My thoughts on: High Nitrates vs. Ridiculous Nitrates
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video I'll talk about what I mean when I discuss "High" nitrates in my fish tanks. Some people allow their nitrates to get to downright irresponsible levels.
I'll also discuss the Nitrogen Cycle, water changes, and filtration.
I created this video with the TH-cam Video Editor ( / editor )
You are supposed to hold the vile over the card in natural lighting. The color that matches best will be the hardest one to read through the vile.. this is how you test pools as well. This is why so many people have a hard time matching the color cause they are inside under poor lighting trying to read side by side.. hold it over the card and the right reading will disappear on the card.
Fish R Relaxing thank you. This is so damned obvious now. Can’t believe I never thought to do it this way.
true i have been struggling a bit , good point :)
I always step just outside my door and read it in daylight. The colors match correctly that way.
pretty nail polish!
sorry to comment on such old videos but im still new to the hobby and yours are absolutely some of the most thorough and informative videos ive found on youtube thus far.
That was so CLEARLY understandable.... thank you! I pretty much knew the information but it was AWESOME to hear it laid out so well.
Even though your video is 17 minutes, I understood it within the first 3 minutes 🤣🤣🤣, thanks for the 2 cents.......
Great point, beautiful aquariums.
Thank-you! No one has been able to tell me why my ammonia or nitrite is low while my nitrate is high. I've been told not to touch my filter because it removes all the good stuff but I think I'll be cleaning my sponge in the water I take out on my next change. It's never been as red as yours but it's too high for shrimp breeding, which I want to do.
I really appreciate how you explain things! Thanks so much, very informative.
Seen crimson before. Cycled a new tank and had the tests for ammonia nitrite and nitrates off the charts. That was a fun moment. Also had the same happen when a tank crashed and things started dying. Learned removing too many plants from a decently established tank to help kick start a new tank can crash your established tank
Yeah, big changes like that can set off a cascade effect that wrecks your cycle.
Really appreciate this video!
I'm embarrassed to admit my nitrates had gone through the roof. Once I got lax with water changes yet had no visible water quality issues (healthy fish, healthy plants, clear water) - I, for some reason, felt that I didn't really NEED to do many water changes. I'd never heard of "old tank syndrome" in my past decade of fishkeeping, so it wasn't a thing on my radar. I never had much reason to keep up with water tests, and I literally had to blow a layer of dust off my API kit. Ack.
A good reminder that, no matter how well you care for the system, you need to export those nitrates.
Years ago when I was around 11 years old I had a 28 gallon bow front with a 30 gallon filter and no live plants. The stock was a Cory, a bristlenose pleco, glass catfish, neon tetras, three black neons, three glow light tetras and three honey gouramis. I ended up not doing a water change for over a year and I had 160ppm nitrate. Somehow my fish were completely fine and when I got back into the hobby I water changed and it went down to 40.
There is a filter thats been in the hobby for years n years and is hardly used any more that creats the perfect condtions for Anaerobic bacteria which will take out nitrates. Its the under gravel filter. Anaerobic bacteria need dark condtions with very low flow around them and areas in the under gravel filter provides them of that . When i was alot younger then i am now, i remember stores that had crystal clear tanks healthy fisn and never did water changes. They ran there tanks on under gravel filters and once a week ran a diatom filter on them for a hour .
Would the diatom filter be necessary if you had a couple of air stones in it to help give some higher flow through the tank? (as well as a few nerite snails, hehe)
Larry Sor I ran into that situation just the other day when I visited a store that's pretty far away from me. It's a family-owned business that's been there for 40+ years and I was talking to the son that has worked in the store forever. He said they never do water changes at all. The tanks that I was looking at all had undergravel filters, were heavily planted, had healthy fish, & clear water. He said for maintenance all they did was keep the front glass clean, get rid of the debris that settled in the front of the tank as the gravel was higher in the back and lower in the front, & top it off. He said they never check nitrates ever. He also said in the last 8 years on his home tanks he's only done two water changes...when he moved, four years ago and then another 4 years before that. I would have loved to have asked more questions but he really wasn't open to a discussion so I let it go. It certainly ran counterintuitive to everything I've been taught about nitrates, but it seemed to be working for a store that's been in business a long time and continues to do a good business. Heck, the angelfish were breeding right in front of me so they were happy!
