tank levels

[ms.lynn3]

I have a 70 gallon tank with 2 blood red parrots and a albino Oscar and a jack.dempsey. Their all babies right now probably about 3-4 inches long and I have been.doing frequent water changes while my tank is cycling its been about 5 weeks and all my levels except my nitrate levels have came down and steady. Any suggestions on what I can do to help them come down? I have been doing natural.bacteria and the nitraban I stopped the nitraban because it didn't seem to be making any difference.and it really hasn't shown no different reactions... Any advice will help thank you!!!

 

[OrangeCones]

Once the tank is cyled, your ammonia and nitrite levels should be zero. Do a water change if the nitrate levels go above 20ppm.

 

[Sageofstupidity]

Up to 40 ppm is ok for most fish but as OrangeCones said, 20 is better. Some plants are good for lowering nitrate levels but nothing is a substitute for water changes, be sure to test your tap water as well so you know what your baseline should be around.

 

[OrangeCones]

Some plants are good for lowering nitrate levels

Plants would have to use a lot of energy to utilize the nitrogen in nitrate. They can (and do) use nitrate if that is the only source of nitrogen, but are much more likely to take up ammonia, then nitrite.

 

[Sageofstupidity]

Plants would have to use a lot of energy to utilize the nitrogen in nitrate. They can (and do) use nitrate if that is the only source of nitrogen, but are much more likely to take up ammonia, then nitrite.

Absolutely and less ammonia means less nitrates. If you had enough of a cheap plant like anacharis, it would grow fast enough to absorb all the ammonia/ammonium plus the nitrates and begin to starve. No matter which way you slice it plants lower nitrates, be it through direct absorption and reverse cycling or reducing ammonia/ammonium in the tank.

Worth sharing, this shows anacharis/hornwart/vallisneria using nitrate while ammonium is present http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/Current/Projects/J1115.pdf May not be the best thing I could dig up but eh.

 

[ms.lynn3]

response

Thank you for ur response. Al my other levels are 0 but my nitrates continue to jump to 20ppm.I don't know how to get em down I am doing water changes everyother day n my tap water is good :-( idk

 

[KcMopar]

How much are you changing, I do about 30-40% bi-weekly water changes in my 3 cichlid tanks. They are huge waste producing fish. Also note that you must vacuum your gravel clean as well, just changing the water does not work for me I have to vacuum very well every time.

 

[Thyra]

It is my understanding that nitrate levels of 20ppm is perfectly normal. You need some nitrate in a cycled tank.