Who Gives A Fish Forums

How often do you change the water in your tank, and what percentage do you usually do. If you suspect nitrates are the issue, doing a bigger water change might be more effective than using chemicals to reduce them. Also, would you mind posting a picture of your entire tank.

Nitrates can get into the water through a couple of ways.

First, if you use tap water for your tank and it already contains nitrates, then your tank will start with that same level of nitrates. Some regions have tap water with high nitrate levels, so it's something to consider.

The other way nitrates build up is through the nitrogen cycle. Beneficial bacteria in the tank convert the ammonia from fish waste into nitrite, and then into nitrate. Since we don't have bacteria that remove nitrates, they just keep building up over time. This is why we do regular water changes - to remove the nitrates that have accumulated.

If you overfeed your fish, the uneaten food will decompose and produce more ammonia, which the bacteria will then convert into nitrate. Fish poop also decomposes into ammonia and then nitrate. Doing regular water changes helps remove the nitrates, while cleaning the tank and filter helps get rid of uneaten food and fish poop, which in turn reduces the amount of nitrate produced.

It's also worth noting that uneaten food and fish poop can provide a food source for small creatures in the tank. The more food they have, the more they'll multiply.

As for removing nitrates, I'm curious - what did you use to lower the nitrate levels in your tank? From what I know, the only way to effectively lower nitrates is by doing a water change and replacing the old water with new water that contains fewer nitrates.

farmhand wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 5:52 am I'm going to take a guess that those tiny white specks might be daphnia or ostracods, though I'm not entirely sure without a clearer picture. Either way, you don't need to worry - they're actually beneficial for your aquarium. I'm curious, did you recently add any plants to your tank? Sometimes these tiny critters can hitch a ride in on the plants. What kind of fish do you have, by the way? Some fish just love munching on them, and they're super nutritious, plus they can help keep your tank clean.

I've been doing about 25% water change each time I do it, I figured that was a good amount.

farmhand wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 5:52 am I'm going to take a guess that those tiny white specks might be daphnia or ostracods, though I'm not entirely sure without a clearer picture. Either way, you don't need to worry - they're actually beneficial for your aquarium. I'm curious, did you recently add any plants to your tank? Sometimes these tiny critters can hitch a ride in on the plants. What kind of fish do you have, by the way? Some fish just love munching on them, and they're super nutritious, plus they can help keep your tank clean.

I used Tetra Easy Balance Plus, it's supposed to help with nitrates and pH.

You're probably not using enough plants to absorb the nitrates, and I'm guessing you might be getting some algae growth on the glass - those little critters seem to be thriving on it. Consider doing a bigger water change this time around.