I started in the hobby 40 years ago when I was 10. I didn't know anything at all about water parameters, nitrites, nitrates or even night lights back then lol. I had an under gravel and a corner box filter. I had the cleanest, clearest water in town and my 2 community tanks went without a water change, any chemicals, etc. for the 10 years I ran them. I bred plattys, swords and even had a batch of angel's hatch. All lived and thrived. I finally broke down the tank and gave my fish away, many who were 5 to 10 years old. Now, several years later, I am back in the hobby and being told UGF's are old school and I am a fossil. Guess what...my 29 and my 75 are both UGF and HOB filtered, fully stocked, planted and crystal clear. I do low percentage water changes every two weeks...and I am 30 - 40 PPM BEFORE water changes. It is the filter companies who convince people that UGF's are evil because you sell it once and never make another dime. Buy a crappy HOB and they are trying to sell you cartridges for the rest of your life. Thank God for Lee's Premium staying true to real biology. Go to many LFS and they will not carry UGF, and will tell you they are Nitrate factories and anyone who runs one is a fish killer...because they lose out on their annuity payment for crappy filter pads. UGF's rock!!!!!
I have one betta in my 10 gl and I’m learning to cut back on food. I’m really new and have been freaking out on the nitrites. I change her water lately a lot because I’m freaking out. I’m only feeding her 2x and she poops a lot but it’s been below 50. What a relief to know that I’m not suffocating her out. Ammonia was a very low but I have been ammonia block in. I have plants with tabs. Plants are growing beautifully. I did stop over feeding her. Last week levels were 0. No pink! This week high but not past 50. I can relax. Thank you
I found with deep substrate and lots of plants I never have more than 5ppm. I think I might have had a spike to almost 10ppm once. It's just so easy I don't understand why it is not the status quo.
Nitrates are a headache for me. I have a very heavily planted tank, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites, PH is about 7.5. Nitrate is around 100 ppm. Running two HOB filters and 2 sponge filters. Fish all appears healthy and well. I tested my tap water and it was about 30 ppm. I have put ALGONE in my filter, just put it in, to help reduce it. Have done water changes in my 40 gallon twice a week, about 30%, rinse my HOB filters carefully every week, have MATRIX in the filters also, have used Prime and Stability also. Tank is about 2 months old now, and was cycled before adding fish. I also have Malaysian Trumpet snails to help the substrate (Flourite Black) stay healthy. I think part of my problem is overfeeding, but they always seem hungry and scavenging for food almost all the time.
maybe try cleaning your HOB less. idk what kind of media you have but my heavily stocked 40 gallon was very happy with one HOB filter with two anubias and some jungle val. my tap tested at 0ppm, and i was running a sponge and some ceramic in a bag as filtration media. it was a sanded tank as well with no substrate to help with bacterial load. never had any crazy spikes in nitrates or ammonia. never supplemented with ammonia blockers. just prime during 30-50% water changes once a week and some basic all in one liquid fert.
when I change my water I stick i long skinny hose directly to the drain in my shower and siphon for a few hours, it gives me time to cook clean go shopping while it empties out. it’s so much less work than standing there and filling a bucket but then I run back and forth 20 times with a jug of tap water and squirt some conditioner swirling it around.
😂😂 I knew I made the right move sharing that video with you I knew that you would find it super interesting 😂😂 I get scared every time I test mine because there is no way I would want that blood red vile in my tank .... Strange too because his fish were really happy and healthy looking .... Great video Dan I hope he sorts his cycle out 👏👏
Hi there- i know I'm late to the party, but your tanks are gorgeous! Are those Congo tetras in the tank at the 9 minute mark? How are they so red, did you get a sub species or is it your lighting?
I had Congos, but they were orange. You might be looking at Marci Rainbowfish.
I’ve just recently started my first tropical fish tank. During the cycling process, I detected up to 50p.p.m. of Nitrate. I did a 50% water change, in fact I did two (pre adding of fish). Still I had 0ver 40% p.p.m. of Nitrate. I tested the actual tap / mains water and this was already up 50p.p.m. Nitrate content. Hence, carrying out water changes at this point seem……well……pointless. I contacted my local water supply company, they confirmed that they do allow up to, but is capped at 50p.p.m of Nitrate content. They emailed the full eco content of our area tap water, and the list of what is in tap water is huge. On the strength of this, and out of sheer desperation, I purchased a Pozzani Nitrate removal filter. All water used for (weekly 25 - 50%) water changes are processed through this filter. It adds a lot of time to a simple water change, but a necessary and worthwhile one I consider for me, but most importantly to the fish. The nitrate tested from the Pozzani filter varies from 0 - 0.5 p.p.m. Nitrate content. Of course, the added step of testing the filtered water adds time and course is necessary to monitor the output performance of the filter. Moral here I guess, take a few minutes to initially test your tap / mains water, it might hold more surprises than we think. All tests were carried out using API liquid and reagent test kit.
