PSA: Low pH and Nitrate

[Bob]

Hello everyone 😃

I recently saw a post that made a claim that nitrates are less toxic in low pH. While that is certainly true with ammonia. It couldn't be further from the truth with nitrates. Nitrates become increasingly more deadly to fish/shrimp in lower pH. If your pH is low and your nitrates begin to rise. It will start to lower the blood oxygen content of fish/shrimp. Which will limit the fish/shrimps ability to transfer oxygen through its bloodstream, from its gills through the rest of its body. Your fish/shrimp will become progressively lethargic up until death if not corrected. 

Now, we are talking pretty extreme levels of nitrates (80+ppm) with lower pH roughly 6.3 and below. Just wanting to correct some misinformation that might have got around 😃

Edited May 6, 2021 by Bob

[Brandy]

as a person who has low low pH, I appreciate this PSA. My tanks are heavily planted, and keeping nitrates in the tank is usually the issue, but this is a really good reminder for me not to get complacent on changing the water in the grow out tanks...speaking of which, I should go do that!