Can't Keep Nitrate Level Down

[Jebbwardo]

I wannt to keep my nitrate low but it comes out the tap around 20-25ppm which I know is fine for my fish as they have been alive for several years but recently wanted to breed my fish and I know nitrate over 20ppm kills most of the fry of as I have been told unless this is untrue, I was wondering if I should get. Iterate minus or any product like it or does anyone reccomend any other products that reduce your nitrate to a safe state for fry, I was thinking about a reverse osmosis machine but it's a bit costly but will get it if I do need it.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

I would recommend using RO water.  If your fry rearing tank is smaller, maybe you don't need to get a RO machine, just pick up distilled/RO water from your local supermarket.  That may cost you less than purchasing a unit.  However, if you plan to be using alot of RO water, then a unit will save more money in the long run.

 

[SarahR]

What species are you interested in breeding? 20ppm isn't even remotely an issue with any fry I'm accustomed to dealing with.

 

[Jebbwardo]

It comes out the tap at 20ppm but I can never have it at 20 ppm it's round 40ppm only way I could get it 20ppm is if I done a 100% tank change and I will have to get a reverse osmosis machine then as it's a 260 litre tank for the parents and fry and will be takeing the parents out after a couple of weeks as I have rainbow cichlid eggs should be wriggles in then next 12 hours it's been almost 3 days I'll see how many fry survive if I get a lot of deaths I will defiantly get the reverse osmosis but if everything goes okay with the way I'm doing it now I might just stick with my weekly tank changes.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Plants are good at consuming nitrates.
 
For example, elodea, a good low tech plant is good at absorbing nutrients such as nitrates from tank water.
 
I used to regularly get 30 - 40 ppm nitrates, added a few stems of elodea, a month or two later, nitrates very rarely go above 10ppm, the usual is about 5ppm.

 

[Jebbwardo]

The tank isn't planted but I do have a heavily planted tank I'll test the nitrate on that only just become heavily planted tho was lightly planted with about 5 diffrent bunches of plants have around 10 big bunches of all diffrent plants now it's 120 litre tank and I just have a small community in but the tank the cichlids are in is 260 litre and has no plants in so I'll check the nitrate difference and get back to youse and also the rainbow cichlid tank has started to get a bit of algae any ways I can get rid of that? And could I put a few plecs and other algae eating fish in when the fish have been swimming for say a week? I know rainbow cichlids do eat algae so maybe the fry will eat it too?