Very High Nitrates

[GirlinWayside]

WEll, I got my new test kit today - here are the readings...

PH- 7.6
Amonnia - .25
Nitrite - .25
Nitrate - 160

I just done a 45% water change to try to reduce nitrites. Why would the nitrates be so high?? Ive never gotten a reading that high before. I tested my tap water and it has a zero reading.. I redone my tank about 4 weeks ago, removed the UGF and old gravel and replaced it with a new HOT filter and new gravel. I left the filter media in the tank for a few days in order to save some of the bacteria. Could my tank be recycling?? I kept checking it and never got any ammonia or nitrite readings so I figured the tank would not need to re-cycle.
Im about to nutt up here - I have yellow labs that will be here on Wednesday! What levels of nitrates are safe for fish?

 

[WILDER]

Your tank is cycling again, just have to be patient.

 

[Durbkat]

I think the 45% water change could send it into a re cycle with all that water you took out I thought that the most you should take out is like 25% no more than that. How often do you vacum clean the tank? How many and what kind of fish do you have?

 

[leafs]

I think the 45% water change could send it into a re cycle with all that water you took out I thought that the most you should take out is like 25% no more than that. How often do you vacum clean the tank? How many and what kind of fish do you have?

Theres not a lot of good bacteria in the water, so a 45% water change won't do any harm. I had very high nitrates myself recently and I just kept changing the water daily until things were back to normal.

 

[kat and james]

from what i've read having high nitrate readings does not affect the test (according to the info in one of our test kits (dr. wellfish) there tests reveal no significant affect of nitrates to the fish). the only problem it may pose, is unsightly algae blooms.

although as you mentioned you need to get rid of the nitrites!

 

[GirlinWayside]

I was afraid of that. Its been many years since I have cycled a tank - my tank was always stocked until recently. Ive got 5 yellow labs that I have already been shipped and are on their way. I hope they will alright. I dont have another tank.. How long will it take for the cycle to complete??

 

[leafs]

Nitrates should be kept under 40 ppm, but some fish can tolerate higher levels. I had a nitrate level of around 100 ppm and I lost a few fish because of it. I always check once a week to see how high my nitrate level is.

 

[GirlinWayside]

I done 20% water change this morning and tested the water an hour later and it read about 40. Ammonia and Nitrites were zero.

 

[WILDER]

Great news you are cycled, do a test later on with out the water change to see if the results are still the same, do you test your water after the water change as the results can be misleading.