High nitrates...

stephybabe88

stephybabe88

AC Members
Aug 8, 2010
502
1
18
Texas
Everytime I test, I have over 40ppm, but not quite 80ppm. Nitrite and ammonia are 0. I even did a little more than 50% wc last week. Which sucked since it's 55g and all I had were 2 gallon jugs. I thought with a heavily planted tank I should have much lower nitrates. When I test my tap, it's about 5ppm. Wth??
 
Are you using a liquid test kit or strips? Strips aren't overly accurate.. Over 40ppm is quite high. Perhaps you are over fertilizing.. maybe try not using ferts for a bit or use them less and see what you come up with?
 
Give more info...do you have a lot of decorations besides the plants? Driftwood or large rocks? What kind of substrate? Do you vacuum the substrate? What is your stocking?
 
A couple holey rocks, one small driftwood, but no artificial decor. I am heavily stocked, 4 swordtails, 10 blue tetras, 5 flame tetras, 4 pristella tetras, 2 gold skirt tetras, 7 emerald cories, 1 balloon belly molly, RCS, and ramshorn snails
 
Small gravel substrate and I vacuum as much substrate as I can during wc without pulling up my plants, probably about 20%.
 
I had this happen when my tank was only a few months old, eventually my plants grew to the point where they use up most of the nitrates.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
i connect a hose to this...

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and use it connected like this for my 30 gal...

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and use it like this on my 50 gal...

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and remove my shower head and connect the hose to this coupling

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so i can set my temp in my tub spigot then switch to shower and fill the tank.

to start the siphon, i simply fill the hose until the bubbling stops, shut off the hose, remove it from the spigot and drop it in the tub.

it just hangs on the side of the tank like this...

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hands free w/c's without buckets. :dance2:

in the summer, i just use the outside hose bib spigot like so...

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and use the old tank water to fertilize the front shrubs like so...

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the only buckets i carry are empty. however, i still do use them. i just fill them where i'm going to dump them with the tank water from the other end of the hose...

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when i quit being lazy, i'm going to add a gravel vac option to it also. i have a few designs in mind.

most we've had in our source water that i'm aware of is ~4ppm chlorine in the form of chloramine. i treat with prime for the whole tank as soon as i turn the refill water back on... for every w/c... so if i decide to do two back to back, i treat the tank twice.

the "T" at the end with 2 strainers diffuses incoming and outgoing water tremendously. my sand bottom is never disturbed. my RCS can pick at it while it's filling or emptying with no worries.

everyone with an unplumbed tank should have one IMHO. some folks already do... and love it.

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sounds to me like you have more nitrogenous waste going into the tank than your plants are taking up. for a temporary measure, you could up your W/C's. long term would be more intake from your plants. this may mean more hungry plants. maybe some faster growers. or it could mean you need to provide the other nutrients, co2 and/or light so your plants can take in more and level out those nitrates.

i would check your gh, and start dosing P and K specifically to start with.

last but not least, don't fret too much over your nitrates. if your plants ever take off, they'll really help, but under 80ppm is really nothing to worry about.
 
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