Where are the Nitrates coming from?

jeppedy

Okay. I need some information here. Teach me to fish, as it were!

I came into an existing 55Gal tank, lots of Java Fern, UGF, 3 little fish.
I removed the UGF (just don't like them), lightly rinsed the gravel, vacuumed like crazy, added Laterite, replanted only some of the Java Fern, added a number of other plants fresh from the LFS. I put on a new 130W lite bar (50/50, as that's what it came with and I didn't want to swap for another $80 bux!) and it's turned on about 8-9 hrs/day (no sunlight). I dose twice weekly with a Kent Fresh plant additive (contains no Nitrates). Okay. I set it up. I sit. I watch.

A few days later, Hair (or Fuzz) algae starts. It picks up speed. Some plants not staying well-planted and reseat some of the plants. Added a few fish. We're now up to about (9) 1" - 1.5" fish (small, small population) Nitrates THROUGH THE ROOF (250+). Vacuum like crazy. 30% water change. Nitrates drop, but still excessively high.

Hair algae starts back again the next day. Still adding fertilizer on-schedule, I've cut back feeding frequency and quantity. A few days later, excessive Nitrates again (250+). 30% water change, lots of vacuuming, careful not to disturb rocks. Plants taking hold nicely (3 weeks after planting), but so is Hair algae.

All this time, the chemistry of the tank is leveling out nicely (pH, hardness, etc) and the vital readings are all looking strong (no nitrites, etc) Except, Nitrates are still through the roof, algae on glass and on plants concerns me, I've lost 2 fish in the last 2 weeks.

Overall elapsed time: about 6 weeks. Lots of water changes one to two times per week. Only chemistry reading out of line is the Nitrates...

So, I ask you-
Where are all the nitrates coming from?
What do I to naturally reduce the Nitrate level?

Thanks for the help-

Jeffrey

cichlidgirl

Are you sure they are not coming from the fertilizer ? If it were my tank i would try to see what happens when you do a water change big enough to get the nitrates at a acceptable level (im not going to say the ppm since i dont know if planted tanks need some compared to non planted tanks) and dont dose with the fertilizer next time, see if it still skyrockets. I would think it has to be coming as a result of something you are adding into the tank, maybe for the plants since you said it was only the nitrates. What are those readings BTW ? Ammonia, nitirite ? The plants should be helping to lower those readings , the fact that they are through the roof while doing large waterchanges on a regular basis suggests to me that you are adding them in somehow. That or you have many more fish or wastes than you imply.

Jay

Hey Jeffery

I'm with cichlidgirl you've got a wacky NO3 situation <- Highly technical analysis.

It would be helpful to see a full set of parameters
for both your Tap Water and the Tank Water.

I would also get a second opinion on the accuracy of your NO3 test kit. The Kent "stuff" is primarily trace mineral salts with some chleated iron thrown in. There is some "anectdotal" reports out there the suggest dosing iron without a balanced program of nutrient dosing will contribute to algae, but definitely not NO3/. I always dose iron separately.

The algae issue is secondary to the excessive NO3.
We can have you algae free in a few days.

Post the numbers and the confirmation that your NO3 kit is accurate and that you are using it correctly. We can go from there.

Regards,
Jay

jeppedy

Thanks for the help, everyone!

I will be stopping the Kent until I get this settled in, but I have Flourish and Excel coming in the next couple of days and will begin dosing with that when it arrives.

I will be picking up a dropper/vial test set today, as well as getting a confirmation from my LFS. I'll post the numbers when I get them.

From the strips:
My source water is fairly clean. Nominal pH, hardness, etc. Nitrates are almost non-existent from the source.
I add Stress-coat to the water during changes.
All other readings in the tank now are nominal but NO3 (no ammonia, no nitrites). I'll get specific numbers when I get the more accurate kit, but all show in the "acceptable" range.


I'm using a Magnum 220 cannister filter. I have not changed the carbon in about 2 weeks, but with my water change today, I'll be removing the carbon completely. (I have some bio media coming soon and will add that to the filter when it arrives; the foam sleeve and gravel is the only bio breeding ground today)

Thanks again for the help and I'll get the chemistry numbers as soon as possible.

cichlidgirl

Ok, we should be able to help you out more after you get that done.

I would be careful dosing with new products (or any products for that matter) until you find out what the problem is.

I would still be curious to find out what the nitrates might be and stay at after you do a big water change, say 50 or 60 percent and skip all additives (dont put any thing at all into the tank) except your stress coat and see if the nitrates improve over a 3 day period. Cant hurt anything and seems like it would help to weed out several items as the possiable culprits.

depending on the results after the above actions then you could start looking in other areas such as the substrate, over dosing, bad test kits etc...

jeppedy

Okay, here's the numbers:
Source Water:
pH = 7.5
NO3 = 2-3ppm
KH = 125
GH = 210

Aquarium PreChange:
pH = 6.8
NO3 = about 120ppm (was misreading the dip test)

Aquarium PostChange (of >50%):
pH = 7.5
NO3 = 20-30 ppm
KH = 125
GH = 275

I have not cleaned the filter after the water change because 1) I thought I'd give it the day so I don't lost my cycle and 2) it's midnight and I'm just plain done for today...

BTW, I have noticed that some of my plants are growing quite well. One bunch pant whose name eludes me right now (rooted or floating, single strand, long and thin) shows signs of rapid growth (leaves spread far apart on the stalk)

My Java Fern has black spots/holes on it (not algae), but other than that and the algae issue, the flora is doing fairly well!

Jay

I'm leaning toward a substrate rich in organic mlum left over from the UGF which is breaking down into NO3.

Are you deep vacuuming with every water change?

Jay

jeppedy

I think I agree with you. But, now that we're planted and a substrate in place, I don't want to disturb the substrate yet. Reasonable?

orb4me

I really like Jays comment, I could not belive the junk/uck that was under my UGF when I took it out. Nitrates are going down nicely for me now. I dont know a thing about plants, but I do know that Nitrates are a really bad thing, so my suggestion is to clean the gravel. Would it hurt the plants to pull them out of the tank for a little bit?

cichlidgirl

If the problem is in the substrate you are going to have to clean it out if you want to have healthy fish. Good luck.