Nitrates making me CRAZY!!!

[JJDoyle2004]

All of a sudden I went to do my weekly water change, and my nitrates are at 40!! I changed 50% and tested 2 days later and they were at... well darker than 20... I've been changing water every two days for the last two weeks. I change some, 25 to 50%, test the next day and my nitrates are already at ten!! How can I fix this!?!

 

[GeraldTheMouse]

It's going to be hard to keep nitrates down in a 55g with a pleco and oscar. Both are really messy. You also don't need to keep nitrates down to zero, a safe zone is from about 0-30ppm.

 

[JJDoyle2004]

very good to know, I have been trying to keep thm as low as possible, the day of change they are at 5, the next day 10 and so on, if I wait a week they are 40 or more, very frustrating. I just want my babies to be ok.

 

[GeraldTheMouse]

What kind of pleco is it? If its a common, you should think about upgrading your tank.

 

[FroggyFox]

I think an oscar and a common pleco are probably fine in a 55g tank. I wouldn't think that the nitrates would go up that much that fast with just them...

Do you have any nitrates in your tap water? It IS a good idea to keep those nitrates as low as possible, like you said...so keep working at it. Make sure you're not overfeeding, as that would just add to any issues.

 

[JJDoyle2004]

I'm pretty sure he is a common pleco, someone told me once, but I forget. I do probably overfeed, cause everytime I walk by the tank de la hoya swims to the top like "hey you! I'm hungry!" so I throw him a few pellets several times a day. Testing just tap water they do read at 10, but I use aquasafe, and easy balance with nitraban so I would think that would help, but it doesn't seem to. I don't know what to do

 

[Lotus]

It sounds like you're feeding too much. Twice a day is more than enough.

 

[MissFishy]

In the wild, fish eat whenever food is available because they don't know when their next meal will come. Fish really don't need to be fed more than twice a day. I don't do oscars, but I usually skip a few days here and there with my other fish tanks. Fish don't need to be fed everyday.

 

[Big Vine]

A quick note with regards to feeding.
For a growing oscar, I would not recommend anything less than 3 feedings of quality pellets per day. Triton usually gets anywhere from 3-5 feedings daily. I did not come up with this guideline myself---it is based on the info. over at oscarfish.com. If your oscar is already in the 8-10" range, I'd scale it back to 1-2 feedings per day. For larger, fully-grown oscars, this can be limited to 1 a day or even every other day.

the day of change they are at 5, the next day 10 and so on, if I wait a week they are 40 or more

But wait a minute...you said your baseline level (i.e. from your tapwater) of nitrAtes was already 10 PPM, correct? So how is it that your tank's nitrAte level could be only at 5 PPM after a water-change?

Anyway, from what you're describing it sounds like nitrAtes go up by 5 PPM each day. Keeping them below 10 PPM won't be feasible unless you are doing water changes about every other day, which is unrealistic for most people over the long-haul. So rather than set your goal at 10 PPM, you could keep nitrAtes at or below 20 PPM by doing two weekly water changes. That would be my recommendation. I am not positive, but if I recall correctly Kmuda over on oscarfish has maintained that long-term damage to the fish begins when they are constantly subjected to a level of 21 PPM nitrAtes, with more significant damage at 40 PPM. Of course he describes it much better than I can. Once you've checked out his advice over on oscarfish and learn more about his background, you'll see why I'm referencing him here.

I'm sure I've seen you on cichlid-forum or oscarfish forum, right?
If you haven't checked out oscarfish.com, then I highly recommending taking a look. Folks will tell you (and I agree) to move the pleco because the oscar alone creates more than enough bioload for a tank that size, but it's for the best. There's a reason for this recommendation, and you're already finding out why.

How big is De La Hoya now?
You should post some pics for us in the oscar photo thread over in the cichlid section of the forum.

BV

 

[JJDoyle2004]

ok BV I'm going to try to respond to all that, lol. I would say De La Hoya is about 7-8 inches now (I never can get him to sit still for the tape measure, lmao) The only way I can figure I got a 5 reading right after the water change is the nitroban stuff??? I have never been to another forum or fish website only this one, but you and I had quite a long exchange a couple moths ago in here about my pleco and his poop, remember? Will moving the pleco really make that much of a difference? I got the pleco in addition to De La Hoya because I was under the impression that they help keep the tank cleaner, ha ha ha... jokes on me I guess huh? I need to get some more recent pics and will try soon, I tried just now but my camera battery is dead, so anyway. So, I should reduce my feeding by maybe 1 or 2 feedings a day?? I just always feel like I'm starving him when I see him trying to eat bubbles and stuff ya' now, lol. but after reading the posts yesterday I did only feed him once so far today. He is just so beautiful and I love watching him grow!!

