Nitrate high???

[kev h]

Hi all..

Running odd shaped 60 gall tank for malawi's, with 4 yellow labs, 1 stewartgrantii (aulonc) 2 white tops, three Aulon Nyasse 2 johanni and an Ahlii.....

Water is 76 deg, ph 8.2 nitrite o ammonia o gh and kh spot on in the mid ranges...BUT

Can't get nitrates below 25 mg/l

Do a three gallon daily change and it's annoying me now.... any ideas?


Tap water is 0 nitrate

any help much appreciated


Kev

 

[.:Ming:.]

add plants, changing that much water everyday won't help, don't tap water contain all these metals and stuff..?

and move some fish, or check the gravels; make sure it's clean....

that's all i got now, maybe i'll check back later,,,,

good luck!

ming

 

[ANTO.B]

do a water change every 3 daysif that dont work try adding some filter media from an established tank,gravel or even some water from that tank.also reduce feeding for afew days.hope this helps

 

[kev h]

Hi Both, ty for replying..tank is mature... and tap water is always dechlorinared and filtered before changes...could be the gravel though....

 

[mbunaman]

strange that your tap water is 0 mine comes out the tap at 25.

 

[wetwetwet]

I'm surprised that the tap water is zero aswell

mine comes out the tap at 40-60.

To be honest 25 isn't really anything to worry about....

as ming says try some nitrAte hungry plants,

I also use a product called NitraZorb in the filter which has greatly helped with my high nitrate problems - though I think theres some here who don't rate it.

The only other options are a nitrate filter on the tap or an RO unit....

 

[kev h]

I live very near to the source of my tap water... may that have something to do with it??? Hmm tested it and it was deffo zero.... RO unit sounds good, LFS and all round good guy Steve has done me a majorly good deal on one..

Got some zorb in too...see what happens... will Malawi's breed in 25 mg/l nitrate???

Kev

 

[catman]

If your tapwater nitrate is zero, then if you change 25% of your tank water your nitrate should drop to 19..

so to get it down low, you really need to change 40% every other day for a week or so, and reduce feeding... A 3 gallon water change is only a 5% water change, so you won't really see any difference....

My tapwater is 25, and my tank is 15. I put this down to nitrate hungry plants.. (i get amazing plant growth..)

RO water will not reduce your nitrates if your tapwater is already at zero...

You could always get a biological nitrate filter...

just some ideas....

 

[kev h]

Cheers Cat Man.
I can understand that, great advice mate..Ta!

MUST BE DOING SUMMAT RIGHT.... YELLOW LAB FEMALE'S GOT A GOBFULL... i'M GONNA BE A DADDY!!!



Pass me a cigar!!!!



Thanks all for all the help

Kev

 

[Finarfin]

Hi Kev,

I agree with catman, you should do big water changes less frequently, try doing a 50 or 60% waterchange once a week. It sounds like you have a fair bit of bio-load in the tank, with your ammonia and nitrite levels very low I'd say the tank is cycled. What are you using for filtration?

Cheers,

F.

 

[kev h]

Hi Fin
Fluval 404, bio load should be low as fish are only small.


Pseudothropeus has a gobfull now, and white top's shimmying.. water must be getting better


Kev