Nitrates

I lost all my fish to either Ick or Velvet and thought it might help. Ick does not die out in 8 to ten weeks it is still there according to Dr Fragenstien. Him and I have been working on th edeal for a week or so now. Velvet doesnt die out wither according to him. THey both lie dormant until a suitable host comes along. Not just any fish but a week one. The water change did not hurt and mght not have helped either. I dont know....

 

Remember that your water change percentage is directly related to how much you lower your parameters. A 50% WC will lower your NO3 by only 50%. Most people I have talked to think "my nitrates should be zero, I just did a 20% WC." If you start off with 20ppm, then a 50% WC means 10ppm. Then factor in that your system continuously produces waste, so theoretically your 10ppm will be more than 10ppm before you are completely done with the WC. Then consider if you are removing any bacterial colonies that are breaking down the waste, your nitrifying cycle will be less efficient, which means your NH3, NO2 and NO3 will rise more quickly, breaking down slower. But to really affect that cycale, you would have to remove some of your sandbed since the bacteria really isn't free floating in the water.