Where's it coming from?

[Jeppedy]

Okay. I need some information here. Teach me to fish, as it were!

I came into an existing 55Gal tank, lots of Java Fern, UGF, 3 little fish.
I removed the UGF (just don't like them), lightly rinsed the gravel, vacuumed like crazy, added Laterite, replanted only some of the Java Fern, added a number of other plants fresh from the LFS. I put on a new 130W lite bar (50/50, as that's what it came with and I didn't want to swap for another $80 bux!) and it's turned on about 8-9 hrs/day (no sunlight). I dose twice weekly with a Kent Fresh plant additive (contains no Nitrates). Okay. I set it up. I sit. I watch.

A few days later, Hair (or Fuzz) algae starts. It picks up speed. Some plants not staying well-planted and reseat some of the plants. Added a few fish. We're now up to about (9) 1" - 1.5" fish (small, small population) Nitrates THROUGH THE ROOF (250+). Vacuum like crazy. 30% water change. Nitrates drop, but still excessively high.

Hair algae starts back again the next day. Still adding fertilizer on-schedule, I've cut back feeding frequency and quantity. A few days later, excessive Nitrates again (250+). 30% water change, lots of vacuuming, careful not to disturb rocks. Plants taking hold nicely (3 weeks after planting), but so is Hair algae.

All this time, the chemistry of the tank is leveling out nicely (pH, hardness, etc) and the vital readings are all looking strong (no nitrites, etc) Except, Nitrates are still through the roof, algae on glass and on plants concerns me, I've lost 2 fish in the last 2 weeks.

Overall elapsed time: about 6 weeks. Only chemistry reading out of line is the Nitrates...

So, I ask you-
Where are all the nitrates coming from?
What do I to to naturally try to reduce the Nitrate level?

Thanks for the help-

Jeffrey

[smaug]

what type of water test kit are you using?Those numbers sound too high to be correct.I dont doubt you have high nitrates but that high I doubt.You aquired this tank,did you do any changes other the removing the ugf?What type of filter does it have?

[Lady Hobbs]

Nothing new for new tanks that are going thru a cycle. You removed the substrate and rinsed the gravel and let me guess.........in tap water?
You removed the UGF where much bacteria was hiding. Then you vacuumed what you have now. Each step lead you to a new cycle which is why all the nitrites.

You will have to establish that tank again and I think that happened and why you got such high nitrates. When a tank cycles, it generally needs a big water change to reduce them. I would do at least 50% now and again in 3 more days. Do not cleaning the substrate at all or clean nothing or mess with the filter.

[Lady Hobbs]

PS........you may also have high nitrates from all the waste that was under those plates. Dirty filters, water, gravel will always increase nitrates.

[Jeppedy]

Lady Hobbs, Thanks for the responses. Please note that it doesn't seem to be a cycling issue. I did not rinse in Tap for the reasons you mentioned. The Nitrites are at Zero. Only Nitrates. I don't think the bioload on this tank would actually be producing enough ammonia to eventually convert to that much Nitrate.

Your thoughts about the remnants from the UGF are my hunch as well. But how long would that reasonably last? (and to Smaug's point) I've been doing some pretty hefty changes at least weekly for 6 weeks now. I wouldn't expect it to have remained so high.

I know you are going to yell at me, but I am testing with strips. However, my 10Gal isn't showing abnormal nitrate levels, so at least I haven't totally disregarded their results.

Wouldn't the immediate return of algae also suggest high nitrates?

[smaug]

get a good liquid test kit.Strips seldom give good results.Even so,I still doubt your numbers are that outrageous.Keep doing your water changes,Im sure the algae will go away.

[Furface]

Nitrates are coming from all the disturbance..... more oxygen got to organic matter and bacteria lurking in the gravel and breaking it down, and feeding nitrogen fixing bacteria. You will need to wait it out and keep with the water changes. By the way, why do people fertilize plants in the aquarium? If the mineral content is OK, the plants get all they need from fish waste. They may grow a bit slower but who cares? The algae is stimulated as much as the good plants with fertilizer, and it doesn't matter if there is no nitrogen in it, there are plenty of nitrogen fixing bacteria available to make the algae happy. You guys who buy fertilizer for aquariums are just making the marketers happy with your money. If a particular species of plant doesn't do well for your conditions just get something else to try. If the ph is OK for a plant, it will grow without added fertilizer. Sometimes I think the problem is patience, people don't always have to do something to improve on nature. She has been at it a lot longer than we have with our chemical factories.

[garman]

I agree with the above message. Try not to disturb the substraight. Let the nutrients stay in the gravel and out of the water column as much as possible. This isn't brush algae is it? Brush algae is very hard to physically remove.