High Nitrate

[welshboy]

Hi'With the fish i feed them once a day, and fasting on sunday.I do a water check once a week and the Nitrate is always high but the Nitrite and Amm is always normal any advice please Thanks.Mark

 

[ian]

what are your nitrate levels?

 

[Skins]

Have you tested your tap water for nitrate?

 

[welshboy]

Hi' looking at the colour chart it is between 40 and 80, never any lower.Mark

 

[Jack_]

Are you using an API test kit? The re-agents in this brand of kit tend to separate so shake them for a good few minutes prior to use, also as they age they tend to get less accurate and nitrate levels of 40-80 aren't that bad anyway, higher than preferred but of no detrimental affect. Nitrate only begins to get dangerous for most fish when levels rise to over 400PPM.

 

[Skins]

Are you using an API test kit? The re-agents in this brand of kit tend to separate so shake them for a good few minutes prior to use, also as they age they tend to get less accurate and nitrate levels of 40-80 aren't that bad anyway, higher than preferred but of no detrimental affect. Nitrate only begins to get dangerous for most fish when levels rise to over 400PPM.

Lets not forget that higher amounts of nitrate can effect pH levels depending on the tank waters chemistry

 

[welshboy]

Hi' The tap water reads 10. The test kit i have is a Freshwater master test kit.Mark

 

[Jack_]

Are you using an API test kit? The re-agents in this brand of kit tend to separate so shake them for a good few minutes prior to use, also as they age they tend to get less accurate and nitrate levels of 40-80 aren't that bad anyway, higher than preferred but of no detrimental affect. Nitrate only begins to get dangerous for most fish when levels rise to over 400PPM.

Lets not forget that higher amounts of nitrate can effect pH levels depending on the tank waters chemistry

KH dependant, readings of 40-80 are unlikely to make any noticeable impact on PH.

Hi' The tap water reads 10. The test kit i have is a Freshwater master test kit.Mark

Can we have the tank stats please? Tank volume, filter and fish content.

 

[Skins]

One way to bring your nitrates down would be when you perform your next water change/gravel vac is to increase the ammount of water you remove. Having live plants in the tank will also keep nitrate levels down.

Skins.

 

[Skins]

Are you using an API test kit? The re-agents in this brand of kit tend to separate so shake them for a good few minutes prior to use, also as they age they tend to get less accurate and nitrate levels of 40-80 aren't that bad anyway, higher than preferred but of no detrimental affect. Nitrate only begins to get dangerous for most fish when levels rise to over 400PPM.

Lets not forget that higher amounts of nitrate can effect pH levels depending on the tank waters chemistry

KH dependant, readings of 40-80 are unlikely to make any noticeable impact on PH.

Agree, but i have experienced a pH crash when nitrates have been 40/60ppm

Skins.

 

[welshboy]

Tank is 39 galls, the pump is a powerhead with a under gravel filter.Fish 1 pleco' 6 clown loaches' 3 kissing gouramies' 4 sucker loaches'1 red tail shark'1 albino shark' 1 angle fish 3 guppies.Mark

 

[Skins]

Sorry Mark got side tracked, ph/kh things with Jack.

 

[Jack_]

Agree, but i have experienced a pH crash when nitrates have been 40/60ppm

Skins.

Not very scientifically conclusive, PH crashes can be caused by numerous things.

Tank is 39 galls, the pump is a powerhead with a under gravel filter.Fish 1 pleco' 6 clown loaches' 3 kissing gouramies' 4 sucker loaches'1 red tail shark'1 albino shark' 1 angle fish 3 guppies.Mark

First problem here is the under gravel filter, and is probably why you have high nitrate levels, due to the detritus building up in the substrate, I would switch to a large internal filter or an external filter. Also, the Pleco, what species is it? The Clown loaches will slowly out grow the tank but should be fine for a few years yet, but they do create a lot of waste, also the kissing gourami's will outgrow the tank, and probably the loaches too species dependant. The Sharks will probably fight as they mature, and they tend to become very aggressive also.

 

[welshboy]

Hi'The pleco is a sail fin, it was small when i bought it now it is around 12''.Mark

 

[Jack_]

It's definitely too big then and is more than likely producing loads waste, you must re-home it.