Stubborn nitrates

[Teelie]

My 10 gallon nursery plant tank has nitrates through the roof and no amount of water changes seems to be doing any good. I've changed 20% twice in the past 3 days and they're still up there. I thought plants used nitrate as a food source? Is it possible the root tabs I put in there are raising the nitrate levels?

All that is in there currently is a male Betta and 4 plants; one Aponogenton, one Banana plant and two Dwarf Lilies.

My 30 gallon Gourami tank which is also planted seems to be suffering from this though not as much. I have one Aponogenton, two Banana plants and a Lily in there.

 

[kgrehm]

Hmm....The tabs that you do put in there I believe has no doubt an effect on the nitrates. What is your lvl of nitrates? Mine are at a steady 20-40 and everytime that i try and bring them down I have troubles also. It is a planted tank with many kinds of plants and I am not using any thing for there growth. What I would say is stop using the tabs for awhile and continue with the water changes. Plants do use the nitrates so just do that for a week or so and see how it goes.

 

[timbo_ska]

Check your tap water nitrates, they may be high to start with - i have this problem

 

[Teelie]

I've checked it before and there weren't any but I haven't recently. I mostly used RO water these last two changes and no effect. I stirred up the sand real good, disturbing some roots in the process but managed to get a lot of the partially dissolved tabs to come out of there.

I have some new ones that are "time released" so I hope those will be better use than the others I had.