So Confused!

[LolaLouie]

Hi,

I've been driving myself mad doing large daily water changes because my Nitrates were permanently over 100. Then someone (clearly a lot smarter than myself) on here suggested I tested my tap water. Sure enough my tap water is apparently running with over 100ppm of Nitrate.

I have however continued with the frequent water changes as my Nitrites have been at 0.1. It just occured to me a few days later, after my nitrites not being reduced after water changes, that I should test my tap for nitrites. And again my tap water appears tohave 0.1ppm of Nitrite.

I'm really confused because I have had my tank for 3 months now and after cycling for the last 2 and 1/2 months my ammonia was 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate 5-10.

Can this be right? Can there suddenly be nitrites and nitrates in my tap water and if so is this damaging my fish???

If anyone is in SE London please could you tell me what your tap water readings are?!?

Could my nitrite and nitrate test both have just stopped working?

I will take my water to the fish shop to get tested but can't do this until the weekend.

If it is the water where do I go from here? I posted a similar topic about my nitrates but now that it's nitrites as well i'm a little worried about my fish.

Answers to guestions i know you'll all ask:

1) Test is a Nutrafin Mini Master Liquid Kit.
2) It is 3 months old and used daily.
3) My tap water is not from a well or any other unusual sorce.

Thanks

Gemma

 

[chicklette]

Can this be right? Can there suddenly be nitrites and nitrates in my tap water and if so is this damaging my fish???

If anyone is in SE London please could you tell me what your tap water readings are?!?

Could my nitrite and nitrate test both have just stopped working?

I will take my water to the fish shop to get tested but can't do this until the weekend.

If it is the water where do I go from here? I posted a similar topic about my nitrates but now that it's nitrites as well i'm a little worried about my fish.

Yes it can be right. Are you using the liquid or the dip sticks for testing the water? The liquid is much more accurate then the dip sticks. This is definitely damaging the fish at 100ppm, it should be kept below 20ppm. You may need to mix in distilled with tap water or get an RO unit. It’s expensive but it’s about the only thing you can do to keep your fish healthy. Plus you have nitrites in there which is extremely bad if kept in their for a long time. They will have numerous problems. Nitrites plus nitrates in there you will experience a lot of problems.

Although nitrates are not directly lethal in the way ammonia or nitrites are, over time high levels of nitrate have a negative effect on fish, plants and the aquarium environment in general.

Fish in a tank will have wide range of health problems if kept in a tank with high nitrates and nitrites. Mostly their breathing and their immune system will be compromised.

Fish will feel the impact of nitrates by the time the levels reach 100 ppm, particularly if levels remain there. The resulting stress leaves the fish more susceptible to disease and inhibits their ability to reproduce.

Before you run out and go get a RO unit or distilled water which you will have to buffer, I would recommend getting a new test kit, the liquid and take it to the LSF and have them test it. If all test results come back that you have nitrites and nitrates in your tap water you may want to consider an RO unit.

 

[Lizzie71]

I'm in SE London and the water in my tank consistently has nitrates around 20. Just tested the tap water and found the same, about 20, maybe a bit less (my test shows 0 then 20, and it seems to be in between).

So either your test kit is a bit dodgy, or there is something very strange going on with your water supply.

HTH

 

[Squid]

Test with another test kit/your LFS, then contact your water supplier and ask them.

Squid

 

[TribeOfShroom]

With the recent weather, I wouldn't be surprised if your water supply has a higher level of nitrite/nitrates. As suggested, it might be worth making sure your test kit is working properly.

Take a sample of your tank water and tap water to your LFS and have them test it. It's not 100% either way, but it'll give you an idea of if it's your kit or not.

 

[LolaLouie]

Thanks for the advice guys, this is such a pain. And thanks Lizzy71 that gives me hope that it's my test kit because living in a 3rd floor flat with no elavator lugging water around is gona be a big problem! Its seems wierd that these nitrite and nitrates have suddenly appeared though so I guess i'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks again!

 

[rchambers]

Well I have the same problem as you and am localish so seems that the water may be to blame. Hopefully its not going to stay that way as I don't fancy shelling out on yet more equipment or adding chemicals to the tank.

 

[andywg]

This is definitely damaging the fish at 100ppm, it should be kept below 20ppm.

Would you care to provide some science to back that up? The only limit I have ever seen bassed on experimental data to see what level of nitrates affects fish states around 400ppm is a safe level. Also, you might want to go and speak to CFC's stingrays which are often living with tap water of 40ppm.

Although nitrates are not directly lethal in the way ammonia or nitrites are, over time high levels of nitrate have a negative effect on fish, plants and the aquarium environment in general.

Fish are dealt with above and below. Plants utilise nitrates as a source of nitrogen when ammonia is not present. So just how exactly will these levels of nitrates be so bad?

Fish in a tank will have wide range of health problems if kept in a tank with high nitrates and nitrites. Mostly their breathing and their immune system will be compromised.

Fish will feel the impact of nitrates by the time the levels reach 100 ppm, particularly if levels remain there. The resulting stress leaves the fish more susceptible to disease and inhibits their ability to reproduce.

Again, I have to ask for you to produce some evidence of these figures and what wil happen. To counter these statements I give you a link to Tom Barr's excellent post reviewing the science on nitrates and their effects on fish. Note that the science gives a safe level of around 400ppm. I have seen no scientific papers or findings indicating that fish suffer ill effects at 20 or 100 ppm.

Before you run out and go get a RO unit or distilled water which you will have to buffer, I would recommend getting a new test kit, the liquid and take it to the LSF and have them test it. If all test results come back that you have nitrites and nitrates in your tap water you may want to consider an RO unit.

Better advice than this is to call the water company and ask them. The water company will hve testing equipment far more accurate than any of us is likely to buy.

 

[CFC]

the rays are living in a lot worse than 40ppm, the nitrates on the 900g are running at somewhere around the 60-80ppm level recently as i had to miss a weeks water changes while i was heat treating the tank for whitespot. Nitrates arent really anything to worry about unless you are keeping inverts or worried about algea.

Lola just checking, you are taking the water from the coldwater kitchen tap arent you?

 

[LolaLouie]

Hi all,

Thanks for the advice. I am taking readings from the cold tap... and I do have inverts (shrimp) but all is well because i just picked up the API test that i ordered and my tank reading are...

Nitrites=0 Ammonia=0 Nitrates=20.

Phew!!

Am annoyed my test kit decided to stop working after only 3 months... will get smaller kits from now on!

Thanks so much though guys, so pleased i don't have to drag 100l of water up 3 flights of stairs every week, I think I'd soon lose my enthusiasm for fish keeping!

 

[chicklette]

Would you care to provide some science to back that up? The only limit I have ever seen bassed on experimental data to see what level of nitrates affects fish states around 400ppm is a safe level. Also, you might want to go and speak to CFC's stingrays which are often living with tap water of 40ppm

I apologize. I have read on web sights that above 20ppm is dangerous, however I was wrong so I’m sorry about that. I don’t want to scare people.

So I was wrong so don’t worry about the nitrates. I guess the web sight I read was wrong.