50 ppm won't bother your fish at all. I have Discus in 90 ppm right now.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly but with 90 ppm it won't spawn, right?
@@football4.069 I don't see why not.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly How many discus fish are you keeping? And do they lay eggs?
@@football4.069 I have 5 juveniles, so I don't know if they'll spawn.
Very helpful thanks!
Hi, I have found that if I hold the API vial away from the card a bit, that result matches the seachem result. So I often use both to compare and decifer the api. Do you entirely trust the seachem kit or had there ever been doubts? thanks.
I've done videos about this. Lol
You HAVE to hold the vial against the card for an accurate reading. I pointed out to the customer service rep at API (Mars) that holding it away from the card gave me good color matches, but was told not to do it that way.
If I'm looking for a very accurate reading, or a very low reading, I use the Seachem. For a general good/bad test, I use the API.
Excellent video. 👍📺😎
Beautiful tank brother, love the water Sprite. Infact your water Sprite made me want one, but I had bad luck with it. Poor thing started withering away and now gone but 2 little bulbs.. Any advice for water sprite?
I just let it float and it grows like mad.
My tap has 23 to a max of 50 ppm of nitrates, so I can't get my water to be decent. I have a vallisneria nana and a ceratophyllum + some slow growth plants, but they aren't helping at all, sadly. I'm starting to add osmosis water tomorrow to my water changes and hope the nitrates will go down!
yes you have to reverse osmosis the water, i tested my water for nitrates and i got zero and i still think of buying an RODI unit
Totally agree on the filter and Nitrate. Adding chem to pull nitrate, plants, or water changes will lower your nitrate but adding another filter wouldn't help in fact I think it would make it higher cause you give more area for the good bacterial to grow which will cause more Nitrates. Good video man.
thanks. I e got one about surface agitation coming out later today.
nice. I am working on an update video just waiting for my reef tank to wake up a little more
***** lol. In its own time.
What gourami is that in your tank? I know you have an opaline, but I don't know what the bigger one is
It's an older video so I'm not sure. If it's silvery, it's a Moonlight gourami. if it's big and grey, it's a Snakeskin gourami.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly It was the Moonlight Gourami, I think.
Why do we call it a cycle, if it's not a cycle? It's a progression. I think my tank is over populated. My Columbian Tetras just kept breeding for a while. I started with 6, now I have about 35 of them! Tons of live plants too, and I still have high nitrates.
Do I need to worry about Green Spotted Puffers in a brackish tank with higher-than-normal nitrates, or are they more resilient? Obviously I do water changes regularly, but they're always above 80. :( My city water is fine, but I can't just get the levels down. I'm talking 50% water changes weekly, etc. I do have 10 bumble bee gobies in a 40 gallon breeder. Probably overstocked, and I was a victim of "they're small, they can't hurt that much".
I've got 8 BB gobies, Mollies, and a F8 puffer in my 40 breeder "Brackish Tank" and I don't think it's overstocked at all. I wouldn't worry about the nitrates either.
Dan Hiteshew I have two GSP’s with the 10 BBG’s. 40 gallon breeder. Thanks for the personal reply, means a lot!
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly My figure 8 puffer tank had over 100ppm nitrates for a few weeks but they don't seem to be sick at all. From what I heard online nitrates are less toxic in brackish, is that true?
Adding more filtration when nitrates are high does sound like a total lack of understanding of the cycle . Eating more when your not pooping enough is not how to deal with constipation .
better maintenance of ammonia sources , less food , moderate population , better plant trimming , etc. (I've noticed , Dan , the good look of good tank maintenance regarding your aquariums and it is little wonder you have not had a high nitrate situation ) 👍
Dan,
Thank you for your informative videos. Your tanks are beautiful! I was wondering what plant is the pinkish one( bottom left corner) called?
Sorry, I can't remember.
