I've read different things about nitrate levels. Some say it should be between 5-10ppm others say 20ppm is fine (that's what mine is at) and others say anything above 40ppm can be deadly
I have a 55 gallon tank with about 25 mbunas. I have lots of hiding places and try and keep the filter systems clean by removing the gauze, but did have a clogging issue. I have two big hanging filters, which together keep things nitrate free. So I cleaned the one filter, mainly dumping out the built up waste and leaving the good bacteria in the sponge and biologic matter on the bottom. Now everything is back. I will eventually clean the other filter, but not until I am sure there is enough beneficial bacteria there. I also have done a 30 percent water change each week and do not slack on this. My fish are happy and water always clear. So with the advice you gave, I have followed it to a tea! Thanks. I will also slow a little down on the feeding too. I also never vacuum deep, because of what you said in a previous video about sub straight vacuuming. YOUR VIDEOS ARE AWSOME!
Thank you for explaining how to do water changes when they are outrageously high. It will save many people from thinking water changes kill fish. I was fish tubed out for awhile - catching up on my favorite channels now.
Thanks for all your comments :) I always appreciate your input. I can't believe people still think that water changes kill fish. It must be the same people who thought that bathing would kill you in medieval times.
There are regulations as to how many nitrates are in your tap water. You’ll rarely see it over 5ppm where I’m from. Maybe it’s different in your part of the world
@@QuebecCichlides I do feel filter floss really polishes the water but reduces powerhead/pump life. Any alternatives to keep water clear? Apart from weekly water changes.
Wow the best explanation I have found to be able to solve nitrates problems thanks to helping us keep our aquariums in good condition, thank you I congratulate you You are the best
Always great and love you energy. But you know some people over populate their tanks and don’t have good or proper filtration. They don’t realize they need to do water changes twice a week.
Nice video I have an overstocked cichlids tank I do a 70 percent water change each week and vacuum top layer of substrate during the week. I just bought an algae scrubber called the hog 2 x and it has helped a lot recently with nitrates.
Everyone try chemi-pro. I have a 75g with 18 fish that avg 4" . They are well feed tang, malawi cichlid including two 8" synodontis decorous. My water is perfect. Have large sponge, a 50g hang on the back and a 110g htb as well. I use the bio ball type media that has millions of tiny holes for bacteria filtration the chemi-pro bags. They are rated for 4 months use. Cost is a little high but worth it. I do a water change about every 2 months. No plants either. I will say that you can use live plants and never have a nitrate problem too. Lastly, Richelle I love your videos.
Great video👍🏻 On my south and Central American cichlid aquariums I tend to do a fairly deep vacuum in the substrate, 2 oscars, 3 vieja synspilum s and a pair of convicts. I feed as lightly as is possible these guys will destroy as much food as I add, so for all they’re begging, I practice tough love, and change 20% with the vac, and my nitrates are always 20ppm or less . Having a rigid routine is key. Thank you so much🙂.
There are ways to remove nitrates or at least stop mass build up but really agree with water changes ,Here in the UK i have tap water which is 50 ppm so i can actually pollute my aquariums with tap water so i have to run large amounts of plants also testing anoxic and anaerobic filtration to help in the fight against nitrate,,,,once again you are the only one That makes the word "poop" sound posh lol great video
My fish have fancy poop 🤣 By reading the comments in this video, I'm flabhergasted by the mount of people who have hight nitrates in their tap water. We also don't pay for our water consumption (we pay in our taxes .. but not extra) I should check my privilege.
Hi Rochelle . First off love your channel watch it daily learned alot over years . I have three 75 gal Malawi cichlid tanks with 30 to 35 mix of peacock and mbunas running on canister filters . Fish are much more peaceful in that quantity my ph and amomia is good but my nitrates level are close to 100ppm with that being said I do weekly 40% water changes. What's is strange is 2 of three tanks that I have for 2 years there is no indication of sickness at all . Fish are eating breading and look very happy with that 100ppm but in one that is 4 months running they do look sick lathergic and couple died ..I am going to do 50 60 % water change in all 3 of those in for 2 days in a row ..but still confused should I feed less ? Only use premium dry foods
We have a lots of overstock african cichlids aquariums and use to have our nitrates go up to 40+ ppm per week even if we were doing 50%+ water change weekly. We started to use pothos plant in all our aquariums about 2 years ago and now most of our aquarium nitrates only go up to 5ppm to 10ppm weekly and we only do 25% to 50% water change weekly.
