# Nitrate level HIGH



## Antiquefloorman (Nov 8, 2011)

Hello everybody,
Got a 55 gal high tech, 3.9 WPG, ph 6.5, MTS capped with Eco complete, Modified EI dosing. My nitrate level consistently stays at 20-25 ppm even after weekly wc. I just started modifying my dosing to 1/2 of the recommended levels each day instead ie.. Half of iron and traces at night and half of phosphates in the morning and not dosing the nitrate at all. I have no bio load to speak of, two corys. Where are these nitrates coming from. I use RO/DI and there are no nitrates in it. I am using an FX-5 with matrix and sponges. Can someone help. I was under the impression that the optimum nitrate level is 15 ppm. Any recommendations would be helpful.
Thanks,
Tim


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

The optimum Nitrate level is not 15 ppm. There is a story behind that but I don't want to get into the stinky details of why here in the US most people dump fertilizers in the water but ignore what their god Amano does. Which is nothing new either - it is borrowed practices from old times.

Bottom line is - if your water contains any measurable fertilizers it is you that maintains the tank clean. As soon as you go on a vacation or stop maintaining the tank it deteriorates badly. What you have is an instable system.

In this system there are substances that can absorb or release nutrients whenever they feel like. Your filter may sound like the best thing since sliced bread but it ain't. No filter on the market is good. Once again - look at what Amano does for filtration and start from there. Your big filter has a single good thing about it - it has a so-so big housing. So don't trash it just yet.

The first thing about your high Nitrate is the test itself. Most test are way off. Try to use a better test first before you try to change anything. The new $50 Hanna colorimeters are great and extremely precise:
http://reefbuilders.com/2010/06/08/...r-colorimeters-alkalinity-calcium-and-nitrate

After you know how much your Nitrate actually is make sure you don't have 15 ppm in the water. Aim for no more than 1 ppm. And more importantly - learn about the Redfield Ratio:
http://buddendo.home.xs4all.nl/aquarium/redfield_eng.htm

And while you are educating yourself properly read the only text in English that makes sense about filtration:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...1-biological-filtration-translated-dutch.html

Peruse the entire Filtration section too. Forget the Fertilization section.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks for referring to my article Niko But I think I need to make a little nuance here. Just saying he needs to aim for 1 ppm nitrate will help him into serious problems. Amano can use 1 ppm nitrate (measurable in the water column!!) but his entire system works different. He doesn't use as much light as Antiquefloorman, neither has he got high PO4. He does have a VERY fertile substrate. Without a fertile substrate and with high PO4 in the water column a nitrate concentration of 1 ppm would be serious problem! But indeed there is no optimum of 15 ppm, it depends on the method. I run 1 tank Amano style (NO3 1-2 ppm) and 1 tank EI (NO3 +/- 40 ppm), it both works!

About your 'high' NO3 Antiquefloorman, it is not really high, I bred angelfish with about 20 ppm (testkits are only useable when verified with a known concentration, because they are not that precise as Niko already suggested), my Corydoras sterbai and Nannacara anomala both spawn in 40 ppm NO3, so not really something to worry about. EI is about guidelines, not rules! Where does it come from? Probably your MTS is releasing NO3 or you really overfeed your corys. Try replacing your potassium nitrate for the same amount of potassium chloride or potassium sulphate and you must see a drop in NO3


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