Your nail polish looks like 0.50 on the Nitrites Chart. LOL
Lol I'm experimenting with purple with sparkle over it. Lol I wondered if anyone would comment. Thanks!
do you understand how eazy it is to put a real time stamp cus it looks like this 0:50
@@kylercamilli2755 it's not a time stamp though...
I have a question. I have a 35 gallon hexagon shaped tank Dad I am trying to put fish into. I check my water with the API test kit. Now mind you there are no fish in this tank and has not been any fish in this tank through 6 months worth of cleaning and water changes. Why are my nitrate levels at at parts per million within a two-week.? No food goes in there no fish waste goes in there know anything. I have a canister filter Marineland 4 a 100 gallon tank. Can you answer this question and what do I need to do? I have no ammonia level I have no nitrate level and when I say no level I mean no readings and for my cichlids my pH level is that a t which isn't very good. But my nitrate levels on a weekly to bi-weekly test always read 80 parts per million. Do you have a logical explanation and a possible cure that you can suggest to me? Thank you very much I appreciate it. Steven Turner.
Voice activation didn't work very well I apologize. My pH level is 80 which is good for cichlids I cannot understand why my nitrate levels are 80 parts per million within a one or two week period.With no fish and no fish food
Have you tested your source water?
People. Need to check their source Water for nitrate also... Kinda be hard trying to drop 100ppm with 60. Ppm out the tap for example
lol. been there, done that.
i was surprised , zero. when i do a 35% water change my nitrates go way down
My ammonia and no.2 nitrites are at 0. My no.3 nitrates do not lower after water changes or filter cleaning. They are at 160 +.
Weird, I thought I was already subbed to you! Anyway thank you for your work from a much smaller fish channel!
how often we should do water change to lower down nitrites and nitrates? once every two days?
Depends on bio load and the processing capability of your filter media. Honestly I do very little water changes because I use biohome ultimate, my ammonia, nitrites and nitrates never seem to be above 0 anymore. Cleaning waste out of mechanical filter media really helps a lot, this should be done at least 1-2 times a week if it's heavily stocked. This is why I stay away from canisters.
I get 40ppm out of tap. Use a c3 resin to reduce nitrate. Last 2 days my fish have been flashing. Thought it was flukes but some fishkeepers told me nitrates as my nitrates are 40-80ppm. What do u think? Don't want my fish to die a bit worried as they all started doing it now
I can't imagine how nitrate would make fish flash. remember that fish normally flash from time to time. It's excessive flashing that's a concern. think about the occasional itch, vs an itchy rash.
If they are flashing excessively, I'd treat for external parasites, like flukes.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly @Everyday Fishkeeping They have never flashed b4 but last 3 days several fish doing it a lot. I have done a bit of research and found Prazipro or API General cure as recommend medications. What do u think? Thanks
@@thomaseglinton1391 General cure is a good all purpose parasite killer I think.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Just checked online. They don't sell that in the UK. What else do u recommend? Thanks
@@thomaseglinton1391 You can try giving the fish a salt bath (Saltwater dip) or try something like Ick X. It has Malachite Green in it and that help kill eternal parasites.
Hi Dan, I saw you have a Chinese Algae Eater in your tank. How is your experience with it? I was planning to buy 2 small ones for my 60 Ga but then I read bad reviews about sucking slime coat of fishes, not eating algae, etc. Thanks
It killed a few of my Angelfish. I'd never buy another one. (I tried giving it plenty of meaty food too)
Thanks. That confirms my doubts. Supposedly, Siamese algae eater is the way to go. What do you prefer to control algae, Nerite snails, Amano shrimps or Siamese algae eaters? Of course keeping all aquarium parameters (light, food, maintenance, etc) in balance.
@@jesusmata7441 SAE are worth their weight in gold. Nerites are good too, but slower. They bother eat different kinds of algae, so it's hard to say which is "better". No experience with the shrimp tough, sorry.
Perfect. Thanks a lot.
Love the way u explain subject ,
In your video you mentioned nitrate absorbing material. What kind of material is that? The problem I have is that are water is already high in nitrates straight from the tap. Is there anything I can do?
There's a lot if you look into it. Here's a link to API Nitra-Zorb Filter Media Pouch: amzn.to/2ykOq9P
Hi Dan. Great video as always. There's a type of biomedia called 'Biohome' which allows anaerobic bacteria to colonise the centre of it. Takes about 6 months apparently then it starts to eat up nitrates. Pretty sure you'd still need to do water changes buy it should reduce the frequency. Would be interested to see you check it out. I've never tried it as a newb but the creator is a TH-camr called Pond Guru ☺
That works, but not really in freshwater tanks like mine. I'm familiar with the anaerobic bacteria that eats nitrates, but that's usually for well established reef tanks, and large bodies of water that can't get frequent water changes.
