Why Are My Nitrates So High?
- Thread starter LolaLouie
- Start date
Two things: First, how old is your test kit? Nitrate kits are subject to becoming inaccurate if they aren't used for a while or are old. Bottle 2 can develop clumps (thus the reason for shaking it 30 seconds before using and for 60 seconds after adding it) yielding bad results. Second, if the test is indeed correct, contact your water company (provided you aren't on well water) immediately. That level of nitrate is dangerous for you and especially for infants.
As for the nitrate level, as mentioned, it isn't necessarily dangerous to your fish. They can handle levels higher than that, provided you aren't dealing with delicate fish that need pristeen water such as discus. I would suggest taking a water sample to the loccal fish store to have it checked.
As for the nitrate level, as mentioned, it isn't necessarily dangerous to your fish. They can handle levels higher than that, provided you aren't dealing with delicate fish that need pristeen water such as discus. I would suggest taking a water sample to the loccal fish store to have it checked.
My test kit is 2 months old and used daily.
I was just thinking.. I take the water for my tank from the cold tap in my bath. I wonder whether this makes a difference. I'm going to test my kitchen tap and will report back!
I was just thinking.. I take the water for my tank from the cold tap in my bath. I wonder whether this makes a difference. I'm going to test my kitchen tap and will report back!
Where in the house it comes from shouldn't make a difference unless there's something in the pipes. You might also want to get a test sample from one of your neighbors to see if it is just specific to your home. I know you are in London though and from my understanding, high nitrates in the tap water in that area isn't uncommon. I've just never heard of them being that high. Most people seem mention them in the 40 range.
Do you have a coldwater storage tank in the loft? If you do then the coldwater tap on your bath will be fed from this tank and could be the explanation to the nitrates, all sorts of bugs fall into the tank and then rot down in the tank (thats why you should never drink water from the bathroom taps).
The nitrates around here (West London) are running about about 40ppm at the moment but a couple of summers ago they got up to 80ppm.
The nitrates around here (West London) are running about about 40ppm at the moment but a couple of summers ago they got up to 80ppm.
Yup you're right no difference in my kitchen tap.
I'm so confused because I've had a fish tank in this house for 3 motnhs and nitrates have always been 5-10.
It must be the test kit but again I don't know why the test kit would suddenly stop working. I'll take my water into my LFS and I guess buy a new test kit if necessary.
Thanks for all the advice guys. Hopefully it is my test kit and not my tap water!
I'm so confused because I've had a fish tank in this house for 3 motnhs and nitrates have always been 5-10.
It must be the test kit but again I don't know why the test kit would suddenly stop working. I'll take my water into my LFS and I guess buy a new test kit if necessary.
Thanks for all the advice guys. Hopefully it is my test kit and not my tap water!
Actually with all the heavy rainfall and flooding recently there is a chance the nitrates might be running high in the water mains. The reason the nitrates go high in the summer is that they have to recycle water faster to get it back out into the pipes as consumption is higher, with all this excess landwater flowing into the drains it could be having a similar effect by there being too much water for them to process so they are having to recycle it quicker.
No water storage in the loft.
I think 1st step is to get my water tested at my LFS which unfortunately I won't get a chance to do until the weekend!
I will keep you all updated.
I took the carbon out of my filter and replaced it with biological media as my plants weren't doing too good so i wanted to take the carbon out to keep the plant food in... could this influence the nitrate levels?!?
I think 1st step is to get my water tested at my LFS which unfortunately I won't get a chance to do until the weekend!
I will keep you all updated.
I took the carbon out of my filter and replaced it with biological media as my plants weren't doing too good so i wanted to take the carbon out to keep the plant food in... could this influence the nitrate levels?!?
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fry_lover
Fred and the Fredettes
This kind of advice could have caused panic and uneccessary actions!!! No offence
Its mostly "or your fish will die" which is way off. But also the "need to be kepy below 20ppm" is not accurate.
Atleast some good input all round in the thread, we all learn from places like this.
Ha ha ok thanks backtotropical! Still hoping it's the test kit though otherwise I don't know what to do!
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