Nitrate

[Bellabelloo]

I while ago I re- arranged my tank as Jeffrey had destroyed my last plant. I decided to use plastic plants that I placed around his cave and along the back .....he moved some towards the middle of the tank and they stayed there.
I do a weekly 20- 25 % water change and use the syphon to go through the little sand I have left, I also spot clean through out the day. Over the last few days I noticed that he was spending some time closer to the surface, likewise the juveniles that are housed in a divided part of the tank where spending time near the surface. I decided to do my water checks a few days early to eliminate water quality problems...but my nitrate test had run out, the new test didn't have a colour chart so I needed to wait till today for the card to arrive..I did the water change Thursday just in case.I tested the water today ( Saturday)and the reading for Nitrate was at 50!!!. ( ammonia/ nitrite where all )
Alarmed I decided to do another 20- 25 % water change, checked the filters ( they appear ok) hoovered through the sand..... and knocked a plastic plant.... It had managed to capture all sorts of 'gunk'. I rinsed all the plants and was appalled at the ammount of mess that came out!
I had basically managed to put all the plants in the 'flow' from the filter, and anything deposited / disintergrated in the water wafted beautifully into the plants to be trapped. I will now be doing 25% water changes to get the readings back to a nicer level!
I realise the error of my ways , but feel the need to pass this on as 'when cleaning the tank , check the plants too'.

 

[Daniel]

Hey Bella,

a nitrate reading of 50 is not nice...but not acutely alarming neither!
The debris on your plastic plants may be a source for nitrate (as all organic, rotting substances in your tank) so it's good you mentioned it for other people having plastic plants in their tanks, too!

I personally do not like plastic plants apart from quarantine tanks and rather keep my axolotl-tanks filled with natural ones. Even if the Axolotls are in the mood to change the interior of their housing, they won't destroy (partly) floating plants like Ceratophyllum and Elodea - I like both of them as they are fast-growing and therefore consuming a lot of nitrogen-compounds (ammoinia, nitrite, nitrate) and phosphates.

As for the "moving plants towards the middle": I made a similar experience - Axolotls often trample on plants on the outer parts of the tank. They need some kind of race track and therefore i leave the outer parts without plants, caves and so on.

 

[lazylilsnoop]

i tried keeping live plants, but they died after a few days.

i thought live plants need lots n lots of light, isn't it?

 

[Saspotato]

Yea they do. Most live plants are hard to keep alive in an axie tank. I've tried a few and only one seems to manage. It just floats on the top of my tank and gets bigger all the time. I have to prune it. I got it off a friend tho so unfortunately I don't know the name!

 

[Bellabelloo]

Thanks Daniel for your reply,
I hadn't even considered moving his scenery to towards the middle!...so logical. It would also make cleaning even easier . I'll do this after I get the Christmas decorations down ( in the house ).