My Tap Water Has High Levels Of Nitrates..

Jackiee · May 10, 2011

I know It's not always essential to have very low nitrates, unless of course you have certain fish that are very sensitive to their water cleanliness, Discus for example, but the nitrates in my tank are always extremely high.

They usually measure 160ppm or higher on the color card (I have a liquid API test kit).
And even when I do huge water changes, the levels don't budge much because my tap water already contains 40-80ppm of nitrate (the colors on the card are way to close for me to distinguish which one...?! :huh:

)

Is there anything I can do about this, or will my water just always have high nitrates?
I was asking this now because I have an Oscar in a hospital tank and I was trying to keep the nitrates low for better healing...

The fish in my main tank are blood parrots, severum, convicts, sailfin leaopard pleco.

Randomitity · May 10, 2011

Try a plant sump or put plants in the tank maybe? I couldn't tell you which are nitrate sponges like some of the others but I am using mainly java moss and a few other plants that I can't think of their names at the current moment

Jackiee · May 10, 2011

Oh yes, of course! I don't know why that didn't dawn on me.. I have heard certain plants eat up nitrates like they're candy. Only question is, is if my big guys will leave the live plants alone,

I need to give it a try. I'll have to find some hardy plants for my cichlids. Maybe plants will do well in my tank since it's so saturated with Nitrates.

StandbySetting · May 11, 2011

The maximum uptake for plants in the most desirable of conditions (45PPM of CO2 @ 6WPG) is about 5PPM a day, obviously this is going to much lower in a lower light set up, and I'd also put a bet on that it's your nitrate test kit giving you bogus readings, how old is the nitrate kit, also do you shake the bottles REALLY well prior to testing?

Nitrate test kits are poor and other compounds will interfere with them, plus 160PPM is pretty safe for most fish (I doubt you have 160PPM anyway).

sausagewinkle · May 11, 2011

Have you tried a different Nitrate test other than your own?
Just a thought as I had a problem with my API Nitrate test a few days ago so I used a friends for a second opinion and mine wasn't working, mine was reading 80+ where as it was actually a lot lower...

r.w.girard · May 18, 2011

Jackiee said:
They usually measure 160ppm or higher on the color card (I have a liquid API test kit).
And even when I do huge water changes, the levels don't budge much because my tap water already contains 40-80ppm of nitrate (the colors on the card are way to close for me to distinguish which one...?! )

I don't know how much you can expect water content/quality to change across the city, but, in UCity, my nitrates have never measured above 20 ppm, even before the tank went planted. So, even being pretty new to the hobby, it would seem like what others are suggesting is right. That is if I trust my API dip sticks. Which I cannot say I do overmuch.

But, according to the 2009 city water report, nitrate/nitrite were detected at 1.23-1.31 as N mg/L and, if I understand correctly, the conversation is almost 1:1. PLus, municipal drinking water is limited by law to 10 mg/L of N as a contaminant. Again, as I understand. So probably not to much to worry about. [SOURCE]

Davo86 · May 18, 2011

Tetra Nitrate Minus may help

r.w.girard · May 18, 2011

r.w.girard said:
But, according to the 2009 city water report, nitrate/nitrite were detected at 1.23-1.31 as N mg/L and, if I understand correctly, the conversation is almost 1:1. [SOURCE]

The 2010 Water Report [which I have just located] shows a slight rise to an average of 1.46 mg/L. [SOURCE]

Jackiee · May 18, 2011

Yes, I have the API liquid master test kit, it's only about 2 months old, I just bought it when I set up my new 90 gallon.
I follow the directions as precisely as I can.

Add the first solution, cap test tube, turn over a few times to mix with the water,
then on solution bottle number 2, have to shake the bottle vigorously for 30 seconds straight. I time this accurately with my clock.
Add solution from bottle number 2, then have to shake the entire test tube vigorously for 60 seconds straight. I do the same with watching the clock.

Then wait 5 minutes before comparing to the color card.

It always shows a high nitrate, never tests under 40ppm, but usually tests in the 80-160 ppm range.