Filtration Question

[walk23]

I have a 75g planted tank with 7 discus and 5 neons with algae eaters. The filters ARE A 500G/hr Tetra and a 280 gal/hr Emperor. My nitrates have been high even though I do water changes of at least 20% a day. Is i possible to have too much water movement so as to not get the ammonia conversion needed to complete the N2 cycle? I have increased my water changes and 6 out of 7 fish show no ill effects but one shows stress bars. My nitrate readings are high 40 ppm. I was doing to 20 % w/c and have increased that to 33% per day. Nitrates are 0. Please help !
Kevin

[walk23]

I will do test for ammonia and nitrites, but from earlier posts I see where over turnover may be a hindrance (someone was using an undergravel filter in addition to a power fileter). Feel free to comment.

[Carol_Roberts]

Ammonia is converted to nitrIte and then to nitrAte. The best way to get rid of nitrAte is water changes. Do you have nitrAte in your tap water? If not, continue the daily water changes to reduce nitrAte levels.

[shalu]

Too much turnover is not a problem. Like Carol said, water changes, water changes, water changes. You are already doing 20% daily, upping to 50% is not that much more work unless you are using buckets.

[Lazonby]

It sounds like your filters are doing a good job converting ammonia/nitrites to nitrates. Water movement or turnover is not a problem. There are a couple of things you can do in addition to increased water changes.

1. Increase plant biomass in order to help eliminate nitrates. Simply put: add more plants, particularly fast growing plants. Some are anacharis (egeria densa), green hygro (hygrophila polysperma), wisteria (hygrophila difformis), hornwort, etc.

2. Be sure your nitrate to phosphate ratio is 10 to 1, respectively. If phosphates drop too low or to zero, your nitrate consumption will slow greatly.

3. Be sure your lighting is sufficient to stimulate plant growth. 2 wpg is sufficient, while a little higher would be more beneficial.