Nitrate Producing Rocks

[CyberTrip]

Well, my nitrate levels sky rocketed and I noticed my nitrate levels soar when I saw one of my new cichlids die. Is it possible that my rocks are producing harmful nitrate levels? I'm talking over 80ppm, even after a 50% water change 3 days in a row.

 

[kveeti]

Not the rocks themselves. But if they are trapping dirt in cracks and crevices, then that could be a contributing factor. Did you test your tap water? If that’s ok, then look at other factors. Do you gravel vacuum along with the water change? (Your gravel looks very clean.) What’s your filter cleaning schedule? What’s your feeding routine and has it changed lately?

 

[CyberTrip]

Not the rocks themselves. But if they are trapping dirt in cracks and crevices, then that could be a contributing factor. Did you test your tap water? If that’s ok, then look at other factors. Do you gravel vacuum along with the water change? (Your gravel looks very clean.) What’s your filter cleaning schedule? What’s your feeding routine and has it changed lately?

The rocks have been in for a couple of weeks. Tap water is showing around 5ppm of Nitrate. Gravel gets vacuumed while changing water. Filter gets cleaned with old aquarium water when doing water changes. Water gets 25% change every other week. Change filter out completely once a month. Fish get fed once a day with tropical flakes (for now). The tank is old and used to be the home to my tinfoil barbs so it is already cycled.

I may do a test and put the rock in buckets with the dark rock in one bucket and the light rock in the other and fill it up with distilled water and check levels daily to see if there is any kind of spike in nitrate levels.

 

[Onikun]

why would you change the filter out completely once a month? there goes your cycled bacteria...

 

[justintoxicated]

could it be your test kit is off?

 

[kveeti]

justintoxicated makes a good point. If suddenly nitrate starts reading different than the norm, the test kit could be it. I had that happen - in the opposite direction, I was suddenly having to add more KN03 than usual... but it was my test kit.

 

[liv2padl]

Change filter out completely once a month

Water gets 25% change every other week

bingo. when you "change" your filter completely, you toss out the significant portion of your biofilter and subsequently a spike in all nitrogen parameters. that coupled with twice a month water changes are not doing your water quality any good.

rinse your filter media rather than tossing it. when it gets too clogged to rinse adequately, cut half of it off and place it in back of your new filter media for two weeks. up your water changes to weekly.

i'll bet your problem goes away. rocks do not contribute to nitrogen product release.

 

[CyberTrip]

cool, i'll keep looking out, i'll try different test tubes. i have the aquarium pharmaceuticals master test kit for freshwater. kinda aggrivating having to use water drops like you do in a swimming pool test kit. takes a long time when you're checking all the levels.

 

[djmodifyd]

cool, i'll keep looking out, i'll try different test tubes. i have the aquarium pharmaceuticals master test kit for freshwater. kinda aggrivating having to use water drops like you do in a swimming pool test kit. takes a long time when you're checking all the levels.

well, AP test kits are one of the best out there
i have it, it really doesn't take long once you get used to it, and memorize how many drops and dont need the directions anymore

it may be out dated, but when not expired, AP rocks!

 

[IceH2O]

The only one that takes time is Nitrates.

pH takes 3 seconds.

I do my Ammonia and Nitrites at the same time since they both go 5 minutes. You could actually do Ammonia,Nitrites and Nitrates all at the same time. Just do the 1st half of Nitrates, then when its time to do the 5 minute test do your ammonia drops then nitrite drops. Thats 3 tests done at once plus pH, all done in less than 10 minutes and 5 of that is waiting for results.

As for the pwcs and filter replacement, liv2padl gave you the best advice. More frequent pwcs and never replace the entire filter pad.