The nitrates are not the only reason to do water changes anyway, so if we remove them, we have no way of knowing when the other organics are climbing too.
The best way to manage organics is with simple water changes.
+Dan Hiteshew That's true. I'm a once a week water change kind of person but if I had rams again or other sensitive fish I might try it. I wonder if it'll affect plant growth though with fewer nitrates
+maria0000000000000 sure it will. plants need them to grow.
I use lava rock to culture bacteria. I have a little 20 gallon planted, and it's great for a higher than normal bioload. Like goldfish. Finding a good balance for whatever tank you have is tricky, and all about trial and error within reason.
I've gone from 200ppm to 0 ppm nitrate in two months, using a combination of Biohome and CONTINUUM EXXODUS•NITRYX, seeded with CONTINUUM BACTER GEN F. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that proper biomedia in your filtration works.
where to find these amazing plants? need some big boys liike urs
I have a 65g arch tank, custom 3'- 4"PVC pipe canister filter w/ eco396 pump (3 filter pads, rest lava rock), pothos plant in a 10g hob filter, no plants, and 25 fish. 25% water a month and I stay at near zero everything. is this common?
Your ammonia and nitrite should be at zero but with that many fish, I'd expect to see som,e nitrates. I don't know how big the fish are, or how much pothos you're growing, and they both are factors to consider.
Either way, I wouldn't complain. I wish I could keep my nitrates low.
my pothos is drapped down both sides of the tank, about 70 inches of fish, 2 angels, tetra, dawrf gouramis, pleco, Cory's, little puffer, apple snails, one feeding a day. they thrive with that so it helps with overall nitrates. thanks for replying, I subbed so keep up the good info. beautiful tank btw.
Hi Dan, how often do you go to House of Tropics and do you know Mark and Mike and if you don't mind where you located Reisterstown???
I'm up in Hampstead, and I try to get down there when I can, but it's hit or miss. It's been months since I've been. I'm friendly with Mike more than Mark. Mike always hooks me up with a good discount since I shoot so much video in there.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly thanks , Dan....
One day if you have time like to pick your brain on setting up new aquarium...
My #443-713-8676...thanks again... John
@@johnreechel8574 You can email me. danielhiteshew@gmail.com
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly don't do phone calls???
@@johnreechel8574 Not really.
API test orange=ok, red=BAD.
Lets do some [easy] math...lets say your tank generates 20ppm nitrates per week and you do weekly 50% water changes. So you reduce tank nitrates to 10ppm. Next week, nitrates are 30ppm, so your water change lowers them to 15ppm. Next week nitrates are at 35ppm....so even with a 50% weekly water change, the nitrate levels keep going up every week!!!! It would seem that at some point, you'd need back to back 50% water changes to stay in control (Or have plants or other means of denitrification in the tank).
My nitrates were in the red (100+) for years on my turtle tank until I added filter media that support anerobic bacteria. I wasn't sure if it was worth the hype but now I have to to far less water changes. Nitrates have been pretty much undetectable lately. Would recommend to anyone with an aquarium.
which filter media you got? I got myself Seachem Matrix a week ago but as far as I read it will take some time to establish denitrifiyng bacteria colony.
@@joroboyvn I just use a filter sock and biohome ultimate in my sump.
Yea denitrifying bacteria can take months to establish.
@@WatsitTooyah Interesting, I've had biohome ultimate for 5 years in my filter but never lowered my nitrates.
@@joroboyvn what kind of water conditioner do you use? And how much biohome?
@@WatsitTooyah Prime, but not many water changes and about 2 kg Biohome for my 55 gallon tank
Are you refering to father fish?
Probably.
Hey Dan how's it going I realize this is an old video but I got a question regarding api test kits I've notice that when I do my test if the water level in the flask is to the bottom of the line or in the middle of 5 ml line I get a big diffence compare to if its filled to the top of the line ,what stats should I go by?
I just shot a video saying it didn't matter if it was exact or not. I've never noticed a difference. The proper way to do it is the have the bottom of the curved water line touching the line on the test tube (the curve of the water is called the "meniscus")
4:47 Why would high nitrates cause a snail explosion??? Do snails need high nitrates to reproduce rapidly?
