I'm new here

I am having a HUGE nitrate problem. I do water changes once a week with a gravel vac of about 25 percent. My nitrates are through the roof still. Is there anything i can do?? How often is it ok to change the water without harming the fish??

Hello and welcome to the forum!!

Usually it's safe to do 15 - 25% water changes weekly also did you try and chemical?

I went and bought Prime... I am going to try it

Welcome Melissa! Were glad to have you here. Prime is an excellent product which I use in my discus tank. Could you give us a little more info about your setup? What size, type of fish, how many? This information may help us get to the root of your nitrate problem. Also, have you tested the water out of your tap? Sometimes the problem is with the water and not the aquarium.

ok... we have a 29 gallon tank with 4 1 1/2" tetras and 4 1" mickey mouse platys. I tried the prime last night to no avail the nitrates are still through the roof... the fish all seem fine, are my test strips bad?? I just bought them on saturday because I ran out of my last ones. Also, my ph was very low so I added ph increaser and that did not work either. I have a bubblestick and 2 live plants too. I just checked my tap water and that is not the problem.. there were virtually no nitrates in the tap water.. I just dont want this to turn into a problem for my fish and I dont know what to do

Exactly how bad are your nitrates? 20ppm or less is acceptable in your situation. You do not appear to be overstocked and are keeping up on water changes. How much do you feed your fish? Sometimes high nitrates can be from uneaten food rotting in the tank.Cory catfish are great for cleaning up the bottom.

Welcome to our forum. Most freshwater aquariums will have nitrate(NO3); the unsafe level starts at 80ppm. Nitrite (NO2) is unsafe at any level, as is ammonia. Test kits for ammonia are usually sold separately and are not expensive. Ammonia gets into an aquarium from uneaten food, fish waste and respiration, plant decay, etc. If the aquarium is properly cycled, its bacteria will convert ammonia into nitrite, then nitrite into nitrate, then nitrate into plant food. An aquarium's beneficial bacteria live on plants, gravel, decorations, and even filter media. If you completely and thoroughly clean the filter, you will lose part of the beneficial bacteria colony. You may want to take a look at the dip strips to make sure the container is tightly closed and free of moisture. Also take a look at the aquarium to make sure something like food or a decoration is not decomposing. When you do partial water changes, do you syphon waste materials off the bottom?

With respect to pH, most common aquarium fish can adjust to a wide range of values. However, they cannot tolerate quick changes in pH values, and that's why the pH changing chemicals are not always a good idea.

Please let us know if our suggestions have helped.

I feed my fish 2 times a day not more food than they can eat in 2 min or so... There is no food on the bottom of my tank and yes I use a gravel vac when I do water changes... Im not sure how high the levels are all I know is that the dipstick is bright pink almost immediately. My fish are acting fine... maybe I should leave it alone

I think you are on the right track. Since your fish are fine most likely your levels are normal. Dip test strips can give you a general idea, but as you have found out, do not give you exact results. Maybe down the road you could invest in a test set with the bottles and vials. I find them pretty reliable and the kit has a test for everything I need. I think they are twenty to twenty five dollars.

Those dip stick things have a peel away label, and inside the label, there are color comparison charts. The pink for nitrate is probably safe, but consult the chart to find out. The first time I used one of those things, I had trouble finding the chart under the label.

Aha, I did not know there was a chart with those. That is good to know. I still like mine though.

The test tubes and reagents may be more accurate, but the dip strips are easier for a bumbling old man.

Welcome to the forum!

I'm kinda a fan of the dip strips as well... Once you find the chart... LOL!

I also use the test tubes for Ammonia though... so... I guess... LOL!