Old Nitrate Problem- Never got resolved!!

[fish_lover]

I have a 10 gallon fresh water tank for 18 months now. I have always had extremely high nitrate level in my tank. I dont have live plants in my tank,very little algae, I feed only once a day (penny size flakes and two algae wafers), vacuum usually every 3 weeks, and change water sometimes upto 50% to get the nitrate levels down. I have tested my tap water for nitrates and I dint find any. My nitrate levels come down if I put in a nitrate reducing medicine, but the effect stays only for a day or two. I have even washed my biofilter, and my ornaments but even that only has a temporary effect, within two-three days the nitrate level is back up I even have a bubbler in my tank. My present fish population is doing just fine.

My current readings:

Nitrate; 160 ppm (I have seen it go up!!!)*PEACE!* Didnt want to shock U all.
Nitrite: 0 ppm
pH: neutral
alkalinity- 180 ppm
hardness- 300 ppm

My tank inhabitants:

1 RTS
2 cory catfish (One from my original batch- 18 mnths old)
4 Neon tetras
1 Chinese algae eater

Now I have had these 8 fishes for altleast 6-7 months. I think they ahve gotten accustomed to the high nitrate level.My problem is whenever I had tried adding livebearers such as Platys and mollies they die within weeks. I always had good luck with tetras and catfish. So everytime I lose my livebearers, I end up getting more tetras. I have lost atleast 15 livebearers by now. I wait a month and so everytime, and test it agian- hoping they will make it- it never works :-(
My questions:

1. what could be the possible reason of high nitrates? I am at a loss
2. I am tired of having only tetras and catfish. Which other fish are hardy and can withstand the high nirate levels?
3. Should I try guppies? I have never tried them. Are they as sensitive as platys?

 

[Charlius]

How often do you do the water changes again? Above, you said you clean the gravel every 3 weeks. Is you water change regimen on the same schedule of every 3 weeks as well?? If it is, you definitely need to do it at least weekly if not 2 times a week.

If everything you say is accurate (you feed 1x a day with not much food) and everything else is sound, then simply put, the 10 gallon is nowhere big enough for your fish load. Hope it helps!

 

[OCCFan023]

You really need to start doing weekly or at the minimum bi-weekly (weekly is preferable)/. You have a decent sized fish load andin that ten it will get dirty fast without cleaning (3 weeks is too long). Even though you do a 50% water change, this sometimes can be less benficial because it disturbs so much stuff with such a massive water change.

1) Need to up the cleaning, monitor feeding (make sure the fish eat all the food),

2) You cant look to add a fish that will "handel" high nitrates. You must fix the problem to make a suitbale for thie fish you have and want.

3) same as 2


On a side note when you cleaned your filter cartridge did you replace it, rinse it in tap water (or did you use tank water)?

 

[FroggyFox]

I'm going to have to agree...you have too many fish for the size tank you have and I'm not really surprised that you have high nitrates. Only way to lower nitrates is water changes (or have a very healthy growing heavily planted thank), so if they get that high that fast I think a 50% change WITH GRAVEL VAC once a week should help.

On the other hand are you sure that your nitrate test kit is accurate and that you're doing the testing by the instructions? Most nitrate test kits are not that accurate even if you use it exactly the way the instructions tell you...at best they can tell you if your nitrate level is low, medium or high...and assigning a number value really isn't very accurate. I know that if I leave mine for more than 5 minutes it turns dark and I assume that means that my test kit is getting old...so I usually only take the initial reading as what the tank is.

The new fish that you're adding are probably stressing to death. Stress from the trip, the store, and then the high nitrates in your tank is kind of the "straw that broke the camels back"...you really need to figure out that issue before adding new fish.

 

[wayne]

Also how high are the nitrates in your tapwater or replacement water. You mightwell be taking out nitrates, putting in nitrates.
If it's ok change more water

 

[cybersymes]

10% water changes every other day will help...
but mainly...get a bigger tank...as bigg as you can ...