

You may even find that your fish’s color will fade. Poor colorįish that are stressed by high levels of nitrates won’t display their natural coloring the way they would under normal, healthy conditions.
#Graveyard keeper decompose full
Poor growthįish that are exposed to high levels of nitrates may have stunted growth, meaning they may never reach their full size. The stress caused from increased nitrate levels make your fish more susceptible to diseases. Well, that’s similar to what happens to your fish. Have you ever gotten so stressed that you became sick? You see, high levels of nitrates place your fish under incredible stress.Īnd when your fish are stressed, the following problems can arise… 1. I’ll be frank with you, unless you stock sensitive fish or corals, it’s unlikely that an increase in nitrate levels is going to outright kill your fish.īut that doesn’t mean that high nitrate levels are not dangerous in their own way. What happens if your nitrate levels are too high?įishLab Fact: A sudden jump in nitrate levels is called a nitrate spike.
#Graveyard keeper decompose how to
When this happens, you need to reduce the nitrate levels in your tank, which I tell you how to do later in this guide. This process is continuous and unavoidable.

Over time, nitrates will build up in your aquarium. Now, I must stress this… harmless in small amounts. Nitrites are highly toxic to your fish, while nitrates are considered harmless, at least in small amounts. I know there is only a single letter separating the two – nitr Ite versus nitr Ate…īut don’t get confused. So without nitrites, nitrates in your aquarium wouldn’t exist. A second bacteria, called nitrobacter then feeds on the nitrites and produces nitrates. A bacteria called nitrosomonas breaks down the ammonia into nitrites.ģ. As waste breaks down, it gives off ammonia.Ģ. To explain, I am going to do a very brief recap of the nitrogen cycle.īefore waste becomes nitrates, there are a couple of steps that happen first.ġ. Overstocking your aquarium comes in as a close second – watch that bioload!īut while waste results in nitrates, it is not the cause of nitrates. Not only do overfed fish poop more, but any uneaten food rots, leading to even more nitrates. Nitrates (NO3) are a form of dissolved nitrogen that occur naturally in the water column, which is the water inside your aquarium.Įxactly how nitrates get into your aquarium is quite a journey… Nitrates are actually a by-product of biological waste.Ĭommon sources of excess waste found in aquariums include:įishLab Fact: Overfeeding is the number one cause of high nitrate levels in aquariums. What are nitrates and where do they come from?

How do you remove nitrates from your aquarium?.What are the right nitrate levels for your aquarium?.What happens if your nitrate levels are too high?.What are nitrates and where do they come from?.
