Can You Make Daily Water Changes To Get Nitrate Levels Down?

[edgun88]

Hey guys, my nirate levels are really high. They were about 120ppm yesterday, I did a 60% water change and now they are about 80ppm. I know, I know, that it is WAY WAY too high. You don't have to tell me that. I have 3 silver dollars that are very hardy and thats why they are till there. BUT, my question to you is, can I make daily water changes until my nitrate levels go down? I heard somewhere that too frequent water changes can harm fish, but mine seem to love it. Feedback please! Thanks!

Or is there something I can do to get nitrate levels down artificially? Id rather to it naturally, though.

EDIT: oh yea, I have a 55 gal (200 liter) 4 foot tank. Nitrite is 0; Ammonia is 0. The only problem I have is with Nitrate.

 

[The-Wolf]

80ppm is not high if you have a lot of plants,
seeing as you have silver dollars I guess you don't.

you should be aiming for 50ppm or below in an unplanted tank.
I suggest 10% changes every day untill they are at that mark.
whats the NO3 of your tap water?, if that is high try doing water
changes with RO water

you could add zeolite to the filter as that will absorb NO3

 

[fishwatcher]

I see the-wolf has already replied.
I'd do what he says.

 

[DoyouWantsum]

It will be ok to change 1/3 every day until nirate levels are ok. Dont do 60% its a bit much.

When nitrate levels are ok make sure you do weekly 1/3 water changes to keep it down.

 

[Gatorbait]

The-Wolf is spot on.

he asks an important question, what are your nitrates out of the tap?

 

[edgun88]

80ppm is not high if you have a lot of plants,
seeing as you have silver dollars I guess you don't.

you should be aiming for 50ppm or below in an unplanted tank.
I suggest 10% changes every day untill they are at that mark.
whats the NO3 of your tap water?, if that is high try doing water
changes with RO water

you could add zeolite to the filter as that will absorb NO3

The-Wolf is spot on.

he asks an important question, what are your nitrates out of the tap?

I checked my tap water and the nitrate as well as NO3 levels are both 0ppm which is .

As to the recommendation for zeolite, I have placed a few scoops of a zeolite/carbon mixture into my filter cartriges and it seems to be working well. Ammonia is barely recognizable in my tests >.5pm. Nitrate was barely recognizable also, >.1ppm.

One last question. I plan on getting some more fish this weekend. Probably about 7 more, so that would be a totally of 10 fish in a 55 gal tank. Im aiming at (in total) 3 silver dollars, 5 tiger barbs and a 2 pictus cats. Im worried about nitrate and ammonia levels spiking again, so should I do regular water changes as the bactria adjusts to the new fish? I just don't want them to die a few days after I introduce them to the tank becuse they can't handle the levels. What do you guys recommend I do?

 

[Gatorbait]

That barely noticeable ammonia level is able to kill fish. Ammonia, at any level, is lethal to them.

I wouldn't buy anymore fish until your tank is registering 0ppm for both ammonia and nitrites. I haven't looked at what's in your tank before I started replying so I'm not saying to add them afterwards but I definitely wouldn't add any anytime in the near future.

Keep doing daily partial wc's to get all of your levels down. I'd work on that first and foremost.

 

[edgun88]

That barely noticeable ammonia level is able to kill fish. Ammonia, at any level, is lethal to them.

I wouldn't buy anymore fish until your tank is registering 0ppm for both ammonia and nitrites. I haven't looked at what's in your tank before I started replying so I'm not saying to add them afterwards but I definitely wouldn't add any anytime in the near future.

Keep doing daily partial wc's to get all of your levels down. I'd work on that first and foremost.

Ok. Yea Im going to do daily water changes like you said. But won't the problem just come right back when I get more fish. I mean, what is causing these levels to be noticable? I've had the tank for about 6 months, I don't get why It wouldn't be cycled by now. I must say that I have negelcted it in the past. Sometimes for 2 weeks without a water change. Do you think that could be it?

