high nitrate question

[pebbles]

Ok tell me if this is wrong I've read that the way the cycle works ammonia to nitrites to nitates (now my tank is 8 months old already cycled) now does it go through this cycle everytime ex. If my nitrates are high wouldnt my ammonia & nitrites have to have been high at one point? or can your nitrates just be high?
My 2nd part to this ? is my lfs said even if my nitrates are a little high it's fine it's the nitrites I have to worry about.
The reason I ask is that all my levels are always 0 accept nitrates.
PS everything in the tanks doing really well.
Thanks

 

[maurice]

Nitrates are not only caused by a cycle,you can get high nitrates from excess nutrients in your tank from over feeding and low flow causing your food to build up somewhere in your tank.When you say they are high,how high are they?You don't want any if you can help it,you can do frequent small water changes to get them down also.

 

[brolik1]

I agree with you buddy,and how high are your nitrates?You should do small frequent water changes and keep the nitrates down to ZERO.Its true the nitrate isnt bad as the ammo or trite but it will rise slowly and your tank will crash.Keep it at 0 ppm

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by Maurice
Nitrates are not only caused by a cycle,you can get high nitrates from excess nutrients in your tank from over feeding and low flow causing your food to build up somewhere in your tank.When you say they are high,how high are they?You don't want any if you can help it,you can do frequent small water changes to get them down also.
I disagree. Food breaks down just like anything else... you get high nitrates because without anearobic bacteria (which live in oxygen poor environments.. deep sand bed, deep in live rock) the cycle cannot complete itself and the result is a slow buildup of nitrate.

 

[sinner's girl]

I disagree. Food breaks down just like anything else...
And I disagree with part. Overfeeding can cause high nitrates. uneatten food breaks now into what? and turns into what?
once your cycle is over, unless something dies or you add a bunch of fish at once, you won't see am or nitrites. Most lfs will go by the test kit chart and say anything under 40 or so is ideal, at 60 -80 you should do a water change. I try to keep my below 20. if they get to 40, it's not deadly, but not ideal.
My 2nd part to this ? is my lfs said even if my nitrates are a little high it's fine it's the nitrites I have to worry about.
Yeah, you have to worry about am and nitrites, though are deadly in small doses, but how high are the nitrates? some fish will get used to a slow build up...but it's not really heathly, lower is better. Higher can be deadly, if it's like really high.

 

[mikeyjer]

I'll let you guys, the previous posts to discuss about food issue etc. But to lower nitrate, you should do a 15-20% water change a week or every 2 days (IF it's really high) to lower it down. Once it's at a normal range, then do 10% a week. You should have a protein skimmer if you don't already have one. It will help you to clean out the excess waste nutrients that would cause your nitrate to spike. Good Luck! :happyfish

 

[farslayer]

Don't forget to have plenty of live rock with some nice corraline to keep your nitrates in check. I run at 0 nitrates without a fuge, I have plenty of fish but my corraline grows all over the back of my tank and my equipment, plus my rocks are solid purple, orange and red. It really helps. You do not need a deep sand bed or anaerobic bacteria to break down nitrate.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by Farslayer
Don't forget to have plenty of live rock with some nice corraline to keep your nitrates in check. I run at 0 nitrates without a fuge, I have plenty of fish but my corraline grows all over the back of my tank and my equipment, plus my rocks are solid purple, orange and red. It really helps. You do not need a deep sand bed or anaerobic bacteria to break down nitrate.
That too!

:happyfish

 

[crooper]

I've had high nitrates in my tank for a while. Do I have to worry about fish stress when dropping nitrate levels rapidly by weekly water changes?

 

[airforceb2]

You should target the cause of the high nitrates. Overfeeding is the main cause.

 

[1journeyman]

Ya, but I still think overfeeding causes high nitrates because the food breaks down into ammonia>nitrite>nitrate. Am I wrong?
And I had no idea that coralline algae absorbed nitrate. I'll have to study up on that. I wonder if a deep sand bed and a macro algae refugium would stunt the growth of coralline?

 

[brolik1]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Ya, but I still think overfeeding causes high nitrates because the food breaks down into ammonia>nitrite>nitrate. Am I wrong?
Yes you are right , but without the adequate water movement in the tank how would you rid the nitrate out of your tank.You should never overfeed,excess nutrients does convert into nitrate,ask anyone in this site.I think its time to bring on the experts,roll call for mud player,squidd,killer gobie,and lion crazz.

 

[pebbles]

nitrate are at 20 my lfs shows 0-10 when I have it checked there but I always show them on my tests.
I Have a skilter I'm working with it to try to get it to foam. sometimes it does but most of the time it doesnt. I have done 2 - 10 gal water chgs in the past mo & 1-5 gal. I'm not vaccuming my sandbed anylonger & moved my powerhead to blow on the bottom more, (my sun coral loves it.) I'm thinking of changing filters possibly an aquaC pro???

 

[birdy]

I disagree. Food breaks down just like anything else... you get high nitrates because without anearobic bacteria (which live in oxygen poor environments.. deep sand bed, deep in live rock) the cycle cannot complete itself and the result is a slow buildup of nitrate.
This is 100% correct.
uneaten food and fish wastes are all converted into nitrates in the end, they will not go away on their own, you need to have some way of removing them from the system,
With either, water changes, using macro algae to absorb them, then removing the macro from the tank, with a DSB or lots of live rock (both have anearobic zones).

 

[pebbles]

so maybe I can have a small tank with micro algae (plants right?) & put some in the tank till the nitrates are down then put them back in the smaller tank? I feed about 1 small cube a day & want to feed a 1" X 3" sheet of nori everyother day but a smaller 1 X 1/2 everyday to my emerald
I have a coral beauty, bi color blenny, 2 clowns, snails, hermits

 

[birdy]

You do not need to feed everyday.
Feed every other day, a small amount of Nori everyday is fine, but hte frozen has a BUNCH of extra junk that adds to nitrates.
honestly nitrates at 20 is perfectly fine for a tank without corals, if you want to add corals then that would be different, but with fish and invertes no problem.

 

[pebbles]

Thanks all!!!

 

[brolik1]

Originally Posted by Birdy
You do not need to feed everyday.
Feed every other day, a small amount of Nori everyday is fine, but hte frozen has a BUNCH of extra junk that adds to nitrates.
honestly nitrates at 20 is perfectly fine for a tank without corals, if you want to add corals then that would be different, but with fish and invertes no problem.
I thought that nitrates of 20 is good for FOWLR tanks and bad for Reef tanks meaning inverts and corals........ :notsure:

 

[birdy]

I have never ever seen a problem with inverts with nitrates 20 or below.
Lots of FOWLR tanks have inverts. The definition of a reef tank is one with corals.