Nitrate Help

[Liquidreel 4]

I need help managing my Nitrates in this tank. I did a 25% water change yesterday and my nitrates are still in the 40-80 range. This tank is a 16 gallon with one female betta, 16 ember tetras, 4 ottos and 2 Kuhli Loaches. Advice on here led me to having this number of fish in it. I am willing to rehome if needed but hope I don’t have too.

Any advice on lowering nitrates? I only spot dose with Easy Co2 to combat some small pieces of BBA. And I use UNS contrasoil as substrate. 

 

[James Black 458]

37 minutes ago, Liquidreel said:

I need help managing my Nitrates in this tank. I did a 25% water change yesterday and my nitrates are still in the 40-80 range. This tank is a 16 gallon with one female betta, 16 ember tetras, 4 ottos and 2 Kuhli Loaches. Advice on here led me to having this number of fish in it. I am willing to rehome if needed but hope I don’t have too.

Any advice on lowering nitrates? I only spot dose with Easy Co2 to combat some small pieces of BBA. And I use UNS contrasoil as substrate. 

 

you should rehome some of the ember tetras. and maybe the 2 of the ottos. But you could alos try floating plants, that might helo. 

[MyDaughtersTank 2]

Easiest answers:

-fewer fish

-more/bigger water changes

[Dandy Pearl 133]

@MyDaughtersTank is right for the short term.

I haven't seen the other posts of this tank. If it is properly cycled then the fish load is a little high, but manageable in that tank. More plants will certainly help and floating plants is an easy fix. The house plant Pothos is supposed to be a nitrogen buster.

I'm not sure how your are performing your water changes. You should not vacuum your substrate or clean your sponge filter when doing this as you will upset the cycle. With this frequent of water change only syphon of and replace water.

I'm sorry I can't advise you any better, I don't know the history of your tank.

Good luck with it. 

[Liquidreel 4]

Hi! It is properly cycled, has been running for about 5 months now. And I’m doing water changes once a week, I have been gravel vacuuming so I shall stop that. I have reached out to a friend about taking my ottos and some embers already. I will def look into some floating plants so thank you!