Tap Water Phosphate Levels

[@ombomb]

Well...

My new kit arrived and I tested the tank water to find 2.5 - 3 ppm, but the water from the tap is showing 5ppm+!

Nitrates are currently around 20ppm (whoever said Nitro+ was crap was right!) and CO2 still around 40ppm so I'm guessing that the imbalance in phosphate to nitrate is what is allowing the algae to flourish.

Should I be worried about such high levels from the tap? (Thames Water)

On a positive note, the ingredients for my EI potions have been dispatched, so this weeked will be EI weekend.

 

[jimbooo]

Well...

My new kit arrived and I tested the tap water to find 2.5 - 3 ppm, but the water from the tap is showing 5ppm+!

Nitrates are currently around 20ppm (whoever said Nitro+ was crap was right!) and CO2 still around 40ppm so I'm guessing that the imbalance in phosphate to nitrate is what is allowing the algae to flourish.

Should I be worried about such high levels from the tap? (Thames Water)

On a positive note, the ingredients for my EI potions have been dispatched, so this weeked will be EI weekend.

[snapback]914841[/snapback]​

told you so!! mine still hasn't changed.

i think you need to edit the first line (Tank or Tap?)

assuming the tap is 5 this is pretty high. you could always add a bag of rowaphos to the filter and not bother upping the nitrate. its the 1:10-20 ratio your going for. get the phos to 1 and your in balance.

 

[Bloo]

I think you and I are sitting in exactly the same boat with Thames Water.
My Phosphate test only tests up to 3ppm. And it's off chart

I've also just ordered my ferts and hopefully starting next week with them.

In conjunction with my new JBL pressurised system

Well...

My new kit arrived and I tested the tank water to find 2.5 - 3 ppm, but the water from the tap is showing 5ppm+!

Nitrates are currently around 20ppm (whoever said Nitro+ was crap was right!) and CO2 still around 40ppm so I'm guessing that the imbalance in phosphate to nitrate is what is allowing the algae to flourish.

Should I be worried about such high levels from the tap? (Thames Water)

On a positive note, the ingredients for my EI potions have been dispatched, so this weeked will be EI weekend.

[snapback]914841[/snapback]​

 

[@ombomb]

Edit the post... don't know what you're talking about!

What are rowaphos? A chemical to reduce the level?

The Nitrate level I'll be aiming for will be a bot higher than it is at the moment, but I'd like to know how to control the phosphates rather then them controlling me!

In conjunction with my new JBL pressurised system wink.gif

Back to the yeast mix for me!

 

[donkey]

i have the same phosphate coming out of my tap water so i got a RO filter and it now comes out the RO filter at 0.5

 

[jimbooo]

Edit the post... don't know what you're talking about!

What are rowaphos? A chemical to reduce the level?

The Nitrate level I'll be aiming for will be a bot higher than it is at the moment, but I'd like to know how to control the phosphates rather then them controlling me!

In conjunction with my new JBL pressurised system wink.gif

Back to the yeast mix for me!

[snapback]914853[/snapback]​

rowaphos is a filter additive (like carbon). you fill a tea bag thing with it and chuck it in your filter. it will then absorb any phosphate passing through it. although you do need phosphate in the tank only very small ammounts and sorry to keep on about it but the ratio (1:10-20) is the relevant part.

phosphate comes from rotting matter. if you keep the feeding levels down and do weekly water changes you should be able to keep the phos to around 1. as your nitrAte is 20 already you can leave it at that. theres no need to raise nitrate above 20. the phosphate is the problem.

as donkey said you could alternativly buy RO water from the LFS and do a 50/50 mix ro/tap this would half the phosphate level going into the tank.

type Rowaphos into google to find the product, it's pretty common. i used to use it myself but my plants take so much from the water now my phosphate is always 0 now so i no longer need it. same with gf225..

 

[@ombomb]

as donkey said you could alternativly buy RO water from the LFS and do a 50/50 mix ro/tap this would half the phosphate level going into the tank.

Not keen on the idea of carrying 100 litres of water on the bus every weekend!

Rowaphos sounds like the temporary fix.

Am going to the fish shop tomorrow to get a few litres of RO water for my EI ferts so hopefully will be able to find some there.

Thanks for the help on this Jim, much appreciated!

 

[donkey]

would it not be better just to buy a RO filter .in the long run it would work out cheaper than Rowaphos .you can pick up a RO filter quite cheap now .

 

[jimbooo]

yep, that would also be an option if you have somewhere you could fit it. i only have 1 tap in my flat the the misses wouldn't look too kindly to me converting it for the fish!!

@ombomb - no worries

 

[donkey]

Thats not a problem mate .even if you only have one tap .the RO filter has an adapter that clamps around your copper pipe uner the sink .so you dont need to have it on the sink tap

 

[jimbooo]

you'll get me in trouble telling me things like that. didn't realise that and i'm actually just about to pop to the LFS for some guppies. may have a nose about while i'm there. thanks donkey

 

[donkey]

if your going to buy a RO filter get it off Ebay there very cheap on there .

 

[@ombomb]

Just checked and it looks as though you could easily get one off ebay for £30ish.

I'll just have to wait for the girlfriend to go out for the day before I fit it!

 

[zig]

You could always just see how it goes, lots of people run sucessful planted setups with phosphate readings of 5ppm, if you keep the nitrate levels at about 20ppm you should be ok, the plants will be useing the phosphate up between water changes so your readings will drop lower and you may just have to keep the nitrate topped up, but if you are not dosing much KNO3 or KH2PO4 you will have to dose k or the potassium sulphate seperatly.

I wouldnt unduly worry about it, your algae woes are more than likely down to co2 issues anyway.

Id stick the money towards a co2 unit quicker than an RO unit for the moment anyway and just see how it goes.

 

[donkey]

yes as zig says co2 will help a lot with your algae but you need to keep it around 30ppm .not sure if you can get it up this far on a yeast mix ? but if it were me i would attack it on two fronts . with good co2 and a RO filter as you say there only about £30ish from Ebay so its not a lot to pay . i had lots of algae problems till i went with co2 and a RO filter .