# A little guidance please!



## toothyfish (Mar 25, 2008)

I am sure if I sifted through all the posts I could get all the answers I need but here is my situation...

55g tank. 
2 RBP's 8-9" long and as many years old. 
I run a Magnum 350 canister
2 HOT magnums
1 Penguin 350 (2 bio wheels)
temp is constant 76 deg.
standard rock/sand substrate 
LOTS of live plants and real wood

I can't get my nitrates down below 100 (mg/l) ppm
nitrite are zero 
I have VERY hard water - 225 (gh)ppm
total alkalinity is moderate at 80 (kh) ppm 
Ph is 7.0 -7.2

My concern is obviously the Nitrates, I have added salt, I do regular changes, I am wondering if the water hardness is to blame and if so how to correct that.

any help would be appreciated.


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## Corner (Feb 27, 2007)

Well usually nitrates are removed through water changes, you do those? But sometimes there can be nitrates in your tap water so that makes it very difficult to get it lower. Test your tap water for nitrates and post that.


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## Big-Kev (Mar 29, 2008)

Do a 50% water change in that tank now.

Nitrates are the end product from your tanks good bacteria. You do regular water changes to keep the level of nitrates in check.

I'd say check your tank and filters make sure there isn't any hidden food rotting somewhere. Then check your tap water and make sure
your not adding any nitrates to the tank when you do water changes.
If thats all good then I'd suggest you increase the number of water changes you do. If you water change once a week, do it twice a week now.
Also if you feed your fish every day then I would reduce that to everyother day. Fish that size don't need to eat every day, and that would
decrease the bio-load on the tank.


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## toothyfish (Mar 25, 2008)

I probally need to check my tap water then, 
Yes I do regular water changes, filters are good and "clean" it's always been a problem for my tank (the nitrates)

I did a 50% change a week ago so I wont do that now.

As far as feeding, I dont feed even every other day, every 4-5 days. No need to load up the tank with waste when they dont physically exert themselves in there!







they dont use the energy so they dont need all the extra. Im sure I'll get flamed for that one...

Soo, if it is my tap water, what do you suggest to lower it? and is the water hardness an issue?

Ill post results on tap water later.


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## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

What kind of test kits are you using? If it is the strips you might want to buy a tube kit, the strips are not that accurate. Other than that, you have two large fish in a small tank. Your always going to have high nitrates. You will need every other day water changes to get it down to a low level.


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## toothyfish (Mar 25, 2008)

Yeah, I just tested my tap water and its MAYBE 10 ppm (mg/l). 
tap water is even softer than aquarium water. tap @ 75(gh) ppm. aquarium 225 :/

Guess i will do a change out and see what happens again.


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

You definitely want to do more water changes then 50% once a week. 2 9" Reds in a 55 is a large bio-load. I'd do 50% every 3-4 days.
Any problems with algae growth? If I let mine get above 30-40ppm I end up having to clean it off everything in my tank.


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## toothyfish (Mar 25, 2008)

Algae isn't out of control. I do get some at times. The signs and issues that are normal just wasn't evident and I was seriously overlooking them. I guess my old school approch to keeping my aquarium has got the best of me and I need to re-learn what I THOUGHT I knew! Old guys can learn too right? !









well thanks all for the advise and I will be definately changing water more often now. Just did a 50% last night and I'll do another one again tomorrow to get them levels down to a maintainable degree!


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Since your tap water nitrates level is 10 ppm try performing at your next weekly water change 30% and then daily 25% changes for 1 week and retest. Water hardness has nothing to do with it...


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## jsadlersos (Mar 11, 2008)

could definately b nitrates in your tap, or waste caught in your substrate.....do you do regular vaccumings?

If all else fails, I know that DSB's (deep sand beds) work to reduce nitrates in SW aquariums, you could try it in yours. Anerobic bacteria eat nitrates.....you need to create a space very low in oxygen to culture them, this is the idea behind the DSB's


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