 

[Big Vine]

The only way I can figure I got a 5 reading right after the water change is the nitroban stuff???

Could very well be...I'm not terribly familiar with that product.

De La Hoya is about 7-8 inches now (I never can get him to sit still for the tape measure, lmao)...
So, I should reduce my feeding by maybe 1 or 2 feedings a day??

He is still growing, so I'd say that 3 feedings a day would be about right.
I want my oscar to reach his full potential, so until he's hit about the 10" mark, I'll be feeding him 2-3 times a day. Sure, it'll mean that nitrAtes go up quicker, BUT I'd rather perform extra water changes than hold back on providing my oscar with the vital nutrients he needs for optimal growth.

Will moving the pleco really make that much of a difference?

It will likely mean the difference between you having to do 3-4 major water changes a week versus doing maybe 2 per week (in order to keep nitrAtes down below 20 PPM).

you and I had quite a long exchange a couple moths ago in here about my pleco and his poop, remember?

Oh yeah, that's right! LMAO...how could I forget?!?! *laughingc

I need to get some more recent pics and will try soon

Fantastic...can't wait to see him now that he's gotten bigger! *thumbsups

BV

 

[JJDoyle2004]

ok then, I'll try to stick to 3 feedings a day then. I am completely with you on the nutrition for optimum growth. I just don't know what to do with the pleco. I was going to put my 10g back up and quarantine feeders for De La Hoya, but a friend of mine found a turtle and needed somewhere to keep it. I dunno. I'll figure it out I'm sure, that or just be doing a LOT of water changing.

 

[Big Vine]

Gotta do what you gotta do, and if that means lots of water-changes, then so be it. But just remember...it won't (hopefully) be for all eternity. With any luck (and a bit of $$$), you'll be able to save up for a larger tank that'll house both of them quite comfortably without having to do more than one weekly water change. At least that's what I keep telling myself when I look at the nitrAte test readings from Triton's tank creeping up week after week...

BV

 

[JJDoyle2004]

I so hear you!! I keep saying to myself... "one day I'll get him a 300g and we'll be ok..." lol, I hope.

 

[nycsicktank]

try feeding every other day(1x) and keep on doing 50% w/c everyday for 3 days.

how big is your pleco and oscar?

 

[JJDoyle2004]

I don't know if I could emotionally habndle only feeding every other day, De La Hoya just looks sooo hungry all the time. I know that probably sounds wierd.

My oscar is 7-8 inches and my pleco is about the same, maybe a little longer

 

[Big Vine]

Do a water change, keep feeding twice a day, and then test your nitrAtes every other day or so in order to find out how quickly they hit 20 PPM. Once they do, then it's time for another water change (be consistent and change the same amount each time). Repeat this process as many times as necessary to get a decent grasp on just how long you can go between water changes before nitrAtes hit 20 PPM. Plan your water changing schedule accordingly. IF your test results tell you that a 25% water change holds nitrAtes below 20 PPM for 3-4 days, then you'll know you need to do two of those per week (or one 50% WC per week, but personally I'd prefer two 25% changes).

Hope that makes sense.
IF your required water changing schedule (i.e. as determined via testing for nitrAtes) is more work than you're willing to do, then you have several choices:
1) get a bigger tank

2) scale back feedings in the hopes that nitrAtes don't creep up so quick (in which case the test results should show that you don't need as rigorous of a water changing schedule)

3) give away the pleco

Chances are that the oscar alone would eventually still put you on a rigorous water changing schedule in order to keep nitrAtes below 20 PPM, but hopefully you'll have a bigger tank by then. Technically there is another option, but I don't think it's one that you are considering:
4) give away the oscar

Sorry if it seems as though I've been beating a dead horse here.
I mainly responded to clarify that you can still continue with 2 feedings per day and keep nitrAtes at a reasonable level (20 PPM or less) just as long as you are willing to do the work (testing nitrAtes and more/larger water changes).

BV

 

[JJDoyle2004]

BV to be honest with you, I prefer to have your input than not. I like your advice and take it because it has served me well. I's not that I'm not willing to put in the work, I just don't have the schedule to permit it. Though my sis just moved in with me and I'm paying her to do the water changes for me, but it's a task all in itself to get her to keep her doing it. I have no one to give the pleco to or I would, I fully intend to get a bigger tankasap, and you are right, I will not get rid of my De La Hoya. But I will keep checking and find what I have to do to keep the nitrates below 20 and stick to it. Thanks again BV

 

[nycsicktank]

at that size, feeding them every other day wont hurt them. =) plus the more you feed and do w/c, they will be a foot in no time. BV advise is a good idea. after you try his idea, do mines cause you dont want to see them squash in your tank after one day coming home from work good luck