75 Gallon Nitrate Problem.

Okay so here it goes. I’m not a “noob” per say but I’m trying to figure something out. I have a 75 gallon tank that I have had a fluval 406 running on it for a month or so, before that on a 29 gallon for a few months so it was plenty seeded. I recently got a fluval fx4 that it is running in tandem with the 406 on the 75 gallon so I can get it seeded to put the 406 on a 55 tank. My readings are always
0-amonia
0-nitrite
And here’s the issue 5-20 nitrate. Maybe sometimes higher. I just did a 35 gallon water change yesterday and a 20 the day before that, dosing with prime and even 5x dosing on the larger water change.
My nitrates are still there and seem to stay the same. Should I use my seachem stability to do the “new tank set up for 7 days” or what do you guys think is going on?
The fx4 I got from a girl who had it on a 125 for 2 weeks before she was told to get rid of her 125 by her landlord. I hope this all made sense. I just want to know what is going on. Any suggestions????
Anymore questions just ask!

OH! I have one fish in the tank, which is an Oscar around 6”. I don’t know if I should take the 406 off and run the fx4 and treat it as a “new tank” and put the 406 on the 55? Or what?

 

I guess I don't understand what your problem is. Nitrates are to be expected and 5 to 20 is just about perfect.

 

I guess I don't understand what your problem is. Nitrates are to be expected and 5 to 20 is just about perfect.

Sometimes it jumps up a little bit above 20. Like people say when you do a water change it should drop, but it doesn’t? Is it just normal and I should just ignore it? And also I’m tying to figure out when a good time is to put my 406 into the 55 so I can start it up.

 

Sometimes it jumps up a little bit above 20. Like people say when you do a water change it should drop, but it doesn’t? Is it just normal and I should just ignore it? And also I’m tying to figure out when a good time is to put my 406 into the 55 so I can start it up.

So long as it stays where it is now you have no problem that I can see. Since you say it doesn't change with water changes is it possible that there is some in your source water?

I can't answer your second question.

 

Eveb If you are a disciplined feeder, 50 percent once a week may not be enough. 35 gallons is barely 50 percent. 20 gallon is almost useless, IMO.

 

I guess here are the questions:
1: When should I be worried with the nitrates? They’ve never been lower than 15-20 I’d guess. Or higher than 30.
2:When can I take the 406 off of the 75 and leave just the fx4 in the 75 so I can start my othe tank (55 gallon)
P.s. the girl I got the fx4 from seeded it with her aquaclear 110 biorings (half&half) and had it run on her 125 for a little over a week.

 

Eveb If you are a disciplined feeder, 50 percent once a week may not be enough. 35 gallons is barely 50 percent. 20 gallon is almost useless, IMO.

In your own opinion how often should I be feeding my Oscar? I feed him once a day usually at the same time everyday.

 

Sometimes it jumps up a little bit above 20. Like people say when you do a water change it should drop, but it doesn’t? Is it just normal and I should just ignore it? And also I’m tying to figure out when a good time is to put my 406 into the 55 so I can start it up.

Have you tested your tap water?

 

Have you tested your tap water?

No I haven’t. I guess I can. If it is the tap is it something I’ll just have to deal with then?

 

I guess here are the questions:
1: When should I be worried with the nitrates? They’ve never been lower than 15-20 I’d guess. Or higher than 30.

I would try to keep them close to 20. With the small bio-load in that size tank with just one fish I think one water change a week should keep them where they need to be.

2:When can I take the 406 off of the 75 and leave just the fx4 in the 75 so I can start my othe tank (55 gallon)
P.s. the girl I got the fx4 from seeded it with her aquaclear 110 biorings (half&half) and had it run on her 125 for a little over a week.

How long have you had the 406 running on this tank? If it has been at least a month then I would think it should be well seeded and you can go ahead and move it over to your 55. Be sure to either add fish or ammonia to keep feeding the bacteria .

 

I would try to keep them close to 20. With the small bio-load in that size tank with just one fish I think one water change a week should keep them where they need to be.

How long have you had the 406 running on this tank? If it has been at least a month then I would think it should be well seeded and you can go ahead and move it over to your 55. Be sure to either add fish or ammonia to keep feeding the bacteria .

I put the 406 on the 75 with all the substrate and decorations from the previous tank on the 13th of this month.
I put the fx4 on the 75 running tandem with it on Thursday last week.

I planned on taking the 406 off this Friday and putting it on the 55 because I have fish being given to me Saturday morning that are going in the 55. Not sure if that is to soon or what I should do.

I would try to keep them close to 20. With the small bio-load in that size tank with just one fish I think one water change a week should keep them where they need to be.

How long have you had the 406 running on this tank? If it has been at least a month then I would think it should be well seeded and you can go ahead and move it over to your 55. Be sure to either add fish or ammonia to keep feeding the bacteria .

Also, to make it more clear if I wasn’t clear
The 75 was technically a “new tank” but literally everything from my old 55 (rocks, water, decorations, fluval 406, heater) was put into the 75 on the 13th. Basically just added water to the 75

 

If it we me doing it I would go ahead and get the 55 set up between now and Friday night. I would move the filter over just before putting the fish in there.

I have no problem at all doing a fish in cycle but that is just me. In your case and in these circumstances it is possible that you won't be starting from scratch so will probably only have to deal with a minI cycle. That can be taken care of by testing the water and doing a water change when the tests tell you it is needed. If your tests show ammonia + nitrites is less than one add a full dose of prime to the tank. If it is over one do a water change to get them down and then add the prime. HTH

 

If it we me doing it I would go ahead and get the 55 set up between now and Friday night. I would move the filter over just before putting the fish in there.

I have no problem at all doing a fish in cycle but that is just me. In your case and in these circumstances it is possible that you won't be starting from scratch so will probably only have to deal with a minI cycle. That can be taken care of by testing the water and doing a water change when the tests tell you it is needed. If your tests show ammonia + nitrites is less than one add a full dose of prime to the tank. If it is over one do a water change to get them down and then add the prime. HTH

Okay so, my plan of putting the 55 together Friday will be okay and taking the 406 and putting it into the 55 will be fine? You think I should be okay with the fx4 on the 75 following? Or treat it as a new tank with stabilize? Orrrr? Lol

 

Just keep a close eye on both tanks and do water changes as needed and you should be fine. Personally I have never and will never use bottled bacteria but of course that is totally up to you.

 

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Just keep a close eye on both tanks and do water changes as needed and you should be fine. Personally I have never and will never use bottled bacteria but of course that is totally up to you.

okay Thankyou