles with spelling too.

gale posted:

Actually it's become a problem for me. I also have low phosphate and a lot of blue-green algae, which is thought to be caused by the "wrong" ratio of phosphate to nitrates. So my 20g which usually has about 20 nitrates has no bluegreen algae but my 10g which always has zero-5 nitrates and .1 phosphate is full of bluegreen algae. I can't believe I might have to add nitrates to my tank.

I thought phosphates were detramental to the fish/aquatic life?
I thought that it was the cause of the problems on the Norfolk Broads with everything dieing in the rivers. Mainly through the use of chemical fertilizers being used on the fields resulting in high phosphate levels in the water courses.