Nitrates too high?

[bubble14]

Hi guys,

So I have a 30g tank set up for seahorses, and the water quality seems good except for the fact that the nitrates might be a little too high. I have done a lot of reading but each website and post seems to have a different idea of what the nitrate levels should be at. I have not yet put the seahorses in, but I do have 10 astrea snails, 10 crabs, 1 peppermint shrimp, and 2 turbo snails. They all seem to be doing fine, and they are all very active, (I feed them on a regular basis) but I just want to make sure that everything is right before I put the seahorses in. (I also do regular water changes) If any of the levels are too high, how do I lower them? Also, I am getting H. erectus seahorses.

Amonia: 0.00
Nitrite: 0.00
Nitrate: 20
Salinity: 1.025
pH: 8.2

 

[vlangel]

How high are the nitrates? Everything I read indicates that a seahorse tank should have nitrates no higher than 20 ppm. A high reading of nitrates could indicate that detritus is building up somewhere that husbandry is lacking. The danger is pathogen bacteria could get a foothold and seahorses are very vulnerable to dangerous bacteria.
Bigger, more frequent water changes should help bring them down. Also an over sized protein skimmer for the seahorse tank can help. I hope that helps.

 

[rayjay]

I never ever even check nitrates in any of my tanks, seahorses or reef.
Over 20 years now.

 

[vlangel]

I never ever even check nitrates in any of my tanks, seahorses or reef.
Over 20 years now.

Ray, my guess is with your husbandry and care of your seahorses, that your nitrates are definitely below 20. For us newbies, monitoring our nitrates gives us an indication if our husbandry is lacking. It however does not tell us the most crucial information about whether we have dangerous bacteria, but if nitrates are high it's a good indication that the enviroment is favorable for dangerous bacteria.

 

[bubble14]

Thank you,
Yes I also read that frequent water changes is good to bring them down.....They were at 20 again this morning, but when I did a 20% water change they went down to about 7or8.

 

[bubble14]

Is there any chance fake plants could be adding to the nitrates? I have 3 fake ones and they are the only plants I will have till I am further in the process.

 

[rayjay]

Ray, my guess is with your husbandry and care of your seahorses, that your nitrates are definitely below 20. For us newbies, monitoring our nitrates gives us an indication if our husbandry is lacking. It however does not tell us the most crucial information about whether we have dangerous bacteria, but if nitrates are high it's a good indication that the enviroment is favorable for dangerous bacteria.

That doesn't explain why no problems with 20 years of reefing that DIDN'T get the frequent changes that my seahorse tanks do.
Also, in the seahorse community, many of us are well aware of the fact that there are NO TEST KITS available to the hobby to tell us when the bacteria is about to become a problem.
Almost always, nitrates will be in line along with all other testable water parameters, but bacteria infections still occur.
Excessive nitrates MAY at times be an indicator that the uneaten food/detritus levels are fast fueling the nasty bacteria, but it happens even without those high levels of nitrates.
When it comes to seahorses, it's not usually safe to assume everything is OK as far as bacteria is concerned until you see elevated nitrates.
It has to be a proactive regime of larger more frequent water changes and removal of hidden uneaten food/detritus.
A big problem I've had in the past, and I think some others share this as well, is that I can go on a long time with proper due diligence and then when I get busy or have health problems I figure I can let some chore slide a bit, but after having a few slides over time, I end up somewhere down the road with problems. Seahorses can't afford to have me get lazy at any time as they sometimes pay for it with their lives.

 

[vlangel]

Well said Ray. I did not mean to imply that a seahorse keeper can look at their nitrates and if they are under 20 assume everything is ok, (so I am glad you clarified that). Seahorse keepers should always be vigilant about husbandry. I have decided an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

 

[cjm3]

Hi guys,

So I have a 30g tank set up for seahorses, and the water quality seems good except for the fact that the nitrates might be a little too high. I have done a lot of reading but each website and post seems to have a different idea of what the nitrate levels should be at. I have not yet put the seahorses in, but I do have 10 astrea snails, 10 crabs, 1 peppermint shrimp, and 2 turbo snails. They all seem to be doing fine, and they are all very active, (I feed them on a regular basis) but I just want to make sure that everything is right before I put the seahorses in. (I also do regular water changes) If any of the levels are too high, how do I lower them? Also, I am getting H. erectus seahorses.

Amonia: 0.00
Nitrite: 0.00
Nitrate: 20
Salinity: 1.025
pH: 8.2

Nitrates of 20, or less, is what many call "common" with many different tank set ups. I, personally, don't get concerned until I get a reading of 25 or higher. This is corrected, as you found out, with a sizable water change.

My tanks always seemed to run about with readings of 15 or 20 on nitrates.

The CUC you have in there should be enough to keep your cycle bacteria going just fine until your Seahorses arrive.
I would be totally prepared to do additional water changes when you put the Seahorses in the tank. You will most likely see ammonia and nitrites take a small (and very common) bump. But you will probably notice a nitrate rise also.

Chuck

 

[rayjay]

Chuck, it's my belief that a properly cycled tank SHOULD NOT experience ANY rise in ammonia and nitrite after placing the livestock in the tank.
Even a reading of .5ppm ammonia can be enough to burn the seahorse gills IMO.
Once you have determined the cycle is complete, you should "challenge" the tank with adding ammonia to the tank and seeing if it clears to zero overnight. (about 12 hours)
The ppm you add will depend on how many livestock you intend to add to start with.
When I set up to put about 6 seahorses in a set up, I usually challenge the tank with 6ppm, but for a pair, 2ppm will probably suffice.
Just to be safe, and for emergencies down the road, you can always have a neutralizer on hand. I have ClorAm-X and others often have Prime.

 

[bubble14]

okay! thanks for the advice guys!