High nitrates promotes algal growth, which can cause a snail explosion.
Ah, now I see what you meant.
Hello, Dan! Nice video. I sometimes struggle with high nitrates in my cherry shrimp tank. Plants and small water changes have proven to be effective and I'm happy about that. My question for you is about the plant thats floating in the center of the tank. The time on the video is 10:59. I want to put one in my tank! Thanks!
That's a Water Sprite.
Thank you. I figured that's what it was just wanted to make sure. Really great looking aquariums. Thanks for sharing what you know.
Under 40 ppm. I have three Discus tanks that I keep under 10 ppm. I have Five other tanks under 20 ppm. It is not that hard. I love the fact you said aim for 20 and with a lost weekend you might hit 40. Love the video.
Thanks! Discuss definitely can't do 40ppm. Lol I'm glad you enjoyed.
+Dan Hiteshew Dan, what do you say to the folks that use Prime, or AmQuel Plus and over treat to help reduce Nitrates, Nitrites and Ammonia? Sounds like the next video in this series…... LOL
+Brian's Opinion/Comments lol. you read my mind. I was just talking to someone about Prime.
it's not my next video, but it'll be soon.
my next video will be out today and is about surface agitation.
+Dan Hiteshew You should stop over today and help me with tank maintenance and cleaning.. We can have a couple beers and talk about new videos...
Brian's Opinion/Comments lol. I'll pass on the beer. I've almost died from alcoholism. Twice.
My tap water is 40ppm so difficult to balance.
I wish I had the same problem sometimes. my nitrates are always bottoming out at zero and I have to add flourish nitrogen in to maintain 20ppm.
Lol The grass is always greener...
I have 5 or so coming out of my tap, after I run it through nitrate specific ion exchange resin.
My nitrates are always around 5 to under 10 ppm.
would my plants do better if it was closer to 20 ppm?
Or is 5 ppm enough?
A planted tank should have a little more. 20 ppm is a good place to be.
Thanks!!
thank you...excellent lesson
What are those floating plants ?
That's Water Sprite. I sell it if you're interested danielhiteshew@gmail.com
What about the people who have nitrates in their water? Like i have about 1.0-2.0ppm ammonia in my water. Do you think if I had enough plants the plants would consume the ammonia before the filter/bacteria does? Its hard for me to keep the nitrates under 40ppm with just a betta in a 5 gallon with a weekly water change and some plants.
Nitrates won't hurt your fish like the ammonia will. There shouldn't be any ammonia showing up in your test. If there is, then you need to find out why. Plants will take up ammonia, but the nitrogen cycle should take care of it. (40 ppm nitrates is nothing to worry about)
We have ammonia in our tap water. But we also use prime so I guess that makes it less harmful? we never have ammonia in the tank when we test though
I guess i should have been more clear, the water out of the tap before it gets in the fish tank has some ammonia in it.
High Nitrates is a problem I would like to have. But my tendency to put in so many plants even a jungle would be embarrassed of it kind of won"t let me....
I am wondering why with all his plants why he has such a high nitrate level?
@@roaringlion1
Plants also need other stuff besides nitrogen compounds to really make a difference in the nitrate levels. Usually fertilizers: both macro and micro, CO2, and appropriate lighting. Also depends on how fast the plant grows. Seen it both ways when I was learning with aquarium plants. Slow growers and heavy root feeders typically will not rapidly consume excess nitrogen compounds while a fast growing stem plant that takes most of its nutrients from the water column will remove excess nitrogen compounds much more rapidly than the former.
The problem is if you don’t mix your chemicals in the bottle really really good before you put it in the water the results always look the same
I like how you started your video about making fun of ppls tanks👍🏼
What can i do if my tap water already has 40ppm nitrates?
I had to add an ion exchange resin to my softener topll the nitrates out of my ground water. You can also install an RO system. That'll remove nitrates.
before adding another filter for nitrates first do something easier. Ceramic rings have microscopic holes in them. They can hold nitrifying bacteria but the holes are so tiny that bacteria can get deep inside of them. Towards the center denitrifying, anaerobic bacteria propagate in anoxic zones. You usually need a deep substrate for a no water change tank. However, if you scatter ceramic rings and bury them deep and not seeable by the naked eye for aesthetic purposes at the bottom of your substrate and dump your filter cartridge and load it up with ceramic rings you can grow colonies of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. Most ppl have to do water changes or their animals will die. But if you set up your tank properly and understand the biology and chemistry you never have to do water changes. I have 2 aquariums that have never needed water changes. Minerals, ph, alkalinity, how alkaline the water is and nitrates all under control!!!!
