160ppm Nitrate Reading! Help appreciated.

So, yesterday I did a weekly partial water change and added 9 large amano shrimp. Today, everyone looks happy and healthy and I performed a water test. Here are the results:

• 0ppm ammonia
• 7.2 PH <7.4 high range PH
• 0ppm nitrites
• 160 ppm nitrates - I tested my tap water to see if that was the problem, and the test said 0ppm

I'm using the API liquid test kit.

Tank details and residents:

• 15 gal fluval flex - recently added purigen and phosguard to the filter, I've been battling brown algae since I started the tank 1.5 years ago. I've never had a reading higher than 0ppm nitrates before, so maybe my cycle has been off this entire time?
• Water temp 78 degrees
• 3 harlequin rasboras
• 6 pygmy cories
• 9 amano shrimp
• 1 dying/dead nerite snail
• 3 missing assassin snails
• 1 betta

What do you think could cause this spike in nitrates? I just did a 50% water change and I'm hoping my new amanos won't die, but they probably will.

ETA - I have also been dosing Thrive all in one fertilizer about three times a week. I'm using Seachem matrix bio media, phosguard, and purigen. I have some plants, but not many and they aren't really thriving - anubias, java ferns, frogbit, duckweed

 

I would do a few more changes til that nitrate gets down around 40 or less and do a good search in there for those missing assassins. Dead bodies certainly could help account for more ammonia which could have lead to higher nitrates.

 

Thanks. I also lost a nerite last week, but I found him quickly. I wonder if it's the high nitrates killing off my snails or the dead snails causing the nitrates.

Do you think the waste from 9 amanos added at once could have caused the spike?

 

Not that big of a one. May have to do some further testing and maybe change up your water change schedule as well, long term.

 

You don't need Thrive 3x a week for those plants. Once a week at water change is plenty. It has nitrates in it.

How much water do you change on the norm?

 

You don't need Thrive 3x a week for those plants. Once a week at water change is plenty. It has nitrates in it.

How much water do you change on the norm?

Oh, thank you. I'll decrease it.
I change 25% every Friday.

 

If your nitrates are getting too high you may want to up the weekly changes. I do 50% myself.

 

If your nitrates are getting too high you may want to up the weekly changes. I do 50% myself.

Agreed. Thanks for your help. I will do 50% weekly from now on and decrease Thrive. I think I'll do another 50% tomorrow to be safe. Anything else I should do now to increase my amanos chance of survival?

 

If nitrates are still high more than 50 may have to be done. But if you do 50 and cut the thrive they should go down. 0-20 is a good place to be consistently.

As for the shrimp...I have found Amanos pretty hardy myself. They may be fine if they are molting good.

 

Strange readings. What is the nitrate now? Second bottle you’ve always shock it before adding to the first in the vial? Sure the nerite was/is dead. There would have been an ammonia boost if it was dead long in the tank. Also the nerites could be being killed by the assassins. If no pest snails they’d be next on the menu. Nothing else is sick in the tank?

 

Why are you using PhosGuard? Did you have high phosphate readings? Plants need phosphorous and Thrive contains it but you're removing it with the PhosGuard which would likely be why your plants are not looking great and a contributor to algae issues.

I would remove the PhosGuard, use Thrive weekly only, and increase water changes. Since you only have a few mostly slow growing plants you might consider switching from Thrive to a fert like Flourish that contains only micro nutrients.

 

I'll do another test shortly and reply back. I'm using phosguard because I thought it might help with algae. I can take that out too. What do you think about the purigen?
ETA - I just finished testing. Nitrates are 20ppm. How can they come down so much from only one water change? I think my testing liquid and technique are ok, right after the 160ppm result, I tested my tap water the same way and got 0ppm.

 

Strange readings. What is the nitrate now? Second bottle you’ve always shock it before adding to the first in the vial?

This is exactly what I picked up on too.

"I've never had a reading higher than 0ppm nitrates before..."

It's possible that the nitrate test hasn't been done correctly. 0ppm nitrates is possible but normally it's also intentional...not usually an accident.

 

I'll do another test shortly and reply back. I'm using phosguard because I thought it might help with algae. I can take that out too. What do you think about the purigen?

Phosphate removers shouldn't be used in planted tanks. I don't think Purigen is necessary but some people like it as a water polisher. Won't help much with algae or nitrates.

