Water Parameter Advice?

[JHR]

Ok so I've tested my water today, after adding 6 panda corys yesterday.

My pH, ammonia and nitrite are all good - 7.4, 0, 0 respectively.

However my nitrates have gone from 20ppm to 40ppm.

Is this a problem and if so how do I fix? Conditioned water change?

Cheers

 

[CezzaXV]

40ppm is an acceptable level, but you can do a water change if you feel you want to.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Check the nitrate lvels of your source water, while RO would have little/none, my tap water (used in tanks) comes with 40-50mg/l. Most fish are relatively tolerant of nitrate, becoming toxic around 300mg/l, but there are exceptions.

 

[Gilli]

you can keep your nitrates down by adding more live plants which will use some up and doing larger weekly water changes and a thorough gravel vac. Make sure you take out any rotting leaves of plants and dont overfeed as this will make it worse.

 

[JHR]

Ok thanks everyone.

I'll look into purchasing a low maintenance plant or two for my tank

 

[OldMan47]

Really you are looking at having nitrates that spell out an increase in stock levels. The only ways I know of to deal with that are to reduce stocking levels, probably not practical for you, increase water changes, a possibility, or increase the live plants by a lot, a real possibility. If you can get some nice easy care plants growing, you may well see nitrates dropping, not rising. I have some tanks that I run at high planting levels that almost never see any nitrates at all, that's right, none. What it takes is lots of plants that are using both ammonia and nitrates as fertilizers to grow. The end result is a tank that can support fish with or without a cycled filter and can never show any nitrogen in the water. This tank does exactly that.

On the other hand, this lightly planted tank relies entirely on a cycled filter, the plants simply cannot keep up.

 

[JHR]

What plants are those?

My tank is not over stocked by the way it's 100 litres and the stocking is noted in my signature.

As for plants I intend on getting some but I don't want them to be out of control, the first pic you posted- I like those plants what are they?

 

[OldMan47]

The first tank picture shows mostly valisneria although I also have some java ferns and Cryptocorynes in there, but people seldom notice them. The second tank has a prominent java fern to the left side, the wrinkly plant is a Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia and of course I have a nice layer of duckweed floating on top. The stuff on the right is silk plants, almost impossible for even me to kill. Also floating is some elodea, a stem plant often sold in clumps.

 

[JHR]

Oh right cool. The java fern looks great too.

Think I may have to invest in that aswell as some valisneria

Also, I'm about to do a water change so bought some new water treatment. It says on the bottle use 5 ml per 20 litres of water you replace. So if I remove and replace half of my 100 litre Tank should i use 12.5ml? Or should I use enough for 100 litres?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Oh right cool. The java fern looks great too.

Think I may have to invest in that aswell as some valisneria

Also, I'm about to do a water change so bought some new water treatment. It says on the bottle use 5 ml per 20 litres of water you replace. So if I remove and replace half of my 100 litre Tank should i use 12.5ml? Or should I use enough for 100 litres?

12.5ml if you add it to the new water or 25ml if you add it directly to the tank.

 

[JHR]

ok thanks very much 25ml it is then!