Great Video...
nitrates will also be hidden on your test if you have live plants or algae
Nobody knows
Nice info, I always have nitrate problem, maybe because I have 28 cichlid in a 125 g and have to do 50-60% w/c every 4 days to control the nitrate, I feed them ones or twice daily with the 7 day fasting, I saw your video in IFG channel, I sub to your channel
thanks a lot!
Efrain's, please stop to be crazy with water changes. Clean gravel and glasses one or two times/week and use perlon, Siporax (or Matrix or zeolit) and activated carbon in your filter.
6:43 Whats that first long plant name on the left side of the tank?
That's a narrow leaf temple plant.
I get about 40 ppm from my tap!! What should I do??
You can get an RO system, or put in some nitrate specific ion exchange medium in your water system, or buy "drinking water" from Walmart. Of course you can just ignore them and your fish will be fine.
Dan Hiteshew I’m going to be doing 50 percent water changes every week on my 60 gallon once it’s done cycling. I’m keeping African cichlids you think it will be ok if I just use the tap water?
I can't get my nitrates below 5 since that's what comes out of my tap... 😂
Very informative THANK YOU!!!👍🏽 (New Subbie)😊
whats your thoughts about phosphates? you rarely mention it
Unless you do certain things, phosphates won't ever be an issue. Especially if you keep up on nitrates.
Phosphates are totally harmless to your animals, but accounts for algal growth. It's really nothing to worry about.
i do hav a test kit for it though. Lol. I'll try to keep it in mind in the future. I'll go over it a little better.
+Dan Hiteshew cool i would love to hear thoughts about it, im recently converted back from reeftanks and in that world po4 is death and horror, primarily due to corals obviously. Interested in knowing more about it in freshwater for sure :)
Daniel hallonkvist Phosphates are seldom even mentioned in the freshwater community. They simply don't factor in. If your Phosphates are too high, you've already got other problems. Lol
i have eight tanks and i do water change every other day am i doing too much
That's difficult to say. It depends on a lot of factors. Your source water, your stocking density, the type of fish, etc.
Unless you have particular issues, I'd say it's not necessary though.
Next time show the water dip and this was a sneak diss video 😂😂
add anoxic filter media
Your aquarium makes me not want to look at mine. 🤔 Very nice!
Testing my nitrates they were always extremely dark dark red. The clarity was really good too. I could do a water change everyday and it would go right back up to off the charts red. Doing water changes doesn't solve a high nitrate problems it's just a bandaid. It's been like this for 2 years and couldn't fix it. I think I might have figured it out!😃
I have the same problem. The nitrates in my tap water are just the same as when I test the aquarium water, about about 50 ppm ( but I find it hard to tell with these colours on the chart! ) So what have you figured out? Just not to worry? LOL! Thanks for taking the time to read this x
@@lynnechester874 My problem was a planter box with pothos plants and hydro balls above the aquarium. I filled the planter with hydro balls and put pothos clipping in it. I had water pumped up to the box on one side and it drained down the other side. The hydro balls were catching food and fish waste. I ended up removing the hydro balls and cleaning the planter box and my nitrates dropped.
Your problem seems to be your tap water. If it's more them 40ppm out of your faucet you're probably always going to have nitrate problems. Here are some things you might want to try. Clean your substrate with water changes, clean you filters once a month and if you have more then one alternate months and don't over populate your aquarium. Also you can try (Algone water clarifier and nitrate remover.) I heard it works good to remove nitrates. Best of luck!
@@LPH-11 Thanks for getting back to me. Yes the tap water is the problem. I'll give what you advised a go and thanks again x
i never really test my water lol. fish almost never die in my tanks anymore, my water is crystal clear (yes i know water clarity means nothing) and i always do water changes. PS : lol that angel was putting that shark in his place. good thing it ain't the other way around or those angel fish will literally turn into "angels" in fish heaven
Lol. That Shark isn't much of a tough guy.
+Dan Hiteshew see if those angels want to play with my Sharks 😉
ShamuAquariums I doubt it. They get bullied by the Serpae.
