Nitrates!

[geordieelvis]

Hi guys, I can't seem to lower my Nitrate levels, I am doing regular water changes, tank isn't overstocked, plenty of live plants in there and i don't over feed the fish. Nitrate is sitting at 40ppm on the API master test kit. But the problem could also be that I tested my tap water this morning and it reads between 5 and 10ppm! Other results are Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, ph 7.5.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

If your Nitrite and Ammonia levels are 0 they are the ones to worry about so I wouldn't get too hung up on 40ppm Nitrates, especially if everything is fine with the tank.

 

[Royston]

It's not a problem... My tap water is 40ppm

 

[Shelster]

Add some more plants if you're worried.

 

[SLIM]

40ppm of nitrates is nothing! I really wouldnt worry about it. Iv known some high tech tanks to have nitrates as high as 400ppm.
People like myself actually add nitrates to the water to keep our plants healthy with no ill effects to the fish.
Ammonia and nitrites is what you need to keep an eye on.

 

[This Old Spouse]

+1 

 

[Joshwainwright]

Worrying is good fish keeping 

 
There's really no need to here though, your fish should be nice and healthy

 

[geordieelvis]

Thanks all, they do seem very happy and healthy but I just like to have the reassurance from people who have been doing this a lot longer than me!! Cheers again

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

40mg/l nitrate is common out of the tap on the UK south coast, nothing to panick about for many fish until it approaches ~300mg/l (but we are all hopefully changing enough water and not overfeeding by so much that we ever get close to this upper value).
 
However, liquid nitrate test kit reagents are infamous for coming out of solution and sitting on the test bottle base. You really must practice your cocktail making and "banging the ketchup on hard surface" skills for at least a minute before opening the test bottle, otherwise you are likely to get false (lower) results.