I noticed today my Nitrates are high, Amonia is fine. I did do a partial water change. What else can I do To lower the Nitrates?
Thank you
Thank you
High Nitrate
- Thread starter dc11648
- Start date
HTH
Howard
How high are your nitrates ?
How big is the pond ?
How big is the pond ?
My pond holds about 1,200 gal. and this is the first time I've checked in since at least last year. Someone suggested to check it. I do have a Skippy Filter, some hyacins and 2 lilies and 2 parrot feathers.
My fish look and act fine.
My fish look and act fine.
Sorry, the Nitrates are a bright red after 5 minutes. I'd say around 80, could be almost 100.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Weekly small (10%-15%) water changes are the best way to lower at a reasonable rate. Lots of plants help lower nitrates as well but even a heavy planted pond may not be able to keep up depending on fish load, But, 50-70% plant coverage and small water changes are the easiest and most effective game plan of attack.
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from the net
* A major water change is the very first, best step to controlling NitrAtes.
* Water changes may be required daily until numbers under 20 mg/L are accomplished.
* Increases in lighting will stimulate green algal growth in the recently cleared areas. Algae will consume NitrAtes at a prodigious rate.
* Cleaning the pond bottom of brown algal growth and removal of the filth-holding slime in the pond is advised, but the pond needn't be "sterilized" or impeccably cleaned.
* Plants may be employed. In order to force the plants to use waterborne nitrAtes and phosphates, a soil-less potting media may be used so the plants can send out viable root systems but all their nutrition is derived from the water.
* Because feeding and stocking rates influence this so dramatically, a reduction in stocking density and feeding rates can make an improvement in the accumulation of NitrAtes.
* Floating plants with complete root systems can be grown in floating plant habitats, or connected [but isolated] ponds. More on this in another article.
* A major water change is the very first, best step to controlling NitrAtes.
* Water changes may be required daily until numbers under 20 mg/L are accomplished.
* Increases in lighting will stimulate green algal growth in the recently cleared areas. Algae will consume NitrAtes at a prodigious rate.
* Cleaning the pond bottom of brown algal growth and removal of the filth-holding slime in the pond is advised, but the pond needn't be "sterilized" or impeccably cleaned.
* Plants may be employed. In order to force the plants to use waterborne nitrAtes and phosphates, a soil-less potting media may be used so the plants can send out viable root systems but all their nutrition is derived from the water.
* Because feeding and stocking rates influence this so dramatically, a reduction in stocking density and feeding rates can make an improvement in the accumulation of NitrAtes.
* Floating plants with complete root systems can be grown in floating plant habitats, or connected [but isolated] ponds. More on this in another article.
HTH
Howard
I have to agree with addy1 on all points.
Small water changes do little to reduce nitrates or anything else. It is just he way math works.
Lets say you had a reading of 100 with a goal of reducing it to 25 . These are just number but it illustrated the process of reducing the concentration to 1/4 of the original value using 10% changes..
change# reading
0 100
1 90
2 81
3 73
4 66
5 59
6 53
7 47
8 43
9 38
10 34
11 31
12 28
13 25
If the replacement water has any nitrates it will require more changes.
If you have fish producing nitrates faster then the pond plant can consume them it will take more changes.
There is a real chance that at 10% per week you will never reach 25.
Small water changes do little to reduce nitrates or anything else. It is just he way math works.
Lets say you had a reading of 100 with a goal of reducing it to 25 . These are just number but it illustrated the process of reducing the concentration to 1/4 of the original value using 10% changes..
change# reading
0 100
1 90
2 81
3 73
4 66
5 59
6 53
7 47
8 43
9 38
10 34
11 31
12 28
13 25
If the replacement water has any nitrates it will require more changes.
If you have fish producing nitrates faster then the pond plant can consume them it will take more changes.
There is a real chance that at 10% per week you will never reach 25.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
I must admit that all this makes perfect sense. I do 10% with heavy plant growth for maintaining. I'll have to admit that the small water changes aren't good advise for really getting a upper hand on them.
I have printed all items listed. Thank you.
