Nitrate Level help

[Cichlidnik]

I have had this 75 gallon tank up for 4 years and this is the first time I have had any problems with nitrate levels I need a quick way to lower the nitrate levels and I have been doing water changes the past couple days but they really are not helping

2: big parrot fish
1: 10 inch pleco
1: 4 1/2 in Cichlid


any help would be appreciated

Thanks,

[Austy16414]

Filtration and other parameters would be helpful. A good substrate vacuum can help. Also make sure you clean your filters regularly (with tank water)

[Ken B]

Austy16414 is right. We need to know what the filter and gravel setup is. Are you using an undergravel filter? The problem could be in the gravel. If you are not using a u/g filter and you have not been vacuuming the gravel you could have toxic gravel. Anerobic bacteria start growing in the gravel and give off nitrates. Then you disturb the gravel and it all goes from the gravel into the water. If this is what is happening you need to get the fish out of that tank and strip down and clean that tank. You will find very smelly gravel. This is just a guess because I have no info except that nitrates have spiked.

[Cichlidnik]

Austy16414 is right. We need to know what the filter and gravel setup is. Are you using an undergravel filter? The problem could be in the gravel. If you are not using a u/g filter and you have not been vacuuming the gravel you could have toxic gravel. Anerobic bacteria start growing in the gravel and give off nitrates. Then you disturb the gravel and it all goes from the gravel into the water. If this is what is happening you need to get the fish out of that tank and strip down and clean that tank. You will find very smelly gravel. This is just a guess because I have no info except that nitrates have spiked.

yeah i have the new gravel vac coming in tomorrow my last gravel vac broke last month and I have just been siphoning the water out the past month or so so im sure its that the tank has 2 40 gallon HOB as well as the UGF with 2 power heads pushing around 300 GPH each also i just noticed the heater was not working water temp was down about 7 degrees just threw a heater in about 45 mins ago looking better already darn cold weather

[ptran]

Don't clean everything at once though. Vacuum the gravel first. Then next week clean the HOB.
Cleaning everything at the same time could be a problem too.

[Ken B]

I think I panicked! But if you have a ug filter then chances of having nitrate pockets in the gravel are a lot less because you are pulling oxygenated water through the gravel.