# can water not cycle properly?



## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

ive always had high nitrAtes. always, i do water changes at 25% once a week, and vacuum the gravel the same day. i dont know how to fix it, and when i say high, i mean high. could i have cycled the tank wrong? it's been running for about 8 months now.


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

do 50-80% water changes weekly instead. Water changes are the only way to remove nitrates.

I usually do around 80% changes a week myself.

btw alot of people think excessive water changes will screw your biological filtration cycle. They're wrong. The bacteria responsible for the bio cycle reside exclusively in your filter, and so long as you de-chlor your water, your bio cycle will never be disrupted no matter how much water you change.

So pull a really heavy water change or two to get ur nitrates down.


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

nitrAtes are produced by the bacteria that break down the nitrItes


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## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

thanks INNES, thats what i started doing, this week ive done 2, 66% water changes, or 2/3rds.

and Lahot, nitrites are produced from waster, excessive foods, sh*t and all that?


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

The high nitrate levels despite your frequent water changes is probably a reflection of the amount of protein you feed your piranhas, rather than a glitch in your biofiltration.

There's no way around this. Fish excrete ammonia after digesting protein and that eventually forms nitrate.


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## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

what can be caused of high nitrates? what can happen. i'll openly admit, ive seen my nitrAtes REALLY high, for a few weeks at a time with no water change. i just figure the water that the piranha swim in naturally has high nitrAtes.

plus a friend of mine, the dude who got me into piranha, had 9 piranha, and in the year he had them he never did one water change, he only topped off his aquarium once a month, if that. and his piranhas turned out fine.


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## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

what can be caused of high nitrates? what can happen. i'll openly admit, ive seen my nitrAtes REALLY high, for a few weeks at a time with no water change. i just figure the water that the piranha swim in naturally has high nitrAtes.

plus a friend of mine, the dude who got me into piranha, had 9 piranha, and in the year he had them he never did one water change, he only topped off his aquarium once a month, if that. and his piranhas turned out fine.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2003)

EMJAY said:


> what can be caused of high nitrates? what can happen. i'll openly admit, ive seen my nitrAtes REALLY high, for a few weeks at a time with no water change.


 Besides the water turning very cloudy, it will probably stunt the fishes' growth.

I don't know what stunted piranha look like, but I have seen stunted sunfish. They are stumpy looking with big eye balls.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Have you tested your tap water for nitrates?


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## str8up (Sep 20, 2003)

I have seen fellas not change there water for a long time as well.
I only clean my 130 once per month... I top water off every week as well.
It could be the "type" of water coming from your tap.
Not much you can do....unless there is a chemical to decrease this prob.
Later....Str8


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## EMJAY (Feb 27, 2003)

yeah tap water always seems to change. thats why i cant plan water changes. i dont have stunted fish or cloudy water, and never ever had cloudy water, except week one of cycle.


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