 

This is exactly what I picked up on too.

"I've never had a reading higher than 0ppm nitrates before..."

It's possible that the nitrate test hasn't been done correctly. 0ppm nitrates is possible but normally it's also intentional...not usually an accident.

I was wondering about that too, but I tested tap water with the same kit that I got the 160ppm retulst and got 0ppm for the tap water. Maybe I need to shake them more.

Phosphate removers shouldn't be used in planted tanks. I don't think Purigen is necessary but some people like it as a water polisher. Won't help much with algae or nitrates.

Thank you. I have been trying a lot of different things to get rid of some brown algae... I'll pull the phosguard.

 

Ok I think it’s just how you read the test. It’s terrible and pretty much just guess work. The colors are so close it’s hard to get it right. Here’s what I do (if I test (I don’t )).
to the eye this looks very high. But over the chart it’s the last color you can’t see. 20ppm. If you can see the color it’s not that because it’s darker . If your nitrate was that high and you dropped it to 20 you’d probably have killed some of your fish. Thing with high nitrate is fish can live in it. But adding new fish the new ones would die cause they can’t handle the nitrates. The same would happen if you take fish that have adapted to the high nitrates and you greatly reduced them quickly. The fish just can’t adapt that quick. That’s why it’s suggested you change the water slowly over days to get the nitrates where they should be.

 

Ok I think it’s just how you read the test. It’s terrible and pretty much just guess work. The colors are so close it’s hard to get it right. Here’s what I do (if I test (I don’t )).View attachment 856078to the eye this looks very high. But over the chart it’s the last color you can’t see. 20ppm. If you can see the color it’s not that because it’s darker . If your nitrate was that high and you dropped it to 20 you’d probably have killed some of your fish. Thing with high nitrate is fish can live in it. But adding new fish the new ones would die cause they can’t handle the nitrates. The same would happen if you take fish that have adapted to the high nitrates and you greatly reduced them quickly. The fish just can’t adapt that quick. That’s why it’s suggested you change the water slowly over days to get the nitrates where they should be.

That is Not 20 ppm. That is red ...it is over 40ppm. Orange is 20 ppm.

I was wondering about that too, but I tested tap water with the same kit that I got the 160ppm retulst and got 0ppm for the tap water. Maybe I need to shake them more.

Thank you. I have been trying a lot of different things to get rid of some brown algae... I'll pull the phosguard.

The brown algae will go away on its own eventually. It is a new tank thing and when everything evens out it will go away. Just ugly till then.

 

That is Not 20 ppm. That is red ...it is over 40ppm. Orange is 20 ppm.

Don’t let your eyes fool ya . But than again your color chart could be lighter than mine!

 

The brown algae will go away on its own eventually. It is a new tank thing and when everything evens out it will go away. Just ugly till then.

I think OP said the tank is 1.5 yrs old. If lighting is not an issue I'd guess that the brown algae is from over fertilisation. An imbalance due to the use of phosphate remover might also be a factor.

 

Ok I think it’s just how you read the test. It’s terrible and pretty much just guess work. The colors are so close it’s hard to get it right. Here’s what I do (if I test (I don’t )).View attachment 856078to the eye this looks very high. But over the chart it’s the last color you can’t see. 20ppm. If you can see the color it’s not that because it’s darker . If your nitrate was that high and you dropped it to 20 you’d probably have killed some of your fish. Thing with high nitrate is fish can live in it. But adding new fish the new ones would die cause they can’t handle the nitrates. The same would happen if you take fish that have adapted to the high nitrates and you greatly reduced them quickly. The fish just can’t adapt that quick. That’s why it’s suggested you change the water slowly over days to get the nitrates where they should be.

oh my gosh, this makes sense. Thank you!

 

Don’t let your eyes fool ya . But than again your color chart could be lighter than mine!

No red is red orange is orange....no eye test needed.

oh my gosh, this makes sense. Thank you!

The API test instructions say to read it on the white. Not on top.

 

Thanks for all the responses. After a few 50% water changes, all my parameters are normal.
0ppm Ammonia
10ppm Nitrate
0ppm Nitrite
PH 6

 

Once you get so high on the nitrate results, it's very hard to know what level you are. Those reds are crazy.