Nitrates still zero (is cycled tank) BGA prob???

C

crissy7399

Large Fish
#1
Mar 9, 2006
158
0
0
OOOOOOOOOklahoma- not from here though.
#1
At some point end of last year my Nitrates read zero. They still do. I've checked it after removing BGA, which I would think would make the Nitrates rise.

My ammonia is zero. I didn't check Nitrites though, maybe I should do that now, if some wild reason is causing the bacteria not to change Nitrites into the Nitrates.

What could be happening? This tank cycled a year ago, and my Nitrates used to read pretty consistantly in the 30s.

I have been doing water changes much more often due to the BGA and I have lost a couple fish.

Here's tank info

46G bowfront, with 3 peices driftwood and a couple plastic decor, several java ferns that have multiplied, two bunches or moneywart, 2 new banana plants, a few long grass like, a sword plant, and two new plants I'm not sure of. Substate just aquarium gravel. Lights are 96 compact left on 8.5-9 hrs day.

Fish are
4 xray tetras
2 pristine tetras
1 species of german ram
1 ADF
3 otos
1 kribensis (new)

Several months ago, you would have seen a couple platies, a couple more tetras, an elephant nose. All of these died in different months, and seemingly unrelated I didn't replace any except for the e-nose (with Ram).

So could it be a lack of wastes? surely not. I just never saw the tetras or any of them "go" like the platties that seemed to go constantly!

thanks for any suggestions!
 

F

Fishywishy

Large Fish
#4
Sep 19, 2006
184
2
0
#4
here's just a guess, you had nitrates before the BGA problem (whether your test was showing or not), the BGA ate up the rest of your nitrates showing 0. You lost major poo factories (platies). There is no way a ram makes half as much waste as elephant nose. So, you killed the BGA with more water changes (this is how nitrates are reduced) and added more plants (use of nitrates) and the amount of waste was reduced (loss of fish). It makes sense that you did it in such a way, that you actually kept your nitrates at 0. You did ideally what anyone wants to do to get rid of algae. (reduced waste, increased other nitrate eaters, and did water changes more often).

so yes, I can see with less fish, more water changes, and more plants that your nitrates are staying at 0 without algae. It makes sense, your plants are using all your nitrates.

seems to me you're done battling algae, so you can either slow down on the water changes or add a couple more fish *celebrate
 

C

crissy7399

Large Fish
#6
Mar 9, 2006
158
0
0
OOOOOOOOOklahoma- not from here though.
#6
SANND said:
You might have a bad nitrate test. Can you take a sample of water to your LFS to get a second opinion on the test results?
Click to expand...

I didn't think it was. I've been using it for the last year. I was hoping I could test something else, something that would definitely have nitrates cause the LFS is farther away. But maybe I will do that anyways just to make sure it's working right.
 

C

crissy7399

Large Fish
#7
Mar 9, 2006
158
0
0
OOOOOOOOOklahoma- not from here though.
#7
thanks Fishywishy., I'm not sure that my BGA problem is gone, but it is definitely better than it was, but I'm trying to keep up on it before it goes all crazy on my tank.

but you have made sense. I just figured that from feeding the fish, that would be causing extra nitrates after the breakdown. I don't always feed them everyday, but since I have the frog and the chiclids, I drop one cube of frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms every 3 days and do the flakes once a day on the other days, but I miss a day or two every week.
 

J

JoluvsGuppies

Large Fish
#12
Dec 30, 2006
103
0
16
Illinois
#12
Originally Posted by JoluvsGuppies
Are you using any supplements for your real plants?


only thing I've done is added iron twice within a 4 month period. Other than that, nothing.

I'm wasn't really sure if I should be since I'm not doing CO2.
Click to expand...
IMO you should supply a bit more Iron and other nutrients. Plants need food too ;) Seachem products work great. When you dont, your plants consume a lot of nitrates. When nitrates are at 0, you will most like battle algae problems.
 

C

crissy7399

Large Fish
#14
Mar 9, 2006
158
0
0
OOOOOOOOOklahoma- not from here though.
#14
JoluvsGuppies said:
IMO you should supply a bit more Iron and other nutrients. Plants need food too ;) Seachem products work great. When you dont, your plants consume a lot of nitrates. When nitrates are at 0, you will most like battle algae problems.
Click to expand...

JoluvsGuppies, I guess I need to read up more about that, because I thought that was the whole purpose of the plants: to "eat" the nitrates.

So, does anyone know how I can figure out what mix I need for the plants?

There's 2 wpg of light, and nothing else going on besides the wastes of the fish.

If I am to add iron and other nutrients, what should I add and how often and when?

Purple- wish it was magical enough to kill the BGA! ;)
 

J

JoluvsGuppies

Large Fish
#15
Dec 30, 2006
103
0
16
Illinois
#15
Flourish and Flourish Iron by Seachem works well. I dose every week after my W/c's.

JoluvsGuppies, I guess I need to read up more about that, because I thought that was the whole purpose of the plants: to "eat" the nitrates.
Click to expand...
Plants not only need nitrates, but other minerals as well. If there are no other supplements added on your part, plants will use up your nitrates, resulting in algae and many times(not always) BGA.
Then your plants get weak, stop growing, and leave excess phosphates for the algae to feed off of, then it slowly blooms.


I would dose with Maracyn, add more fish to produce more waste..and try dosing with Iron more often and see what happens.

BGA also shows up when too much nitrates are preset.
 

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