Nitrate levels
- Thread starter paul92024
- Start date
S
sinner's girl
Guest
What causes high nitrate levels
overfeeding, too many fish, not enough filteration.
what's the best way to combat it?
Feed less, fewer fish, better filter, more lr, monthly or bi-monthly water changes, bigger tank. Not having a UGF, I think ls does a better job than cc, but that's just what I've heard.
overfeeding, too many fish, not enough filteration.
what's the best way to combat it?
Feed less, fewer fish, better filter, more lr, monthly or bi-monthly water changes, bigger tank. Not having a UGF, I think ls does a better job than cc, but that's just what I've heard.
robvia
Member
This is a question I have been wanting cleared up for me also.
I thought nitrate was the end of the nitrogen cycle. Fist ammonia, comes from fish poop and uneaten food or dead fish or any bio load. Bacteria eats the ammonia and converts it to nitrite. Then a different bacteria eats nitrite and converts to nitrate.
Here is what I want confirmation on. Nitrate is food for plant life. The most common in aquariums is algae. Nitrate must be absorbed by plant life or taken out of your tank with water changes. Obviously you can't get all of it out with water changes. You are simply diluting, then it builds, then dilute, and on and on. If you don't want algae, you need other plant life, such as a refiguim or plants in your display. If you don't do that, the algae will feed on the nitrate.
Is this correct? I know nitrate is not as toxic to fish as ammonia. But if left unchecked, nitrate levels can get too high and become toxic to fish.
If you used a chemical to kill algae (I would not do this, but if you did), your nitrate levels would climb.
If you don't have plant life, what are some other options other than letting the algae grow out if control. You can't get enogh algea eaters in you tank to get rid of it. I know snails will make a difference, but I don't want snails. Startfish and tangs can't keep the growth in check. What are some other suggestions. Are there good algae eaters other than snails?
Thanks,
Rob
I thought nitrate was the end of the nitrogen cycle. Fist ammonia, comes from fish poop and uneaten food or dead fish or any bio load. Bacteria eats the ammonia and converts it to nitrite. Then a different bacteria eats nitrite and converts to nitrate.
Here is what I want confirmation on. Nitrate is food for plant life. The most common in aquariums is algae. Nitrate must be absorbed by plant life or taken out of your tank with water changes. Obviously you can't get all of it out with water changes. You are simply diluting, then it builds, then dilute, and on and on. If you don't want algae, you need other plant life, such as a refiguim or plants in your display. If you don't do that, the algae will feed on the nitrate.
Is this correct? I know nitrate is not as toxic to fish as ammonia. But if left unchecked, nitrate levels can get too high and become toxic to fish.
If you used a chemical to kill algae (I would not do this, but if you did), your nitrate levels would climb.
If you don't have plant life, what are some other options other than letting the algae grow out if control. You can't get enogh algea eaters in you tank to get rid of it. I know snails will make a difference, but I don't want snails. Startfish and tangs can't keep the growth in check. What are some other suggestions. Are there good algae eaters other than snails?
Thanks,
Rob
S
sinner's girl
Guest
I thought nitrate was the end of the nitrogen cycle. Fist ammonia, comes from fish poop and uneaten food or dead fish or any bio load. Bacteria eats the ammonia and converts it to nitrite. Then a different bacteria eats nitrite and converts to nitrate.
Correct.
Is this correct? I know nitrate is not as toxic to fish as ammonia. But if left unchecked, nitrate levels can get too high and become toxic to fish.
Correct. Water changes will help keep nitrate in check. It depends on what's in your tank as to how high your nitrates can get before something dies. LR will help with nitrates, as will having a clean up crew (clean up crew will eat the waste and fish food before it turns into ammonia, thus preventing nitrates.
water movement you need to move lots of water
How does water movement help nitrates? :notsure: Please explain. while we do have a ph in the 75gl, I have no idea if it's enough. (it used to be in the 20gl, and then the 55gl).
Correct.
Is this correct? I know nitrate is not as toxic to fish as ammonia. But if left unchecked, nitrate levels can get too high and become toxic to fish.
Correct. Water changes will help keep nitrate in check. It depends on what's in your tank as to how high your nitrates can get before something dies. LR will help with nitrates, as will having a clean up crew (clean up crew will eat the waste and fish food before it turns into ammonia, thus preventing nitrates.
water movement you need to move lots of water
How does water movement help nitrates? :notsure: Please explain. while we do have a ph in the 75gl, I have no idea if it's enough. (it used to be in the 20gl, and then the 55gl).
robvia
Member
How does LR help remove nitrate? I thought the point of LR was to give surface area for bacteria to grow. I didn't think any of this bacteria could consume nitrate. Am I wrong here?
LR will help get ammonia to nitrate, but isn't that it?
A cleanup crew will get the excess food eaten, but they will poop out ammonia also, so if they are not algae eaters, they really aren't helping the problem. I think crabs and shrimp are really cool and want to get a whole lot of them, but I don't think they will help reduce the nitrate level or eat the algae in huge amounts. Maybe we are assuming a different list of cleanup members.
I don't uderstand the water movement thing will help unless you are moving water to a refug. In the refug and plants can remove the nitate. Moving more water through that system I would think would help remove nitrate. If you don't have a refug, how can water movement help?
LR will help get ammonia to nitrate, but isn't that it?
A cleanup crew will get the excess food eaten, but they will poop out ammonia also, so if they are not algae eaters, they really aren't helping the problem. I think crabs and shrimp are really cool and want to get a whole lot of them, but I don't think they will help reduce the nitrate level or eat the algae in huge amounts. Maybe we are assuming a different list of cleanup members.
I don't uderstand the water movement thing will help unless you are moving water to a refug. In the refug and plants can remove the nitate. Moving more water through that system I would think would help remove nitrate. If you don't have a refug, how can water movement help?
robvia
Member
That's something I haven't gotten a good explanation on either. What does a protien skimmer actually remove? I would guess protein, but what is that? Is it ammonia before it starts the nitrogen cycle. I have a skimmer in my sump and it gets nasty, but I don't really know what that junk is. If this is pre-nitrite waste, things make more sense.
Rob
Rob
