issues with nitrates in water systems

[onika9]

Hi,

New to the forum and seeking some guidance.


I was doing maintenance and noticed my nitrate levels were a bit off.


Since Saturday, I've done a series of water changes - 50% on Saturday, 25% on Sunday, and 10% on Monday, Tuesday, and today, but my nitrate levels still seem unchanged. (So basically, the tank has been heavily emptied over the past 5 days)


My readings show nitrates between 20 - 40 ppm and ammonia levels between 0 - 0.25 ppm.


I've got 20 Malawi cichlid fry (about 3 months old) and 2 sucking loach in my 125ltr tank.


Should I be concerned about my ammonia and nitrate levels?

[zenor4]

I'd check your tap water, mine's got similar nitrate levels, around 20-40 ppm. The ammonia's looking good, basically zero. If your tap water's coming out at 20-40 ppm, then that's probably the source. Not sure what you can do about it, maybe some plants could help, but I'm no expert.

[onika9]

No expert here either, but I've also been thinking of adding more plants, they're supposed to be good for nitrates.

[rizen9]

I've had similar issues with nitrates in my own 208ltr cichlid setup. Make sure to siphon out any leftover food that's accumulating on the substrate, and keep up with those regular water changes. Adding plants can definitely help, just be aware that cichlids love to play with them, so secure them properly to avoid any chaos.