Originally posted by daredevil
Ok, I have several questions so bear with me. My Nitrie is at it's highest point( I think, is 5.0 usually where it's peak is at?) and my LFS said that iuf I do a water change, it will go down. Is this true? Something else, is it true that ur nitrates will take a year to go down or will it help if u do a water change? Will ur fish be affected by high nitrate levels? R bio-wheels nitrate traps? Other suggestuions about that topic plz. Now about vermetid snails. What happens if ur hand or a fish gets caught in their web? When do they send out their webs? THank u
Aye yeyeye :nervous: what a bunch of questions.
Your nitrItes are what 5.0ppm? why? Isn't the tank fully cycled or are you perhaps overfeeding, overstocking
Yes your nitrates will go down if you do a large scale water change using RO/DI water, properly mixed and aerated.
No your nitrates won't go down unless you have a method of exporting them. ie... DSB, water change, denitrator coil, protien skimmer, nitrate sponge, dare I say it?.....Plant life such as macro algae or mangrove plants like in a refugium. Otherwise the nitrates will just build up and up over time.
How does nitrate affect my fish?
Nitrate is the least toxic of the elements of the nitrogen cycle and the effects on fish are normally due to long term exposure.
Some of the effects can be summarized as follows:
Poor growth
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Chronic stress
Reluctance to breed
Increase in gill rate and gasping
General ill health
Delayed wound healing
Clamped fins
UGF's, bio wheels, bio balls, filter pads, crushed coral, live rock without enough water movment can all be problems for nitrates if they are not cared for. In other words if detritus = fish waste, uneaten food and any other decaying matter can cause nitrates if not maintained properly.
Your hand will not get caught in the vermetid snails web, you won't even feel it.
No go to bed
Thomas