Nitrates In Tap Water

[kiki1]

hello,

I am new to fish keeping and i am trying to start my nitrogen cycle but nothing is happening after 2 weeks. We have added Homebase household ammonia to get our amonnia levels up to 4ppm but these show no sign of decreasing.

Out water straight out of the tap has a high nitrate reading of around 40 ppm it is very simmilar in the tank as it is hard to judge the 40 to 80 using the API test kit.

The ammonia does not foam when shaken so it appears to be pure.

The Nitrite is 0
Nitrate Maybe slightly over 40
PH 7.4
water temp 26C
Planted

thinking that the high nitrate level is holding back the start we have put in to the bottom chamber of fluval 205 external filter two pouches of
fluval clearmax Nitrite /Nitrate remover. The idea was then to remove it when we saw the ammonia dropping or the Nitrate level fall to something lower like 20 ppm.



Also does anyone know a good solution to getting rid of nitrates in our tap water as 40 is a high level to start with . I think the only way would be to use a RO unit.


kiki1

 

[StandbySetting]

40Mg/L is nothing to worry about.

 

[Jinty McGinty]

thinking that the high nitrate level is holding back the start we have put in to the bottom chamber of fluval 205 external filter two pouches of
fluval clearmax Nitrite /Nitrate remover. The idea was then to remove it when we saw the ammonia dropping or the Nitrate level fall to something lower like 20 ppm.

This could be holding back your cycle though. You need to see Nitrites to know that it's progressing. Remove it.