High nitrates!!!

[Mariov]

Ok does anybody have any suggestions ??????
I have a 47gal cichlid tank with 12 -1 to 3 " South African cichlids and one placo
I have media in the filter to reduce the nitrates and just did a 30% water change last night. The filter I have is a fluful 306 ....
Also have live plants and sand
The percentage is off the charts!! Like 140 ppm
PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[Chriskid]

i would love to help but im a reef guy, i use vodka, but have no idea what that would do to a brackish system

 

[fastest302]

i would love to help but im a reef guy, i use vodka, but have no idea what that would do to a brackish system

Pm me i would like to know more on the vodka

 

[fastest302]

When you did the water change did it drop or stayed the same

 

[LEOx]

pm me i would like to know more on the vodka

+1

 

[jdamon]

put some java fern in there, that help a lot. Same concept as refugium in a reef. I have some in my little african tank now, you can get it at most petco's

 

[Mariov]

put some java fern in there, that help a lot. Same concept as refugium in a reef. I have some in my little african tank now, you can get it at most petco's

I have the fern in there and quite a bit of it ?????

 

[Pallobi]

Vodka dosing. Search tool works wonders.

 

[Mariov]

When you did the water change did it drop or stayed the same

I did the water change last night and tested it tonight and it the nitrates seamed to go up to over 140ppm

 

[Tautog]

Vodka dosing. Search tool works wonders.

 

[jdamon]

Why are you worried about it in the first place? Africans are super tough and don't care about nitrate levels. If it needs to come down anyway, you could also do a much larger water change.

 

[bif24701]

Why are you worried about it in the first place? Africans are super tough and don't care about nitrate levels. If it needs to come down anyway, you could also do a much larger water change.

+1,
I would start by cleaning your canister. This where a large portion is going to be. This fish eat and poo a lot so I'm sure it's full of stuff. I also had cichlids in my 120 after I took it down before I left for a one year tour in Korea. My wife maintained that tank that's was full of huge fish. These beast need a lot of upkeep on the filters to keep 'em clean. I know you have plants, that helps but it won't keep up with these guys so you'll also need to vac the substrate as best you can without disturbing your plants. Go slow and get the low flow areas well. When you clean the canister use water you removed for the WC and there is no risk of killing the filter. I also have a 305 and 406 currently on a planted 40 gallon breeder. When I clean the filter about every month or more I really flush out as much as I can from the sponge per filters but first I rinse the ceramic media so they get the cleaner water first. Don't be afraid to really squeeze out as much as you can from the sponges. Then add some GAC, the nitrates will go down.

 

[fishguy99]

I have nitrates that go way off the charts in all my freshwater tank. The only problem i have is that new fish will die if i do a short acclimation otherwise no problems, not even algae. I had the same stocking plan and switched to angels, still fine.

 

[bif24701]

I have nitrates that go way off the charts in all my freshwater tank. The only problem i have is that new fish will die if i do a short acclimation otherwise no problems, not even algae. I had the same stocking plan and switched to angels, still fine.

Truthfully, I've never measured nitrates, I don't even know what they are in my of my planted tanks. Everything has always gone well, however I don't have a planted cichlid tank. There was some algae grow on the glass of the 120 but it came right off when I used the magnetic scraper.