Yesterday I was home and did do a partial water change before it started to rain and thunder. I also placed a couple more Hyacins in the water. I told my husband to stop feeding the fish for a few days. I will do another water change later this week when I'm home. I will place a couple Hostas in the pond in a corner, without dirt. I never use to worry about the Nitrates, always felt thee fish looked good and water clear than all S/B fine. I was wrong. I've also been cleaning some dirt and pebbles the fish dug out of pots from the deepend, didn't want to remove too much at one time for fear of making the water too dirty.
I will test again tomorrow and see where I stand.
Yesterday I was home and did do a partial water change before it started to rain and thunder. I also placed a couple more Hyacins in the water. I told my husband to stop feeding the fish for a few days. I will do another water change later this week when I'm home. I will place a couple Hostas in the pond in a corner, without dirt. I never use to worry about the Nitrates, always felt thee fish looked good and water clear than all S/B fine. I was wrong. I've also been cleaning some dirt and pebbles the fish dug out of pots from the deepend, didn't want to remove too much at one time for fear of making the water too dirty.
I will test again tomorrow and see where I stand.
I just spent a couple hours with my wife and a wet or dry vacuum rigged with a 3/4" PVC pipe on it to vac up the mulm in the bottom of my upper pond. I was surprised at the amount I removed. My plants are loving it.
The lower pond stays clean because it has 3 submersibles in it.
If your nitrates are high and you have this situation, spend a little time as I did. If you have a lot, you may want to do this in the spring and again in the fall.
The lower pond stays clean because it has 3 submersibles in it.
If your nitrates are high and you have this situation, spend a little time as I did. If you have a lot, you may want to do this in the spring and again in the fall.
My husband suggested a wet dry vac to remove some of the muke in the deep end.
I did test the Nitrates tonight after work - they are about - 40.
Not as dark as before. I've not feed them in 2 days and of course they are tearing the Parrott Feathers all to pieces. I have nothing but sections and parts of the Parott Feathers all over the pond.
Over the weekend I'll have to take the wet / dry vac to the deep end and suck up some of the dirt and stones at the bottom.
I did test the Nitrates tonight after work - they are about - 40.
Not as dark as before. I've not feed them in 2 days and of course they are tearing the Parrott Feathers all to pieces. I have nothing but sections and parts of the Parott Feathers all over the pond.
Over the weekend I'll have to take the wet / dry vac to the deep end and suck up some of the dirt and stones at the bottom.
stroppy
stroppy
dc11648 said:
you need to do it slowly or you could stir up a lot of stuff that could harm your fish ... i would still feed the fish just cut down on the amount you feed them
I did watch feeding the little fellows. I have gone from the Nitrates being a deep orange, reddish color - about 80. Moved down to about 40 in a couple days and than last night I tested the water and I'm down to about 15. Basically I had my husband cut back on the amount he feeds, plus we did a small water change again from a week ago.
I still have to vac out some dirt and small stones in the deepest end of the pond, about 3 feet down. I'll use the wet - dry vac to pull out.
How low should the Nitrates be? I saw in the test kit from about 15 to 40?
Does that sound right?
thank you for the ehlp
I still have to vac out some dirt and small stones in the deepest end of the pond, about 3 feet down. I'll use the wet - dry vac to pull out.
How low should the Nitrates be? I saw in the test kit from about 15 to 40?
Does that sound right?
thank you for the ehlp
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
The lower the nitrates the better, if you can maintain below 20 and keep ph and hardness levels stabile your doing super great. Nitrates below 40 aren't really harmful to fish but algae love it, get it below 20 and even below 10 and you should have clear water and almost 0 algae growth if you have a fairly decent amount of plant growth.
How often should I test the pond now? My plants are getting bigger, roots. and the pond is clear, still a little dirt in one area and hope to clean up tomorrow. Wasn't sure if I could have the Nitrates down to almost 0. I'll have to test the Amonia tomorrow, that was fine.
I also have a PH kit? Been awhile since I would test my pond on a regular schedule.
I also have a PH kit? Been awhile since I would test my pond on a regular schedule.