High Nitrate even with plants

[kipperfeet]

This year was a hot one and my plants in the pond did well but nitrate levels were still pretty high. I have 3 canister filters one gravity two aeration pumps and a UV on 24 hrs 7 days a week but due to fish inheritance the pond is heavily stocked. Nitite NO2- is barely detectable ,pH is fine, carbonate hardness OK , TDS suggests plenty of mineral buffering from rocks , I have lots of biological media in the filters and the pump aerates OK. The fish eat /disturb any small plants so and I have Calla Lili, Marsh Marigold, Iris and rushes. Any ideas of any other plants to try (can't try water lilies water moving too much for them) ?
Thanks
Cliff

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Could you please post the actual numeric values of your ponds biochemical parameters? "high", "barely detectable", "fine" and "suggests" offer little insight.

 

[Mmathis]

Water changes might be helpful.

 

[Faebinder]

yeah pond surface area plus depth, bog surface area if any, number of fish and their sizes approximately, the nitrates/nitrites/ammonia numbers from your tests.

Finally, do you water change? If so what is the nitrates/ammonia level in the incoming water.

 

[peter hillman]

"fish inheritance". You gotta learn to say no! Strange fish sometimes can cause serious problems.

 

[adavisus]

Your nitrate levels probably match quite precisely with the fish food that has been piling in, less what little the plants were able to abstract.

Water hyacinth gobbles it up 4x more than other plants

 

[mgmine]

Question is how are your fish doing? If fine then just keep an eye on them.

 

[Mmathis]

Your nitrate levels probably match quite precisely with the fish food that has been piling in, less what little the plants were able to abstract.

Water hyacinth gobbles it up 4x more than other plants

Good to know!

 

[carolinaguy]

Nitrate is really not a problem for koi. According to dr st earne (sp) fish do fine even up to 600 in studies. If you practice the standard recommendation of a 10% water change a week, you should have no problem. The only hassle is when the value gets high enough that you get foam around waterfalls and aerators but that is also due to DOCs, so the 10% change solves that too.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Nitrate is really not a problem for koi. According to dr st earne (sp) fish do fine even up to 600 in studies. If you practice the standard recommendation of a 10% water change a week, you should have no problem. The only hassle is when the value gets high enough that you get foam around waterfalls and aerators but that is also due to DOCs, so the 10% change solves that too.

Is this true?
Great.
My Nitrate is hovering around 30 ppm. The pond is just two weeks old and was speed cycled with Fritzyme.
Zero nitrite. PH is 8.1 and zero or trace of ammonia <.25
1,400 gallons and ten 4-5" fishes.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Is this true?
Great.
My Nitrate is hovering around 30 ppm. The pond is just two weeks old and was speed cycled with Fritzyme.
Zero nitrite. PH is 8.1 and zero or trace of ammonia <.25
1,400 gallons and ten 4-5" fishes.

Koi and Goldfish can tolerate quite high Nitrate levels. Higher than any pond is likely to have. As to the health of the entire pond 80 ppm seems to be the accepted cut-off before other issues develop.
Once the algae growth kicks in and the aquatic plantings establish this 30 ppm level will drop. Most ponds have a Nitrate level range of 5 - 10 ppm.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Koi and Goldfish can tolerate quite high Nitrate levels. Higher than any pond is likely to have. As to the health of the entire pond 80 ppm seems to be the accepted cut-off before other issues develop.
Once the algae growth kicks in and the aquatic plantings establish this 30 ppm level will drop. Most ponds have a Nitrate level range of 5 - 10 ppm.

Thanks