White rock in aquarium

[Jennet]

Tomorrow, if I feel up to it, I will be removing everything but the gravel from my aquarium and doing a 50% water change in order to try to bring the nitrates down. Do you think this natural rock that I have in there may possibly be the cause of the issue? I've had it since my tanks in the 70's. I have looked it up online. Could it be Texas white holey rock, which appears to be limestone? It also appears to be called tufa rock.

 

[MattW]

I suspect you included an image of the rock but forgot to click upload

I don't see a rock being the main cause of nitrates. Hardness and pH are more likely.

 

[Essjay]

Limestone won't cause nitrate issues but it will increase GH as it's calcium carbonate.

You've been feeding fish food to the tank and ammonium chloride if I remember correctly? If so, that's the cause of the high nitrate. Fish food decomposes to ammonia which the filter bacteria turn into nitrite and then nitrate. Fishless cycling, whether with food or ammonia, always creates a lot of nitrate which is why we do a huge water change before adding fish.

 

[Jennet]

@Matt Did I tell you I was a technobimbo - in the real sense of the word, not as in music. I took photo's and uploaded to my laptop. However, since I got google photo storage, it is hit and miss regarding me finding the photo's I've uploaded. AND I let my e-mail addy that I used at the time lapse. Would take me forever to find it. And still cannot find said photograph.

I must try to remember to contact Mr Google and tell him I need him to move my subscription to my new(er) e-addy, so I can at least try to gain back some control. Either that or cancel the DD and tell them to put it where the sun don't shine.

@Essjay - thanks.

 

[Back in the fold]

So what’s the opposite of a technobimbo ? Someone completely ham handed and a Luddite in every way ?

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Ah I used to use Tufa rock in Rift Lake African Cichlid tanks. It's fossilized coral reef, basically calcium carbonate. Much like Texas Holey rock it will raise the hardness of your water but it has nothing to do with raising nitrates.

 

[fishorama]

I'm with Essjay & Rusty for GH increase. It doesn't impact growing beneficial cycling bacteria much. It's low pH that can slow things.

I only did fish food 1 time to cycle a tank. What a mess! Never again. Ammonia is cleaner & more accurate to dose. I dose to 2ppm for best results. Vacuum out the food.

Did you ever see nitrite? Is it now down to 0? As I'm sure you've read or remember. It's ammonia then nitrite then high nitrate, big water change & redose ammonia to 1ppm (the shorthand version of cycling, lol).