# High Nitrates



## Lilypad (Oct 15, 2014)

Hello,

I have a 3 gallon planted tank that has been cycled for about 6 months now. Last friday, I did a 50% water change even though my test kit showed everything was good. Napoleon is healing from some fin biting, so I've been doing many water changes. I left for the weekend (fish is at the office.)

When I came in this morning, I noticed some brown diatoms growing on my java moss, which I haven't had since when I was first cycling my tank. So I decided to run a test. 

Nitrates is at 40 ppm :shock: Not a number I've seen for a long time.

Ammonia and nitrites are reading at 0. 

I added a couple of new plants last week, and one of the anubias has a bit of rot on one of the leaves, could this be the cause?

I dosed with Seachem Prime and will be doing a water change this afternoon. Should I change more than 50%?

3 gallon tank, filtered, heated, 2 air stones, with many plants - 2 anubias, java moss, marimo, ludwigia, duckweed, salvinia and crypts. Dose 5 x's a week with seachem flourish excel.

EDIT - Changed the picture, I realized with the glare you can barely see the tank in the last one


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Have you tested the nitrAte in your source water? I have well water and mine fluctuates all the time so I always have nitrAte in my tap water


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## Lilypad (Oct 15, 2014)

Romad said:


> Have you tested the nitrAte in your source water? I have well water and mine fluctuates all the time so I always have nitrAte in my tap water


No, I didn't, the last two water changes, I used a different source than I normally do. 

Just tested it, from the bottle it was stored in, almost 80ppm!!! Going back to my regular source!

I use bottled "drinking water" that I treat with seachem prime. A different brand was on sale, so I used that last week. My well water is high in phosphates and was contributing to a cyano outbreak, so I had to switch to bottled.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Remove dead/yellowing/damaged leaves of plants, the plant cannot repair them and they'll simply break down over time (generating ammonia which in a cycled tanks means higher nitrates). 
Have you done a nitrate test on your water source (tap)? My tap has 10-20ppm nitrate reading when tested. 
Do people have access to the tank/fish food? someone may have "helped" feed and over fed leaving food to break down and raise nitrates. Consider making a polite sign "Please do not feed the fish." or similar if you suspect this is possible.
New plants could be the source of diatoms unless you bleach dipped the before they went in the tank. I've read on another forum a heated argument about diatoms source last year.. some said because of silica in sand substrates, some argued from the tap.


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## Lilypad (Oct 15, 2014)

Thank you both for your advice. Aurora, I did test the water that I used last week...we posted at similar times so it must not have popped up for you yet  

I will get the dying leaf out of there. I did a 10% bleach dip on the new plants, and then rinsed them in dechlorinated water. I have sand substrate, but have not seen brown diatoms since very early in the cycle. No one has access to my tank or food except me, it's a private office. 

On my lunch break, I bought the water that I used prior to last week and will do a 75% change today.


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