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Old 03-30-2008, 01:08 AM   #3 (permalink)
jeppedy
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Default Re: Where are the nitrates coming from?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JBarlak View Post
with that light fixutre you are at over 2.5 watts per gallon. I know when I increased the wattage I got algae growth, mainly on the slower growing plants, nothing on glass. Maybe you should use some biospira. I added it to my tank and got a quick drop in both nitrites and nitrates. My levels weren't as high as yours, but it still took abut a week to drop.
What type of fish did you add to the tank? I have a feeling that the bioload from them was too much too soon for the bacteria to handle.

John
Bioload is likely near nothing. In the whole 55gal, I have 8 neons/danios and one zebra tetra. Likely not anything near the cause of the high nitrates.

If you got an algae bloom with the new lights, what did you do about it? I'm at about 2.3, but the next model down seemed far too little light...

Here's the numbers:
Source Water:
pH = 7.5
NO3 = 2-3ppm
KH = 125
GH = 210

Aquarium PreChange:
pH = 6.8
NO3 = about 120ppm (was misreading the dip test)

Aquarium PostChange (of >50%):
pH = 7.5
NO3 = 20-30 ppm
KH = 125
GH = 275

I have not cleaned the filter after the water change because 1) I thought I'd give it the day so I don't lost my cycle and 2) it's midnight and I'm just plain done for today...

BTW, I have noticed that some of my plants are growing quite well. One bunch pant whose name eludes me right now (rooted or floating, single strand, long and thin) shows signs of rapid growth (leaves spread far apart on the stalk)

My Java Fern has black spots/holes on it (not algae), but other than that and the algae issue, the flora is doing fairly well!
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