What Are Your Nitrates?

[andywg]

The poisoning of the tank through a deep sand bed is a theoretical risk, and one which is very unlikely to ever happen. Otherwise deep sand beds wouldn't be so popular in SW.

 

[Gandalf-LoJ]

Mine are around 30-40 (damn all those same shades of pink!) and I try to keep them there by adding extra nitrate every few days via the ei dosing method. The fish are more than happy and the plants love it

 

[LisaLQ]

In my tank 10-20. In my hubby's tank this week, nearly off the scale. And his is the planted one. His is usually the same. God knows what's happened there...we're doing daily 30% water changes to get it right.

 

[andywg]

Umm, I honestly couldn't tell you the values in my FW. I think I tested for nitrates about a year ago.

My SW pred tank is about 40 and the reef is dropping down to 30. No idea on the cycling marine tank, though I expect it to go up soon.

I know that my API test kit thinks that RO+salt = 160ppm nitrate, so I don't use that any more.

 

[Gazoo]

Tank nitrate is 10.

Tap nitrate: A couple years ago when tested it was 10, current tap water nitrate is 0.

For an experiment, I tested some snow and it's 5.

 

[lljdma06]

Mines near zero from the tap, which surprises me. I'm guessing it's between 0-10ppm in my tanks, but I haven't tested in a while. I'm guessing it's low as I often have fry in the tanks, which are more nitrate sensitive, and they are fine. I also over filter, do weekly water changes, and have a lot of plants. I haven't fertilized my planted tanks in months and the plant growth suggests that ferts aren't really needed.

 

[thegnu]

"No Idea I don't have a test kit" Or filters for that matter. Test kits = wast of money IMO. come on t1tanrush, elaborate on your statement.

to everyone with fish and plants. its a balancing act between the right amounts of plants and the number (bio load) of fish, obviously

 

[CFC]

I have lovely London tapwater so from the tap its anything from 30 to 50ppm and the tanks usually sit at around 50 to 70ppm depending on the time from the last water change.

 

[LisaLQ]

to everyone with fish and plants. its a balancing act between the right amounts of plants and the number (bio load) of fish, obviously

Obviously. As the tank has been at 10-20ppm with the same plants in for the last year. Explain the huge nitrate increase

BTW, still not heard back from you since you offered the bogwood - I presume you sold it to someone else?

 

[Katchan]

Brisbane, Australia tap nitrate 0
Hobart, Australia tap 0

All my tanks 0, all light to moderatley planted

may change though as I have just started fertilising my tanks

Andrew

 

[ox5477]

In freshwater, anything under 50 ppm is good

For marine, many corals are sensitive to nitrates so preferably want 0 or as close to as possible

 

[edgun88]

20-30 in my 55 gal. My fish are happy as ever though!

 

[dream250578]

My Nitrates are always high...my tap water has a reading of 40. I do have live plants (adding more at the moment) but they just won't go down. I do 25% weekly water changes. I really have a hard time reading the test results as the colours on the card are so similar. Maybe someone here knows of a brand of nitrate test that is easy to read (where the colours are quite different)?

 

[andywg]

In freshwater, anything under 50 ppm is good

For marine, many corals are sensitive to nitrates so preferably want 0 or as close to as possible

According to the research I have seen, in Freshwater and Marine systems with fish (rather than invertebrates) anything under 100ppm is good.

 

[three-fingers]

Surely he means anerobic bacteria which is what you get in a deep sand substrate. I have heard of this, but the flip side is it produces a black smelly gunk which can poison your tank!

Yep anerobic thats what I meant.

For an experiment, I tested some snow and it's 5.