 

[Gatorbait]

No, 2 weeks without a wc wouldn't make the ammonia levels rise unless you are feeding a huge amount of foods and that also creates a lot of waste etc. . It could make the nitrates rise.

yes, adding more fish will be more of a strain on the bacteria colony until it catches up again.

When you do wc's do you clean your filters? If so, are you cleaning them in tap water?

 

[edgun88]

No, 2 weeks without a wc wouldn't make the ammonia levels rise unless you are feeding a huge amount of foods and that also creates a lot of waste etc. . It could make the nitrates rise.

yes, adding more fish will be more of a strain on the bacteria colony until it catches up again.

When you do wc's do you clean your filters? If so, are you cleaning them in tap water?

I used to feed my fish alot of food and they have produced a lot of waste, but most of it is being broken down by bacteria, hence so many nitrates. And every once in a while I manually take solid waste out with a net.

umm, I clean my filters every other wc with tap water, yes. I clean the filter cartridges that have all the solid waste in them. Im talking about the part of the filter with the zeolite and carbon in it. I leave the spongy material uncleaned. (I think the spongy material is for bacteria growth correct?) Or does tap water kill everything?

 

[Gatorbait]

No, 2 weeks without a wc wouldn't make the ammonia levels rise unless you are feeding a huge amount of foods and that also creates a lot of waste etc. . It could make the nitrates rise.

yes, adding more fish will be more of a strain on the bacteria colony until it catches up again.

When you do wc's do you clean your filters? If so, are you cleaning them in tap water?

I used to feed my fish alot of food and they have produced a lot of waste, but most of it is being broken down by bacteria, hence so many nitrates. And every once in a while I manually take solid waste out with a net.

umm, I clean my filters every other wc with tap water, yes. I clean the filter cartridges that have all the solid waste in them. Im talking about the part of the filter with the zeolite and carbon in it. I leave the spongy material uncleaned. (I think the spongy material is for bacteria growth correct?) Or does tap water kill everything?

I believe that's the answer then.

You should clean your filter media in water you take out from your wc. Using tap water kills off your beneficial bacteria and you are restarting your cycle over again.

You shouldn't really have that much waste in your filter media, to be honest. I believe you're overfeeding to accumalte that much waste.

Try this for 2 weeks...

Put on a plate what you feed now. Then take half away. Feed that instead and see how you come along.

 

[edgun88]

I believe that's the answer then.

You should clean your filter media in water you take out from your wc. Using tap water kills off your beneficial bacteria and you are restarting your cycle over again.

You shouldn't really have that much waste in your filter media, to be honest. I believe you're overfeeding to accumalte that much waste.

Try this for 2 weeks...

Put on a plate what you feed now. Then take half away. Feed that instead and see how you come along.

Ok Thanks for the info Gatorbait. Yea I was kinda thinking the same thing at somepoint. That cleaning filter media in tap water could kill bacteria. I will do what you said from now on.

About the overfeeding thing, I think you are right again. I will use your technique and see if it works. I've had these annoying nitrate problems for some time now and Ive not been able to figure it out. Hopefully it works! Thanks

 

[Gatorbait]

You're welcome.

Remember that adult fish, in general, can go weeks and some even a couple months without eating.

They may act like they're starving but they aren't. Maybe even feed just 6 days a week unless you have fry. ie. Feed Monday-Saturday. Do a wc after last feeding on Saturday then don't feed on Sunday. That gives them a chance to unfatten and the bacteria a day to try and catch up if need be also.


It will help keep them healthy and they will in turn live much longer also.

 

[paulf]

80ppm is not high if you have a lot of plants,
seeing as you have silver dollars I guess you don't.

you should be aiming for 50ppm or below in an unplanted tank.
I suggest 10% changes every day untill they are at that mark.
whats the NO3 of your tap water?, if that is high try doing water
changes with RO water

80 is blindingly high whether its planted or not!!!

The ideal amount would be 20ppm, planted or not planted, above 40 is too high

 

[fry_lover]

40-80ppm is not a problem for many fish, not saying its great having it that level, but its not really an issue unless you got a particularly sensitive species, most fish can become remarkably adaptable to high nitrate,

40-60 certainly isnt an issue in my book