High nitrates

[Elyse]

For about 4 weeks the nitrates in my 75 and 55 planted aquariums have been floating around 75-90. I've been doing larger water changes and feeding less which has helped but didn't know if maybe increasing the time the lights are on or increasing the intensity would give plants more time to eat the nitrates. Or just cut down on fertilizer, which I've tried but then the java fern doesn't look great. Lights are on for 9 hours a day with half hour ramp on and ramp down and intensity is 40%. I fertilize once a week with easy green. Plants include water sprite, octopus plant, java fern, and crypts. 

[JoeQ]

In general, light intensity/duration drives nutrient uptake. As a first  attempt to fix (and without any additional information) I'd see if turning the light intensity up helps.

[DaveO]

 Yes, that. 👆 Also, I would add one more hour light duration. 

[Elyse]

I cleaned the canister filter about 2 weeks ago so I don't think it's build up in the filter. Maybe I keep the duration of hours the same but just increase the intensity by 10%...

[JoeQ]

On 9/20/2023 at 7:36 PM, Elyse Douglas said:

I cleaned the canister filter about 2 weeks ago so I don't think it's build up in the filter. Maybe I keep the duration of hours the same but just increase the intensity by 10%...

I would do it by 5% if you do get algea even that would tell you something. For example, if you get green dust algae or green spot algae its a good indication of a phosphate deficiency thats holding up nitrates from being consumed.

Edited September 21, 2023 by JoeQ

[nabokovfan87]

Can you post a picture of what the tank looks like focusing a bit on the substrate?  Is there a lot of organics in the tank?

I think one of the bigger tasks here is to identify your ammonia source.
1.  Is the tank highly stocked?
2.  Is there a ton of food being fed?
3.  Is there just a lot of organics?

 

[Elyse]

On 9/20/2023 at 9:02 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Can you post a picture of what the tank looks like focusing a bit on the substrate?  Is there a lot of organics in the tank?

I think one of the bigger tasks here is to identify your ammonia source.
1.  Is the tank highly stocked?
2.  Is there a ton of food being fed?
3.  Is there just a lot of organics?

 

I think being heavily stocked may be the problem in my 55 gallon...so I did a bigger water change which was very helpful. But my 75 gallon is not as heavily stocked...I think I need to add more root feeding plants to help breakdown stuff in the substrate cause I feel like I never get it all when I gravel vacuum. 

[nabokovfan87]

I forgot to mention.... check your tap water for nitrates as well.

[DaveO]

The photo helps alot. I think you need lots more plants. Maybe fill in the back panel with swords and val or dwarf sag. Try to get it to where you can't  see the wall through your tank. Of course it takes time to grow the plants, so in the meantime you need to do more water changes.

[JoeQ]

Yellowing plants yet high nitrates, your plants arent eating (even the floating ones). Either you don't have the right N-P-K ratio of macro nutrients in the water colum to entice your plants to eat (plants demand a balanced diet). Or you don't have enough light for that tall of a tank. Its probably a combination of both. You also might consider flow being part of your problems which among other things distributes nutrients throughout the tank.  I'm not even seeing algae growing anywhere which tells me theres not much of an established eco system to speak of yet. Is this a new setup?

Edited September 21, 2023 by JoeQ
Clarity

[JoeQ]

You are probably inhibiting that eco system from growing too by gravel vacuuming. A planted tank needs that mulm in the substrate, deep vacuuming helps to create the sterile environment of a basic 'fish tank' where the aim is to stop growth of plant matter (algae)

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/20/2023 at 6:53 PM, Elyse said:

I think being heavily stocked may be the problem in my 55 gallon...so I did a bigger water change which was very helpful. But my 75 gallon is not as heavily stocked...I think I need to add more root feeding plants to help breakdown stuff in the substrate cause I feel like I never get it all when I gravel vacuum. 

Try bacopa Caroliniana, as well as just propagating out the stem you have on the left there. It's actually a really fast growing plant.

In the foreground of your tank, something like pearlweed, microsword, etc., would do really well for you and fill in a lot of that space.

My biggest suggestion apart from propagation would be to add root tabs. The substrate you have is marketed as "planted tank substrate," but it's more of a place for detritus to go and to have that feed the plants. Basically, you're looking at inert rock that contains minerals as opposed to soil.  Especially around all of the crypts and the others, you'll have much better success by tabbing the tank every 2-3 months.

On 9/20/2023 at 6:53 PM, Elyse said:

I think I need to add more root feeding plants to help breakdown stuff in the substrate cause I feel like I never get it all when I gravel vacuum. 

Substrate looks pretty good to me.

[Robert K]

Maybe you could try a nitrate free fertilizer? Phosphates and nitrates should be easy to come by just by feeding I think. I'm using a fertilizer with micros + potassium and it works for me.

Edited December 23, 2023 by Robert K

[Xr4tiCrew]

On 12/23/2023 at 3:48 AM, Robert K said:

Maybe you could try a nitrate free fertilizer? Phosphates and nitrates should be easy to come by just by feeding I think. I'm using a fertilizer with micros + potassium and it works for me.

Are you using Co2? Also, what light are you using and how long are you running it a day? Wish my plants looked like this. 

[Robert K]

@Xr4tiCrew I meant to quote your post but didn't manage to. 😅

No CO2. The tank is a Juwel Rio 450 and the lights are the ones it came with (more info here: https://www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/aquariums/rio-line-led/rio-450-led)

I run the lights for eight hours per day.

It's not perfect. I have some algae growing on some of the older leaves (that tough surface algae), but it doesn't bother me that much. For a while I was a bit inconsistent with my fert dosing, but recently I started dosing more consistently.

What makes it look fairly lush is that I mostly use low light plants.

As for the light, I actually think that it's a bit too bright for my taste. I wish I could dim it.

This is the fertilizer I'm using.

Edited December 27, 2023 by Robert K

[BuzzDaddy21]

On 9/20/2023 at 9:53 PM, Elyse said:

55 gallon... and the 75 gal.

A silly question I have is the substrate on both aquariums just lying on the glass.

I just set up a new canister filter and checked nitrates after a couple of days and got a 1.26ppm reading.

I don`t do water changes or clean the substrate and also don`t use any type of fertilizer, a bunch of plants aren't really needed.

I used to have high nitrates but found how to really set up an aquarium.

Good luck.