Help! Nitrates Through The Roof

I have a cycled, established tank up and running for well over a year. I do weekly water changes of about 10-20% with the last change done on Sunday. I've never had any problems with water before but I came home yesterday and my favorite Bolivian ram was deceased, as well as 2 danios and a serpae tetra barely hanging on. All of the other fish were looking a little off and pale. I immediately tested the water. Ammonia was at 0 and nitrites were at around 5. However, my nitrate level was around 120. Ridiculously high! I immediately got my husband out of bed (yes he was po'd, but the tank was totally his idea that I have enjoyed so much and have taken over) and we did a 60% water change. What could have caused this and what do I need to do to get the nitrates back in check before I lose all of my fish? Thank you for any help.

 

Hi, my guess would be the weekly 10-20% nitrates. I'm not one to get on you about that, I do 10% every two weeks or four weeks, but my tanks are so heavily planted they're all 0/0/0. If you have, say 40 nitrates and do a 10% water change, you still have 36 nitrates. 20% only takes out 8 nitrates. If you weren't testing nitrates weekly, they could slowly build up.
If I am completely off, I apologize. When was the last time you tested nitrates and what was the reading? Also, if you feel like spending some money, I find nitrazorb very effective. Took 50ish nitrates down to 15 in 36 hours in a 60gallon.

 

Are you sure nitrites are at 5?

I would do a triple dose of Prime, and redose every 24 hours. If you can, do 25% water changes 4 times a day. If you can't do that, then a 50% wc in the morning and a 50% wc in the evening would be the next best thing.

What caused this is the 10-20% water changes. That little water changes only works if you have a very lightly stocked tank, or have a very heavily planted tannk (growing plant mass uses nitrates aka nutrients). May I ask what tank size and what inhabitants you have?

 

Are you sure nitrites are at 5?

I would do a triple dose of Prime, and redose every 24 hours. If you can, do 25% water changes 4 times a day. If you can't do that, then a 50% wc in the morning and a 50% wc in the evening would be the next best thing.

What caused this is the 10-20% water changes. That little water changes only works if you have a very lightly stocked tank, or have a very heavily planted tannk (growing plant mass uses nitrates aka nutrients). May I ask what tank size and what inhabitants you have?

Wow, I missed that. 5 nitrites are going to be way more damaging than even 200 nitrates. Nitrites are the ones I'd be really worried about! Those are toxic at 0.25ppm

 

Well, basically I'm killing my fish. Ugh! The last time I tested was about 3 weeks ago and everything was sitting at 0. The tank size is 55 gallons with 2 angels, 4 black skirt tetras, now 3 serpae tetras, 4 zebra danios, now 1 bolivian ram and some nerite snails.

 

I would do multiple large water changes to get those numbers down. By large I mean over 50%. Dose with prime and keep testing. Good luck to ya.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I spoke to my husband this a.m. and the nitrites are at 0 and the nitrates are down considerably. He said the fish look a lot better as well. He is doing another water change and dosing with more prime. In the future, more water tests and less water changes.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I spoke to my husband this a.m. and the nitrites are at 0 and the nitrates are down considerably. He said the fish look a lot better as well. He is doing another water change and dosing with more prime. In the future, more water tests and less water changes.

Good to hear! For future reference, all zeros generally mean the tank isn't cycled, as ammonia hasn't processed into nitrates yet. Also, ammonia burns fish from the outside, a lot on the gills, nitrites prevent hemoglobin in the blood from carrying oxygen so it suffocates the fish, and excess nitrates lower the immune system and lead to long term problems.

 

I have a cycled, established tank up and running for well over a year. I do weekly water changes of about 10-20% with the last change done on Sunday. I've never had any problems with water before but I came home yesterday and my favorite Bolivian ram was deceased, as well as 2 danios and a serpae tetra barely hanging on. All of the other fish were looking a little off and pale. I immediately tested the water. Ammonia was at 0 and nitrites were at around 5. However, my nitrate level was around 120. Ridiculously high! I immediately got my husband out of bed (yes he was po'd, but the tank was totally his idea that I have enjoyed so much and have taken over) and we did a 60% water change. What could have caused this and what do I need to do to get the nitrates back in check before I lose all of my fish? Thank you for any help.

Almost sounds like a minI cycle and you caught it after the ammonia was already converted. I would recommend 50% water changes every day until it clears up.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I spoke to my husband this a.m. and the nitrites are at 0 and the nitrates are down considerably. He said the fish look a lot better as well. He is doing another water change and dosing with more prime. In the future, more water tests and less water changes.

I think you mean more water changes not less.

 

Did you recently change a filter or anything?