Nitrates in tapwater

[JamesTasker]

I'm sorry if this topic has been posted before - I did search for something similar but i couldn't match anything .

I got a nitrate testing kit finally today (I had to order it from my local petshop) and I tested the water from the tap which i get the water to fill my aqaurium.

It was 10ppm - the water in my tank is 20ppm.

I was just wondering if 10ppm is average or less than average or more than average. I was going to turn this into a poll but I have no idea of the range of nitrates ).

I live in Herts, England and my water is very hard and filtered for drinking.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I don't quite know how to help you, but I bet that tank size and inhabitants would help, seeing as how a higher nitrate level occurs more often in smaller tanks.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

10 sounds not too bad, mine is about 3. Some parts of London are about 40 and I think Brighton is 70!

How often do you change your water? 10 is quite a big difference from your tap water.

 

[JamesTasker]

Is 20ppm high? I thought that anything under 40ppm was fine. Thats what it said on the kit.

 

[CFC]

Now that summer is here the nitrates in my tapwater are coming out at around 60ppm, the more water is used the higher the nitrates go, last year they went to 70ppm during the heatwave. IMO 20ppm is nothing to worry about, i have been running my tanks at over 50 for years and have no problems.

 

[JamesTasker]

Thanks CFC and Cheese Specialist.

Do the nitrates come from fertilisers washed out of the soil?

How often do you change your water? 10 is quite a big difference from your tap water.

I change about 15% weekly. I last changed some on Friday.

 

[rvm]

I have the same problem, my tapwater is at around 50-80ppm, do a search under my username and you'll find a thread I posted a while ago about a filter I bought that remove nitrates from tap water

 

[CFC]

They say that every drop of water you drink in London has already been through 7 people before you, i would think when it is hot and people drink more to stay cool this number goes even higher. Nitrate is the end product of the nitrogen cycle which starts with ammonia and urine is high in ammonia, can you work out where the nitrates come from ?

 

[Tropjunky]

HA I don't mean to glote but i use RO water and i avoid all that hassle of having to deal with the C**p that somes with the tap water it's very bad here in peterborough the water is hard and high in phospher and other nasty things.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

i use RO water

Really? Well, I'd never have guessed by the way you tell us 293 times a day!

It's not economical for everyone, and many fish do not require such water.