Tap Water Readings- Are They Ok ?

[Jamie24]

Hi folks, I'm this week in the process of setting up my Aqua One & last night carried out some readings from the tap water I'll be using to fill my tank these reading were as follows

PH 6.8
Ammonia 0.25-0.55
Nitrite 0.25-0.55

Are those readings ok/normal & do I need to take any different reading of say hardness ??

Thanks guys.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Ammonia is 'normal' but the nitrite seems a bit high. It depends where you are in the world though. Here in the UK the legal limit for nitrite is 0.5ppm. It's also 0.5ppm for ammonia, but only as a guide, so it can be higher. So for those two you're at the top end of acceptable in terms of what you'd expect from the tap. But once it's put into a fully cycled tank, having been treated with a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime that detoxifies the ammonia and, if overdosed, also detoxifies nitrite, you won't have any problems.

The pH and hardness only really matter if you intend to get certain types of fish such as certain cichlids or discus which can be a bit fussy about what they need. Most other fish will adjust to whatever you put them in though and your pH of 6.8 is just fine. You will need to keep an eye on the pH as you cycle the tank (you have read up about that I hope) to make sure it doesn't drop rapidly. Are you doing a fishless or fish-in cycle?

 

[DBT85]

You should also measure your Nitrate levels. Mine are about 40 straight out of the tap. If I didn't know that and did a test on my tank I'd forever be doing water changes trying to get it lower.

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to how high the Nitrate levels can go before they start causing most fish any issues. Some seem to think that anything over 40 is going to make eyes drop out and fins explode while others say most fish are fine upto nearly 300. What does seem to be common though is that if the Nitrate level is 20 higher than it is from your tap you should change it.

 

[Jamie24]

Ammonia is 'normal' but the nitrite seems a bit high. It depends where you are in the world though. Here in the UK the legal limit for nitrite is 0.5ppm. It's also 0.5ppm for ammonia, but only as a guide, so it can be higher. So for those two you're at the top end of acceptable in terms of what you'd expect from the tap. But once it's put into a fully cycled tank, having been treated with a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime that detoxifies the ammonia and, if overdosed, also detoxifies nitrite, you won't have any problems.

The pH and hardness only really matter if you intend to get certain types of fish such as certain cichlids or discus which can be a bit fussy about what they need. Most other fish will adjust to whatever you put them in though and your pH of 6.8 is just fine. You will need to keep an eye on the pH as you cycle the tank (you have read up about that I hope) to make sure it doesn't drop rapidly. Are you doing a fishless or fish-in cycle?

I'm starting my fishless cycle tomorrow after giving the tank one day to settle... At what stage can I add plants during the fishless cycle ??

 

[CezzaXV]

Ammonia is 'normal' but the nitrite seems a bit high. It depends where you are in the world though. Here in the UK the legal limit for nitrite is 0.5ppm. It's also 0.5ppm for ammonia, but only as a guide, so it can be higher. So for those two you're at the top end of acceptable in terms of what you'd expect from the tap. But once it's put into a fully cycled tank, having been treated with a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime that detoxifies the ammonia and, if overdosed, also detoxifies nitrite, you won't have any problems.

The pH and hardness only really matter if you intend to get certain types of fish such as certain cichlids or discus which can be a bit fussy about what they need. Most other fish will adjust to whatever you put them in though and your pH of 6.8 is just fine. You will need to keep an eye on the pH as you cycle the tank (you have read up about that I hope) to make sure it doesn't drop rapidly. Are you doing a fishless or fish-in cycle?

I'm starting my fishless cycle tomorrow after giving the tank one day to settle... At what stage can I add plants during the fishless cycle ??

Wait until you're ready to actually add fish. Live plants need light, and light plus ammonia will add up to large amounts of algae.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Ammonia is 'normal' but the nitrite seems a bit high. It depends where you are in the world though. Here in the UK the legal limit for nitrite is 0.5ppm. It's also 0.5ppm for ammonia, but only as a guide, so it can be higher. So for those two you're at the top end of acceptable in terms of what you'd expect from the tap. But once it's put into a fully cycled tank, having been treated with a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime that detoxifies the ammonia and, if overdosed, also detoxifies nitrite, you won't have any problems.

