Nitrate levels in my freshwater aquarium are high what do I do?
The nitrate levels in my freshwater aquarium are high. I’m not sure what I should do. I did a 20 % water change Saturday and then again yesterday. The levels are still high. The tank has been set up for over a month and I let the tank run for a week before adding fish. When I did the water changes I used 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 de chlorinated conditioned tap water. I also added stress zyme biological filtration booster in the most recent water change. It is a 10 gallon tank and I have 3 mollies and 2 ghost shrimp. I have been told Mollies are not right for a 10 gal aquarium. But when I purchased them, at Pet Smart, I was told they would do just fine in a 10 gallon aquarium. I probably shouldn’t have listened to the salesperson but I’m new to this hobby and didn’t know any better. Please help!!! What should I do now? I don’t know if I can return the fish since I’ve had them for over a month. I cannot afford to buy a larger aquarium right now.
I do not have a gravel vacuume. I am feeding them daily, about a pinch. I skipped last night. I might have been over feeding them a little. The filter is a Aqua- Tech 5-15 power filter, I changed the filter cartridge yesterday.
When I first set up the tank I put salt in the water 2 Tablespoons. I have not been adding it to the water changes.
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Hi, nice to see that you picked up some nice fish. But a few questions. When you do a water change do you gravel vac at least half the tank? And how much are you feeding the fish and what type of filter are you using to clean the water.
answer back soon! and I might be able to help you.
Keep doing water changes until your nitrate is at a safe level. You can add plants like java moss or anacharis to absorb some nitrates, it should help until you can afford a larger tank.
keep up the water changes every 2 or 3 days — with mollies and shrimp you can go brackish. mollies and shrimp will both benefit from having aquarium salt in the water. start with a tablespoon (disolve it before you add it) and add another one a day later. you should go up to about 4 tablespoons for 10 gallons for mollies — and make sure you add it to water changes too.
in a brackish aquarium mollies will still get kind of big (they are better in 20-30 gallons). you can use platies and swords in a mildly brackish aquarium too.
you do have to cycle for brackish — its the same but its different — you grow little brackish micro-organisms that are different from the bacteria you are trying to grow now.
brackish is kind of a fun hobby — in addition to mollies and shrimps you can do some more exotic fish like scats and monos and triggers but its a lot easier than a salt water tank.
fyi if you stay the course there is some evidence continuous use of things like stress-zyme only slow down the cycling process.
Nitrates are the end result of biological filtration,less harm full than nitrites or ammonia.Water changes of 10% a day will help.Live plants will consume some of the nitrates.Don’t use any more bio additives until take levels out. Mollys are fine in a10 gallon aquarium.One inch of fish per gallon is OK,more if you have airation and filtration.Mollys do like a higher pH but will survive in 6.8 to 7.2 water.The less adjusting you do to your water the better.Fish prefer a stable environment over a perfect one.AND NEVER OVER FEED
Hi momof1,
Nitrate problems are really the easiest and least of your worries compared to ammonia and nitrite. Ammonia and nitrite are extremely lethal and bad for fish to have it present in the water. As you may have heard alot from other answers, nitrates as told by one in here, is the end product of the nitrogen cycle. The tank being established only a month, there’s a very strong change, your tank is not quite stable yet, but what exactly was your nitrate readings? You really don’t have to get involved with water changes on nitrates unless it’s going above 40 ppm. Your fish run minute risks of anything at levels under 40 so I wouldn’t be concerned with getting a 0 in nitrates until you start getting over 40. If you are showing nitrates that is a good sign that part if not all of your bacteria is processing properly. The population in there seems to be just fine so I don’t think you need to worry about a bigger tank till your mollies start having babies if they do at all. Ditch the use of the stress zyme and go with aquarium salt. I can tell you now, that stuff doesn’t help your bacteria like it says. Anything that is sold for your bacteria that is not refridgerated isn’t going to help that bacteria what so ever. Any benefical bacteria, ie, nitrosomma’s, and nitrobaciters will either be dormant or dead.
Use aquarium salt during your water changes if you are concenred about stress. As the other posters indicated your mollies and shrimp should very much enjoy that. If you have any other questions feel free to email me.
JV
Get a gravel vacuum. It is a must for sucking the dirt out of the rocks. Keep doing water changes and make sure your testing kits are not past their expiration date. If nitrates are really high you could do 25% water changes. When I say really high I mean 80 or higher.
you have done most everything that you can do try to lower the level of the gravel on the bottom of the tank so it is only scant. try fresh plants. distilled water can be a bit on the acid side use boiled water that has cooled try more air into the tank with a small air motor and air stone do not use shells in your tank as they contain calcuim
Let me reassure you nitrates not nitrites can be up as high as 140 + and not be toxic to fish. It is the nitrites that are toxic. Secondly NO DISTILLED water. Tap water is fine with a dechlor. Distilled water has no ph value and will drop way below safe levels.
20% water change is fine 25% is the norm only once per week unless you have a problem with ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates above 100 perhaps depending on your tank. Pitch the biological filteration booster they don’t work. Tap water that has been dechlor is fine on its own. Mollies are fine in your 10 gallon with no problem. Actually you have room for babies, which I am sure will happen. There is nothing you need help with. If your tank has been cycled, you are fine.
Do not confuse nitrites with nitrates. A weekly water change will work for riding the tank. No need for return of fish or a larger aquarium.
Your fish will be fine. DO NOT DO water changes every 2-3 days. This will lead to the breakdown of your biofilter. Let it run and let it go.