ozzchick Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 How do i lower my nitrate levels in my tank. They are not overly high from what i have read in other threads, 20ppm, but i am getting a fair bit of brown algae covering my plants and green spots of algae on the glass. Ammonia,PH and nitrite levels are all perfect. Most of the plants i keep are bright green and it spoils them when they turn brown Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Hi Ozzchick. There's one sure fire way I know of to lower nitrate levels....waterchanges. 30% weekly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Thanks, but i do regular water changes already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 if you are sure water changes are failing, increase the filtration and use nitraban. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 ok,what do you mean by increase the filtration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 how big is the tank? how many fish? what sorts? a bigger filter is always better than a smaller one or the perfect sized one; especially if your tank is over stocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Tank is 180ltrs, running a Fluval 104. I have 1 clown loach,1 tiger loach,1 golden algae eater.1 bristlenose plec (small), 1 blackline flying fox (small),4 rosy tetras,4 glow light tetras,2 black tetras,2 kuhli loaches,1 male siamese fighter a pearl gourami and around 8-10 young guppys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 From my understanding increasing the filtration won't remove nitrate. It is the end result of the bacterial process and will simply build and build unless it is removed/diluted with waterchanges. I think plants take some up, but I don't keep plants so I bypassed that info... Pretty much the answer to everything in this hobby is to do more water changes! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 okie dokie,so should i maybe do 2 a week, or stick to once a week but maybe do 50% instead of 30%? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Do whatever works for you, and works for your tank. Either method should work. I am not sure what the numbers mean for the tests, but I understand nitrate can get much higher than that and not be causing problems, so it is not a big thing right now, but clearly the tank is producing more nitrate than your waterchanges are able to remove, so if you don't do more somehow the nitrate would continue to build. Is the nitrate usually lower and has recently gone up or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 A couple of ways I keep my nitrates low are: .more than one water change. .less feeding - every 3 days. The fish spend more time looking for food so are always out and about. .plants growing at the top with wet roots - emerse? This way the leaves get CO2 from the air and grow steadily. This is my 80g with peace lily's in the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Awesome tank! Those plants look great. I have been thinking of growing some kind of small native rush in my mudfish tank. Would give them (even more) places to hide... So the nitrate gets used as nitrogen for plant growth, is that right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 No the level always seems to sit around 15-20 ppm, its just that my plants always go brown and im trying to find out how to stop that. My fish are all happy and healthy its just me thats not lol. Theres nothing more dissapointing for me that to put a nice new bright green plant in my tank then a week later its going brown! That is a great idea VinsonMassif, but i have 2 killifish which i forgot to include on my list earlier (oops) and they jump through the smallest of gaps so your idea isnt really an option in this tank. I may give it a try in one of my smaller tanks though as i like the look of that!! Will try feeding maybe every 2nd day instead of every day as well. Thanks everyone for your ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 If you wanted to grow plants that have roots in the water column to absorb stuff you can try Indian fern or duck weed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smash Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Nitrate might not be your only problem, but maybe phosphate. If you have been over feeding, you may have a build up of dissvolved organic matters, which will be releasing phosphate. Try using a good phosphate remover media in your filter and if you are using GAC, make sure its phosphate free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I suppose thats likely, although when i do water changes i use a gravel vac every time. What is GAC? Is there a water test for phosphate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Ozchik ryanjury's suggestion of Indian fern is great. It floats and spreads over the top with some surface leaves and some submerse leaves plus all the roots. Your Killies *may* benefit from this as spawning mops. I have found this a great no-fuss, low-light plant. I have my indian fern planted in my 60g tank and it has spread from 3 original small plants to 20 plants in only 3 months. If your leaves are melting away and dying are they getting enough light? Have you been adding any plant supplements? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 They arent so much melting away and dying, but turning brown. Yes i do use a suppliment for the plants, Vitapet aquarium plant food which is by the way phosphate free. I use it at each water change. I realised a few weeks back that i was adding too much :oops: i was adding the amount for 180ltrs instead of the amount for the ltrs i was taking out and replacing, what a dork :roll: lol. I have 3 light tubes in the lid of my tank and they go on when i get up in the morning and get turned off anywhere from 11pm - 2am, whenever i go to bed. They could probably benefit from being replaced though but when ive got the money to do it, it will happen. I will see if i can find some indian fern somewhere and give it a go, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 The amount posted on the outside of the Vitapet bottle that you calculate for the full 180L should be good. The idea as I understand it is that the plants will use *most* of that up, so you dose for the full tank after the appropriate time period. I usually dose immediately after my water changes. I have found some plants are just fussy and won't like your tank no matter what you do. Just find which ones work for you in your set up. Having live plants does work for sure in reducing the nitrate levels some though PS. GAC = Granulated Activated Carbon. A filter medium used for short term to remove things like excess medications and some dissolved compounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I had a problem with Nitrate when I was starting out, turned out after regular water changes and various "Crayfish larder hunts", that it was actually a piece of shrimp stuck in my filter. Moral of the story, look in your filter or under your bits and pieces for dead things ;s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 OK so the dosage rate on the bottle says 5ml per 50 ltrs, if i start doing water changes of say 50ltrs twice a week i still use 17.5 mls of plant food not 5mls? I have always added it into the clean water before i put it in the tank but i spose its 6 of one and half a doz of the other. Will see how i go with more frequent water changes first before i try the GAC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzchick Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Moral of the story, look in your filter or under your bits and pieces for dead things ;s. I clean my filter every few weeks,yesterday being the most recent and was all clear..........and xmas day i ripped everything out of the tank trying to catch a big fat bully of a SAE and there was no corpses to be found lol although the SAE decided he didnt like being taken away from the other fish and commited suicide by jumping out RIP SAE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smash Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I suppose thats likely, although when i do water changes i use a gravel vac every time. What is GAC? Is there a water test for phosphate? GAC is granular activated carbon. The cheaper stuff is likely to leach phosphate. If it doesnt say its phosphate free, it will contain it. You can get phosphate test kits, but the ones that give you an true reading are not cheap. You seem to be doing every thing right, water changes etc, but maybe your new water you are using contains high levels of nitrate/phosphate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcrazzy Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 A couple of ways I keep my nitrates low are: .more than one water change. .less feeding - every 3 days. The fish spend more time looking for food so are always out and about. .plants growing at the top with wet roots - emerse? This way the leaves get CO2 from the air and grow steadily. This is my 80g with peace lily's in the top. would the peace lillys be the same as i saw in a local garden centre, but without the soil?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 would the peace lillys be the same as i saw in a local garden centre, but without the soil?? Yes. I got mine in a clearance sale for $2. It was not doing well in my bathroom and I was going to throw it out. But then I started reading up about vege-filtration idea's. So I washed the soil off the roots and put it into the top of my fish tank. I have not seen a healthier plant since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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