NITRATE QUESTION

platytetrafan

platytetrafan

AC Members
Jan 20, 2007
1,564
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38
NY
On Saturday I did a wc on my betta's 3 gallon Eclipse tank. I checked water parameters nitrate level is 20 is that ok I did do a real good gravel vac. I do wc's weekly and rinse the filter every 4 weeks was just curious is that nitrate level too high? It's not a planted tank ammonia level was 0.
 
Probably ok. I've had levels hover around 40 ppm in community tanks...

Nitrate toxicity levels are not well defined for most aquarium fish species. Generally what you hear is to try to keep them as low as possible, just to be safe.
 
20 ppm nitrate is not toxic to fish, but in the case of a 3 gallon tank with a single betta, i would think this nitrate level is coming from the substrate not being cleaned often enough. sludge trapped anywhere in a tank will continue to break down and the end result is nitrate. changing the water removes the nitrate, but if you don't gravel vac, that sludge is still there to create more nitrate than you want. you said you did a good gravel vac this time, but have you skipped vacc'ing before?

when you rinse your filter, how do you do it?
 
you may have nitrates already in the tap water, I would suggest measuring nitrates straight out of the tap. I would also make sure your not overfeeding. I feed my single betta only once every couple two to three days.
 
THANKS everyone....yes I do a good gravel vac everytime I change the water and that is weekly. I dechlorinate the water each time but will check the nitrate level in a test tube this week. I will make sure I do a very good gravel this week and test again and watch the amount of food I am giving all comments are appreciated. :)
 
also check any decor in the tank for built up mulm and sludge. i know the log ornament i have in my 55 gallon collects so much gunk inside of it, it isn't even funny!
 
Have you ever checked your tapwater for nitrates?
 
Do check your tap water for nitrates. Some people have high nitrates in their tap water, so in that situation, it would be difficult to get your nitrate to be lower in your tank. So in that case, you are more or less stuck with a certain level of nitrates.
 
Maybe you are just not changing out enought water. I test my water and depening on how high my nitrates are, that is how much water I change. My goal is to have 0-5 nitrates after every wc. If they are very high, I do an 80% water change and so on.
 
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