High Nitrates after 50% water change, pls help! ( New Tank)

[Fer21]

Hi,

I'm setting up a new tank its 15g, I been cycling since February 16th ( Coming up to week 6), I started by adding a raw shrimp and I let it decompose, it took a bit to build up ammonia after i had build up ammonia I took it out and I started adding Microbacter7 after one week i switch to MicrobacterSTAR XLM, all was going fine I had spike in NH3, then N02 and i started to build up Nitrates.

I was waiting for Nitrite to go down for the longest time, I read that Nitrites did really matter too much so I stop worrying in getting it to zero, my concern was Nitrates they were reading 100(Salifert), so last sunday I did a 10% water change to lower nitrates( by this point I had stop adding MicrobacterStartXLM and added MC7 again just once) but it didn't do much and the next day I got and bacteria bloom ( I think) which was gone in one and half days, yesterday I did another water change 50%, I tested and here are the results:

Ph: 8.0-8.15
NH3: 0.00ppm
NO2: 1.0ppm (which was lower before water change 0.1)
NO3: 100ppm(salifert)( I had an API Nitrate test laying around and use it to confirm but that does not measure the same, its way lower but I'm not really trusting the API since its really old)

During the water change I did stir up the sand bed a little which next day got another bacteria bloom or just stir up water but its clearing up now ( 1 day after), but it keeps reading high nitrates even after the 50% water change, I'm not sure what keep elevating my nitrates, rock or sand and i'm not sure how to solve it, maybe 100% water change?

I don't have any livestock yet but I do have a pair of clowns arriving this saturday, would it be safe?
any help would be appreciated!

FTS:

 

[Mr.Z]

Although you were getting a reading of 100 for nitrate, it was likely higher and that is just the maximum the test can show. So you may have dropped from 300 to 150, but for both of those levels your test kit would read 100.

I’d recommend another large water change, possibly greater than 50%.

However, I’m new to the hobby so you may want to wait for more people to chime in.

 

[Hercaluis]

Hi,

I'm setting up a new tank its 15g, I been cycling since February 16th ( Coming up to week 6), I started by adding a raw shrimp and I let it decompose, it took a bit to build up ammonia after i had build up ammonia I took it out and I started adding Microbacter7 after one week i switch to MicrobacterSTAR XLM, all was going fine I had spike in NH3, then N02 and i started to build up Nitrates.

I was waiting for Nitrite to go down for the longest time, I read that Nitrites did really matter too much so I stop worrying in getting it to zero, my concern was Nitrates they were reading 100(Salifert), so last sunday I did a 10% water change to lower nitrates( by this point I had stop adding MicrobacterStartXLM and added MC7 again just once) but it didn't do much and the next day I got and bacteria bloom ( I think) which was gone in one and half days, yesterday I did another water change 50%, I tested and here are the results:

Ph: 8.0-8.15
NH3: 0.00ppm
NO2: 1.0ppm (which was lower before water change 0.1)
NO3: 100ppm(salifert)( I had an API Nitrate test laying around and use it to confirm but that does not measure the same, its way lower but I'm not really trusting the API since its really old)

During the water change I did stir up the sand bed a little which next day got another bacteria bloom or just stir up water but its clearing up now ( 1 day after), but it keeps reading high nitrates even after the 50% water change, I'm not sure what keep elevating my nitrates, rock or sand and i'm not sure how to solve it, maybe 100% water change?

I don't have any livestock yet but I do have a pair of clowns arriving this saturday, would it be safe?
any help would be appreciated!

FTS:

it’s way too early to add clown fish.....what are your Alk levels? ....the best thing to do is add a chromis Since they’re inexpensive.....nitrates aren’t the issue for fish....it’s actually ammonia and nitrites those can kill your fish

 

[Silverfish]

So I think the problem is you don’t have enough nitrifying bacteria in the tank due to it being so young. No matter how many water changes you do they will quickly increase. Perhaps adding some Dr Tim’s will help you add more of the beneficial bacteria which will lower it in time.

 

[Crustaceon]

Siphon the sand and do a 75% water change. What beneficial bacteria is there will remain in the sand and rocks. Keep dosing beneficial bacteria for the next week or so to ensure the population is sufficient enough to denitrify. Also, stay on top of your weekly water changes (10-20%) once the clowns go in, just so the nitrates won’t have much of a chance to creep up while the bacterial population establishes, which can take months.

 

[lapin]

If you have nitrates your tank is cycling just fine. 6 weeks with the rock and sand you should have a good ammount of bacteria. As Crustation just said do a big water change, wait 24 hours and test nitrate. You really want to start with around 10ppm. This will help keep algae at a reasonable level as your tank starts on its way to becoming fully mature. As long as you dont have ammonia and nitrates are at a reasonable level the clowns will be fine. With a new tank its always good to have prime on hand in case of an ammonia spike.

 

[Phycodurus]

the best thing to do is add a chromis Since they’re inexpensive

i respectfully disagree on the chromis option simply because “they’re inexpensive.” cost doesn’t mean one type of fish or invert is more expendable than another (IMHO anyways).

patience is key while the tank continues to stabilise.

 

[Crustaceon]

i respectfully disagree on the chromis option simply because “they’re inexpensive.” cost doesn’t mean one type of fish or invert is more expendable than another (IMHO anyways).

patience is key while the tank continues to stabilise.

I prefer to use gem tangs to cycle my tanks.

 

[Fer21]

Siphon the sand and do a 75% water change. What beneficial bacteria is there will remain in the sand and rocks. Keep dosing beneficial bacteria for the next week or so to ensure the population is sufficient enough to denitrify. Also, stay on top of your weekly water changes (10-20%) once the clowns go in, just so the nitrates won’t have much of a chance to creep up while the bacterial population establishes, which can take months.

I would do that, thank you!

If you have nitrates your tank is cycling just fine. 6 weeks with the rock and sand you should have a good ammount of bacteria. As Crustation just said do a big water change, wait 24 hours and test nitrate. You really want to start with around 10ppm. This will help keep algae at a reasonable level as your tank starts on its way to becoming fully mature. As long as you dont have ammonia and nitrates are at a reasonable level the clowns will be fine. With a new tank its always good to have prime on hand in case of an ammonia spike.

Ok, I would do the water change and see where my nitrates go, thank you. Ammonia has been at zero for like 3 weeks.

 

[Hercaluis]

I prefer to use gem tangs to cycle my tanks.

I would do that, thank you!



Ok, I would do the water change and see where my nitrates go, thank you. Ammonia has been at zero for like 3 weeks.
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[datahog]

If you can let the LFS hold onto your clowns, for a couple of weeks,continue to do your water changes,keep testing ...these things take time...