Hi would you be able to give me a list of peaceful Mbuna that I could keep in a 55 gallon types, male/ female ratio how many and what types mix well .....thanks lee
@@richardrobinson1697 would they be ok in a 55 ? If so any suggestions on types and how many could be kept ? I here you have to over populate? I have up graded to a external canister type filter that will turn the take over x5 times per hour ......cheers
@@lee5621 HEY, LEE. FILTRATION SOUNDS GREAT. IN A 55 YOU COULD HOUSE JUVENILE MBUNA. KEY IS ALOT OF ROCK FORMATIONS FOR HIDING SPOTS. MORE IS BETTER AS THE DOMINANT FISH WILL NOT PICK ON ONE SPECIFIC TARGET. YOU COULD PICK UP VARIOUS ZEBRAS OF DIFFERENT COLOR, AURATUS, KENYI, CHIPOKAE. ALL AGGRESSIVE LIL MONSTERS WITH COLOR. GOOD LUCK BROTHER.🐠
Hey Rochelle. My tap water has nitrates 40ppm so whenever I do a water change it goes in at a highish level. I’ve tried everything - bionitratex balls, matrix, pond matrix, pristine. Nothing seems to change anything. Had my tank over a year
I have been in this hobby for over 40 years. I have 55 gal tank fully planted with about 30 fish. I checked nitrites and nitrates over the weekend, 0 ppm, but I still have very low ammonia in the tank, any suggestions? No dead fish or rotting plants and I do not over feed.
I only do water changes 20% every Sunday. My nitrate stays below 10ppm but I do have a planted sump and a lot of green algae on the rocks. So that all helps consume nitrate👍🏻 thanks Good video 😊💞
@@QuebecCichlides Cryptocoryne wendtii very easy to keep grows like wildfire in the sump under moderate lighting. And Aponogeton crispus very similar but longer leaves pearls in the sump so creating its own Co2 plus Bacopa caroliniana this stuff grows as fast as lilies I have to keep cutting it back it doesn’t flower but the leaves are similar to Pondlily I highly recommend it. I don’t have any media or sponges in the sump I have a canister filter full of sponge connected to the sump the exits from the tank into the canister and then into the sump the other end I have another canister filter which draws water from the Sump and back up to the tank that canister filter is full of media Bio home ultimate I removed all the trays and filled it from top to bottom I never clean it don’t need to👍🏻
My tank is about 3 months old. I've always had at least 20ppm nitrate, and reaches 40 in 3 days of a water change.. I finally decided to test my tap water and it comes out at about 10 or 20 ppm. Is there anything else I can do besides buy bottle water? 😁
Thanks for the video. My nitrates are 20 or less. I feed too much, they pull on my worries, i think they are starving. lol To combate this i do 25% twice a week. I know, I know, i could just reduce the amount of food, but its hard. lol
20 is not bad I would not over worry. As long as u are doing weekly water changes, try to take 30 percent each time. One thing that has helped me and a lot of fish keepers do this every Friday I don’t feed it helps to cleanse there stomach and it will lower your nitrates.next day when u feed make sure u feed a vegetable pellet . Good luck
Thanks for the video Richelle! My nitrates were running from 30 - 60 ppm consistently for over a year in my 75 gallon. No matter what I did I could not get it below 25. Recently, I had to break down my tank and move it to the basement. I kept the fish, decor and filters in temporary tubs during this time. This gave me an opportunity to thoroughly rinse my substrate in tank water over and over. I removed so much waste. I was careful to preserve as much bacteria as possible. I set up the tank in its new spot with the cleaned substrate, added back the decor, fully cycled filters, fresh water and fish I was finally able to get the nitrates below 10ppm and maintained my cycle. Video of the finished product ... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bA5r7Ky6lB0.html Fish are happy!
I have a 10g tank and I have niter probably in my tank and I changed my water but I still have it I took 10 p send of water 💦 out is that what I should have done
@@QuebecCichlides i do have four chamber, 1st chamber- filterwool, japanese matt, 2nd chamb- Lava ring, k-1, 3rd- ceramic ring, charcoal, 4th- baki roll.
Merci beaucoup, Richelle! Il y a 35 ans, mais je me souviens un peu français (un petit peu!) I learn a lot from you! Thanks! (and I just adore your accent - I'm Swedish).
What do you recommend to put in HoB filters instead of filter floss? I use that Aqua-Flo green and white filter media that I got off of amazon, I think it’s the same stuff at “filter floss”, it clogs up way too fast. Like every 2 weeks on my seachem tidal 55 HoB the bypass/overflow indicator starts popping up.
Check your tap water nitrates, I do a 70 percent water change each week with an overstocked tank always fighting nitrates,makes sure you move decor and vacuum underneath, make sure you are doing weekly water changes a lot of people skip and that’s when problems occur
@@jlmm3968 thanks had my water tested because I am on a cistern and have my water trucked in. Because I was using that and rain water I even had e-coli in my water. $8000 later I have filtered water system and everything is good now.
Je m'habitue encore avec mon nouveau micro. J'en ai enregistré quelques uns de plus, mais je vais changer mon ser Up pour la prochaine batch 😅 Bare with me!