Frustrated: fish keep dying.
3 Gallon Marineland Contour Glass Aquarium Kit with Rail Light
Heater that maintains 77 degrees approx
1 Anubias nana
1 Amano shrimp
1 Nerite snail
3 Guppies
Fish fed once a day as much as they can eat in 1-2 minutes
20-30 % water change weekly
Water tests consistent:
Ammonia at 0-.5 ppm
Nitrate at 20-40 ppm
Total Hardness at 300 ppm
Chlorine at 0
Total Alkalinity at 180-300 ppm
PH at 7.8-8.4
Not sure what is wrong. I know my tank is small. I do not have room for a larger tank. I used to have only two guppies with the shrimp and snail, but one kept dying. I would replace and one would die again. Found out that with only two males, one ends up bullying the other, so I got three... down to two now because one died.
Thought it could be the nitrates, but they are never that high.
Would appreciate your input. Thanks!
Your ammonia shoulld ALWAYS be at 0 ppm. If it gets to 0.5 ppm, just buy at least a 10 gallon tank. They are much cheaper than a MARINELAND CONTOUR (I get really pissed off at how expensive those extremely small tanks are. sorry), are easier to take care of, and you can put more stuff in it. I would honestly put much more amano shrimp in there too. Also, your PH is way too high. Especially for guppies. With that high of ph levels, there are very few things that will survive for long. Hope this helps.
@@SenkoLoafph
My vial looks like your third vial the day after performing a 50% water change on a 180 gallon aquarium.
You concern your self with nitrates. I saw one of your videos where you were doing alot of water changes cause the nitrates were high im the tank.
Oh yes, all of us need big water changes. A long time ago, God did many big water changes. Then he stopped and our oceans have filled up of plastic :)
my nitrates out my tap are 50 mg
My nitrates up to 100 ppm. They come out the tap at up to 80 ppm.
Your tap water sucks! With your water, it's hard to keep an aquarium.
Trust me i know you didn't mine to just leaving a tank with no water change. Just not to stress your self the way some people think that nitrates are the devil. Now that guy wanting to get anywhere filtered needs to wake up and take care of the tank more not let the tank go red with nitrates. I know your didn't mine that you always checking. I be looking right at you.
I once tested a tank at 200 ppm. It was basically poisonous water.
My nitrates are close to 0 somehow my plants arent completely dead lol
Pothos!!
your plants don't really backup your story. if u read about it nitrates are needed for plant growth and high levels are good for plants but bad for fish...
Hey there. Would you please not send me any more videos. Thank you.
Anaerobic bacteria consume nitrate too :)
They do, but how many people have a freshwater set-up with anaerobic denitrifying bacteria though? I've never met one yet.
Matrix and biohome plus claim that in about 6 months of continues immersion anaerobic bacteria form, could be. I think a log might do it as well. How much they actually remove is a question worth research..
bigrhom55 I've only ever heard of it being used in very sophisticated marine systems that need as little "messing with" as possible.
For a freshwater tank, Just do a water change.
Sure,but a nice passive nitrate eliminator is not a bad thing if you can make it work
bigrhom55 True enough.
How about trying to achieve a FULL cycle!
Do you understand how a "cycle" works?
The shaaade..lol..
On who?
Noice
Why the attitude? Deep breathing dude.
I have come to the conclusion your thoughts are just plain yours and WRONG. A million aquarists in the hobby and you are the ONLY one who bucks th observations about nitrates. You refuse to believe the empirical evidence by millions of other people in the hobby that nitrites damage immune systems on fish over time. I have seen it in action first hand. I have seen the lack of nitriatesand frequent water change feel sick fish that otherwise should and would have died. Think of it this way. every part per million is 100 lbs you fave to carry in life. Now tell me that is not going to impact your health, bone structure, internal organs, etc. IN nature where these fish are found you don't find these levels if nitrites/nitrates/ammonia. Would just as easily ignore pH and GH/KH from a site a fish comes from if wild caught? Does it take more time to do a 5% water change on half your tanks every few days, than to do a 50-70% water change on 1-2 tanks each week? I task you to try it a different way thanyou do it for a year and see if you can't get less fish deaths over all.
Nevermind all this tank talk, I thought you were a dude by your voice lol then I see your thumb nail on left hand painted lol what's going on there dude,.
Look up "polished man"
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly shall do dude, cheers for response,.....