The pH and hardness only really matter if you intend to get certain types of fish such as certain cichlids or discus which can be a bit fussy about what they need. Most other fish will adjust to whatever you put them in though and your pH of 6.8 is just fine. You will need to keep an eye on the pH as you cycle the tank (you have read up about that I hope) to make sure it doesn't drop rapidly. Are you doing a fishless or fish-in cycle?

I'm starting my fishless cycle tomorrow after giving the tank one day to settle... At what stage can I add plants during the fishless cycle ??

Wait until you're ready to actually add fish. Live plants need light, and light plus ammonia will add up to large amounts of algae.

I agree with Cezza. Cycle the tank first, no lights necessary, and plant once it's cycled. Plants just complicate the cycle (i.e. make it harder to know when it's truly cycled).

 

[Jamie24]

Thanks for that guys, it's appreciated.

Woke up this morning with no leaks & the temp set at 30, got the bubble bar going for extra oxygen, keeping the lights permanently off & dosed with 7ml of Ammonia... fingers crossed.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Excellent. Don't let the ammonia get any higher than 4ppm and preferably make it 2ppm.

 

[Jamie24]

Excellent. Don't let the ammonia get any higher than 4ppm and preferably make it 2ppm.

Oh ok but when I read the beginners guide thing it said 5ppm so that's what I went for... What happens if it's above 4ppm ??

 

[the_lock_man]

Excellent. Don't let the ammonia get any higher than 4ppm and preferably make it 2ppm.

Oh ok but when I read the beginners guide thing it said 5ppm so that's what I went for... What happens if it's above 4ppm ??

IMHO, anywhere between 4 and 5 is fine - above 5ppm, and you start to encourage the wrong species of bacteria.

Once that's dropped to 0ppm, then redose daily to 3ppm, until your nitrite is processed to 0ppm within 24hours.

 

[Jamie24]

Excellent. Don't let the ammonia get any higher than 4ppm and preferably make it 2ppm.

Oh ok but when I read the beginners guide thing it said 5ppm so that's what I went for... What happens if it's above 4ppm ??

IMHO, anywhere between 4 and 5 is fine - above 5ppm, and you start to encourage the wrong species of bacteria.

Once that's dropped to 0ppm, then redose daily to 3ppm, until your nitrite is processed to 0ppm within 24hours.

How long does the ammonia take to "mix" or show a reading... I added 7ml of Ammonia around 4 hours ago to make it up to 5ppm (using the calculator) I could resist & just done my first test but the Ammonia reading is still light Green 1ppm at maximum & considering my tap water had a little in it it's not gone up much at all, I can however smell the ammonia in the tank water ?? It's the Homebase 9.5% ammonia

 

[Prime Ordeal]

It depends upon the flow rate of your filter, but if your filter is adequate for your size of tank the reading should be accurate after about an hour. How big is your tank and which filter do you have?

 

[Jamie24]

It depends upon the flow rate of your filter, but if your filter is adequate for your size of tank the reading should be accurate after about an hour. How big is your tank and which filter do you have?

AquaOne 620T... 24x15x28 inch, 130litres, Trickle wet&dry filter built into the hood, think it's 550lph

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Your filtration is adequate so the reading should be accurate after an hour easily. I make your tank capacity 165l, so I'm assuming that 130l figure is after you've taken into account the volume of the substrate etc.

The calculator does give 7ml of 9.5% ammonia to give 5ppm for that volume so that's right. Is the ammonia a new bottle, just opened? Is your test kit in date?

 

[Jamie24]

Your filtration is adequate so the reading should be accurate after an hour easily. I make your tank capacity 165l, so I'm assuming that 130l figure is after you've taken into account the volume of the substrate etc.

The calculator does give 7ml of 9.5% ammonia to give 5ppm for that volume so that's right. Is the ammonia a new bottle, just opened? Is your test kit in date?

Yes it's a new bottle of ammonia that's just been bought & opened for this purpose, the test kit is in date until March 2013... after 6 hours the reading hasn't moved from the light Green colour, 5ppm on my test kit is quite a dark Blue.... Do I have to leave the test to settle for 15 mins as I've only just read I have to do that on my test kit instructions.