Effect of High Nitrates

[kjr928]

One of my friends set up a 5.5g over a month ago. She has a couple of platy fry in there and also a couple of neons. The tank is WELL stocked to put it lightly.

She hasn't done a single water change since she set this up. There's all this brown crap growing all over the inside of her tank & you can see the leftover food sitting at the bottom.

I've been offering to show her how to clean it everyday for weeks now and she still "hasn't gotten around to it".

So, I'm sure her nitrates are sky-rocketing out of the roof. I wanted to know what ill-effects high nitrates will cause other than algae growth. Also I'd like to tell her what the ill-effects of not cleaning her tank are in general. If I have some decent info maybe I can scare her into taking care of it.

Thanks guys.

 

[jgavlock]

The fact that there is fry is reason enough to clean the tank more often than usual. High nitrate levels are especially harmful to fish that are in the early stages of development.

 

[Marinemom]

Nitrate poisoning is one of the things that can seriously injure or even kill the fish in the tank. High nitrates will also over time cause very slow or stunted growth in these fish. Not to mention that these poor fish are also living in thier own filth. My guess is she is not cleaning the filter either which is also very detrimental for the fish she is keeping Poor fish!!

Marinemom

 

[kjr928]

Nitrate poisoning is one of the things that can seriously injure or even kill the fish in the tank. High nitrates will also over time cause very slow or stunted growth in these fish. Not to mention that these poor fish are also living in thier own filth. My guess is she is not cleaning the filter either which is also very detrimental for the fish she is keeping Poor fish!!

Marinemom

Thanks for your reply. You're right, she hasn't touched the filter since she first set it up.

Currently the stock is this (I just checked):
4 platy fry (about 1/2" each)
3 glow tetras (1" each)
1 neon tetra (1")

So, on top of the tank being filthy, it is overstocked. How long can this go on for before things start dying? What should I tell her to get her to do it? I want to tell her what's going to happen in her tank but I'm not sure what the right words are. How about "everything in the tank is going to die soon!"

 

[kjr928]

I just went into her office and checked the tank, and it is like SLUDGE CITY. It is far worse than the last time I saw it.

So I wrote her this email:
"The nitrates in your tank are through the roof. That's why you have so much brown **** growing in there.

First, the baby platies will die, because baby fish are much more sensitive to nitrates than adults. Then, the adults will lost their appetites and die too.

Your tank will probably need water changes every day or every other day for a week straight in order to get it back in shape. If you don't want the fish, or if you just don't have time to take care of the tank, then let me know and I will take the platies back and find homes for the tetras!"

Say a prayer for all the fish.

 

[BucJason]

the Brown stuff you see is probably Brown Algae, it thrives in high nitrate conditions. Tell her to get off her lazy butt and do a water change, it only takes 5 minutes in a 5 gallon tank. :duh:

 

[TKOS]

First off do a search on OTS or old tank syndrome. Doing large water changes at this point may very well kill off everything in the tank. Small water changes of say 1 gallon at most over the next few days is best until the water in the tank and the change water match. Then set about cleaning the tank of algae and cleaning the filter.

 

[Marinemom]

First off do a search on OTS or old tank syndrome. Doing large water changes at this point may very well kill off everything in the tank. Small water changes of say 1 gallon at most over the next few days is best until the water in the tank and the change water match. Then set about cleaning the tank of algae and cleaning the filter.

I agree with this 100%. Five one gllon water changes over the next five days will help get this tank back on track. It will not even take hardly any time to do. If she cannot devote just a few minutes to that tank anf the fish that are trying to survive in that mess, then she should just take the tank down and give the tank and fish to you or someone else that cares enough to take care of it properly.

Marinemom

 

[kjr928]

First off do a search on OTS or old tank syndrome. Doing large water changes at this point may very well kill off everything in the tank. Small water changes of say 1 gallon at most over the next few days is best until the water in the tank and the change water match. Then set about cleaning the tank of algae and cleaning the filter.

Thanks for the advice. I was going to tell her to do a 50% change and scrub the crap off of everything, but now I won't. It really is quite disgusting. I don't even want to put my hands in there.

She doesn't even have test strips. I'm going to bring some of mine in tomorrow for her.

So anyway, I got her to agree to do the water change tonight, but it doesn't mean much because she's said that she's going to do it every night for the last 3 weeks, and I'm not going to turn into her aquarium maid. We shall see what happens....

 

[kjr928]

I agree with this 100%. Five one gllon water changes over the next five days will help get this tank back on track. It will not even take hardly any time to do. If she cannot devote just a few minutes to that tank anf the fish that are trying to survive in that mess, then she should just take the tank down and give the tank and fish to you or someone else that cares enough to take care of it properly.

Marinemom

Hear hear! I actually just suggested she get rid of the tank if she doesn't have the time for it, and she's having a heart attack!