Nitrate levels

sombunya

sombunya

Large Fish
#1
Jul 25, 2008
304
0
0
67
So. Cal. USA
#1
In one of my tanks the Nitrate levels are around 10 ppm. The lady at the tropical fish store does not seem alarmed.

It is a 40 gallon tank with 5 Bluegill ranging from 3 to 5 inches long, plus 3 small Sculpin. Nitrites and Ammonia have been at zero for quite a while. I use an Aquaclear 110 filter with it.

I also have a 20 gallon tank with a single 4 inch Bluegill and 3 small Sculpin. Everything that is bad is at zero, including Nitrates.

Although I feed them pretty decently I have never had a problem with water quality, except for the usual 10 ppm Nitrate levels. I do weekly 25% water changes regularly and service the filter correctly. I feed them a lot because it is so much fun to do and they always eat everything.

Do I need to worry about these Nitrate levels?
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#5
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#5
Sombunya
There have been a few posts on here back in Jan/Feb time frame when others swore they had 0 nitrates and found they where testing wrong by not carefully following the instructions with their Kits. You may have posted this before but what are you testing with? The reason I ask is nitrates are a byproduct of the nitrogen cycle, so IMHO in a fully cycled tank there should be some nitrates, especially with your stocking, I have 1 green sunfish in a 30G so I am kind of in the same ball park as you. I know that live plants make a difference.

To give you an example my 24G in my sig is very lightly stocked, neither catfish is over 1.5" and the pleco is around 4" the blue paradise around 2.5" and it is lightly planted, the nitrates run on average around 5 to 10ppm.

How long has the 20G been setup?
 

sombunya

sombunya

Large Fish
#6
Jul 25, 2008
304
0
0
67
So. Cal. USA
#6
The 20 has been there for about a month. I added "good" bacteria to speed up the cycle. Can't remember the brand but it came in disposable plastic vials. Took about two weeks to do I think with daily water changes. Nitrites never rose above .25 ppm.

I have no live plants in either tank.

If I'm repeating my self, forgive me. I feed them somewhat heavily because they always eat everything I give them. Sometimes I feed them twice a day. I have a big syringe and a plastic tube that I use to vacuum big poo chunks, mainly because it stands out on the light colored fine gravel. Like your Oscars, these guys stare at me, waiting to be fed. It's just big fun feeding them.

I use the API "Master Kit" and actually take good care to follow the instructions to the letter.

I only brought this question up because the tanks are both cycled and the bad things are at zero, although gallon per gallon, the 40 is a little heavier stocked. I think by most measures, I overfeed these fellows. Not way too much, just very generously. Because I have a mix of Scuplin (bottom dwellers) and Bluegill I feed a lot and even take special steps to make sure the Sculpin get some.
 

DesignsOnYou

DesignsOnYou

Large Fish
#9
Jun 21, 2008
493
0
0
#9
My nitrates have been at about 10 the past few days after my tank finished cycling. I took my water in to the LCS today to have it tested cause I had one of their fish die after about 16 hours in my tank (the tank looked questionable at the store, I was just eager to get fish, stupid, I know). Anyway, the woman tested it, (with a strip), and informed me that there were some nitrates. She also told me that I had some ammonia. I politely told her that I had just tested the water with a drop kit, which should be more accurate, (and didn't show any ammonia), and resisted the urge to get into a discussion with her about how nitrates are always present. So, I had the opposite problem as you, sombunya, with regards to people at the store. As far as the test kit goes, I probably would have had more issues had my girlfriend not been diligent about shaking the bottle for 30 sec and the tube for a min every time I did a nitrate test. Now I be sure to at least give it a half hearted effort when I do it. Although I have noticed that at the LFS, where they use the API kit, they don't do this for the full time. I'm thinking that theirs are used so often that they never really have time to settle too much. But, their cards are so faded that I'm amazed they ever tell anyone the right number at all. Silly complicated test kits and confusing nitrates. :p
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#11
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#11
DesignsOnYou said:
Anyway, the woman tested it, (with a strip), and informed me that there were some nitrates. She also told me that I had some ammonia. I politely told her that I had just tested the water with a drop kit, which should be more accurate, (and didn't show any ammonia), and resisted the urge to get into a discussion with her about how nitrates are always present.
Click to expand...
Not trying to get this off topic but did they refund/replace the fish?
 

DesignsOnYou

DesignsOnYou

Large Fish
#12
Jun 21, 2008
493
0
0
#12
Yeah, they did. I got them at Petco, and again, the tank was questionable so I shouldn't have done it in the first place. But, one of the reasons I got them from there, in addition to the price being a lot lower, was that they have a 15 day guarantee on their fish. So, they took the dead one back no questions asked and gave me a refund. Today I noticed that the female had a spot on her fin and was developing a fuzzy/cottony spot on her side, so I checked my receipt. They will actually also take returns on freshwater fish within that same 15 day time period. So, I put her in a container (the store is really close), took her in, showed him the spot and my receipt, and they gave me a refund for her too. What a relief. I replaced the dead male with a beautiful, much more healthy looking and active male from the LFS, non chain, in town. Sorry to hijack your thread sombunya, but I've fallen in love with the ram and would like to add in another one. Does it need to be a female? Or could I get away with 2 males in a 55 gallon? I've read that they don't do well alone, but I don't necessarily want them to breed and the males are prettier, so that's what I would prefer, but not if it will cause problems. Input? Also, while I'm asking random questions in random places, do I need to add in driftwood for my clown pleco, or will he be ok if I supplement the flake and sinking pellets with algae tabs and vegetables?
 

AlyKat

AlyKat

Large Fish
#14
Aug 3, 2007
255
0
0
New York
#14
sombunya said:
Feel free to hijack it.

My question was answered and the chat is interesting.
Click to expand...
In that case, I'm gonna jump in here too...LOL!! ;)

Brian, I know there should always be some nitrate...but when I tested in my problem 55 this morning, EVERYTHING is at zero. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate...pH sitting at 6.8 and temp is 78...tanks been up and running for 5 years. Any idea where my nitrates went? They used to always sit around .5ppm...
 

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