Nitrate Levels..

[marsh]

By the way, my LFS totally gave me a strange look for asking about "fishless" cycling and then tried to sell me "safe start". That is very annoying in California just like in the UK I bet! They know full well my fish might die in the next 3 weeks with bacteria levels establishing themselves in the filter and levels of Amm/NO2/NO3 are spiking and dropping all over the place!

Fish shops sell a few "1rst" fishes, and LOTS of 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths......

Well I am attached to my first fish!!! He has a name and I refuse to play games with his health or my money for that matter. I returned the "instant cycle" bottle that I did buy and got a cheaper bottle of a 10% ammonia solution in water at my local hardware store and an eye dropper from my local drug store.

My tank cycled faster than if I used the low levels of ammonia a fish produces and the API tests were very easy to read with such strong concentrations of ammonia, then nitrites and finally neither of those and only nitrates. I recommend it! Ammonia is a cleaning product, make sure there are no colors or odors, if you shake he bottle there should be no bubbles at the top!

 

[Scott28]

I'm going to start using bottled water from my local store, it works out £1 for 10litres.. So not to bad.

I can't find pure ammonia anywhere in the UK. I rang all my lfs and none of them knew what ammonia was, and I had to explain I wanted it for fishless cycling and then explain what that was. I'm at a loss how to continue.

 

[_skyla_]

I'm going to start using bottled water from my local store, it works out £1 for 10litres.. So not to bad.

I can't find pure ammonia anywhere in the UK. I rang all my lfs and none of them knew what ammonia was, and I had to explain I wanted it for fishless cycling and then explain what that was. I'm at a loss how to continue.

you can use a piece of shrimp to start the cycle or even add some fish food to produce the ammonia.

 

[Scott28]

I make the assumption it's dead shrimp? Will most lfs have this?

 

[marsh]

Fish stores never sell ammonia, they sell feeder fish instead. Go to the hardware store!

 

[stevedocs]

If your in the uk homebase has ammonia, plain white bottle with orange writing, cheap as chips too. Go to boots and buy a 5ml plastic syringe to

 

[Scott28]

If your in the uk homebase has ammonia, plain white bottle with orange writing, cheap as chips too. Go to boots and buy a 5ml plastic syringe to

Cool! Cheers! I'll pop in there tomorrow.

Is there a formula for calculating the amount needed?

 

[_skyla_]

I make the assumption it's dead shrimp? Will most lfs have this?

yes i meant to say a dead prawn haha

 

[marsh]

Cool! Cheers! I'll pop in there tomorrow.

Is there a formula for calculating the amount needed?

I added 5 drops and did a test and repeated the process until my drip test was at 5.0 ppm ammonia, or very dark green. Took 35 drops or so for my 29 gallon, but the strength of the solution varies by brand.

 

[creic38]

When you buy ammonia at the hardware store, be sure it has no additives! Don't trust the label.....give it a shake. If it suds up, no good! And for the nitrate test......forget about the instructions. You need to take bottle 2 and shake it for a good 2 minutes, banging it on the counter periodically. Did you say your tap water was testing that high? If so, not sure about the UK, but I believe nitrates that high out of tap in the US is a crime, literally! Buying bottles water may not seem like a steep expense now, but it will get pricey. You would need to use the same water for all water changes or you risk throwing off the ph by too much and hurting your fish.

 

[Scott28]

When you buy ammonia at the hardware store, be sure it has no additives! Don't trust the label.....give it a shake. If it suds up, no good! And for the nitrate test......forget about the instructions. You need to take bottle 2 and shake it for a good 2 minutes, banging it on the counter periodically. Did you say your tap water was testing that high? If so, not sure about the UK, but I believe nitrates that high out of tap in the US is a crime, literally! Buying bottles water may not seem like a steep expense now, but it will get pricey. You would need to use the same water for all water changes or you risk throwing off the ph by too much and hurting your fish.

Cool, I will try another NitrAte test. Yeah, that was the tap water which is this high. I'm going to look into UK law on this. Though not many other options to apart from using bottled water.

 

[Scott28]

Hey, good news, my API master test kit turned up!

I tested my tap water and followed the NitrAte test to the book. (it's like a workout to test)

My NitrAte levels are definitely over 80ppm, annoyingly chart then jumps to 160ppm. Based on colour, i would estimate 100-120ppm, second test was around 80ppm.

This seems crazy high!

Tap Water other tests:
High Range PH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0ppm
NitrIte: 0ppm

I assumed ammonia and NitrIte would be 0 or very low.

Re my earlier comment I`ve managed to lower my NitrAte now, still not perfect, but making improvements.. I rang my water supplier up and they guaranteed me the water in the supply is 35ppm, i still find this high but better than 80. They informed me they get a lot of calls regarding aquarium test kits showing inaccurate levels (this could just be a fob off) but I`m insisting they come out and check the levels in front of me.. show the API NitrAte be off by this much?

 

[Dreadz]

80ppm seems crazy out of the tap but the kits are pretty reliable and if you followed the instructions to the letter I'd be more inclined to believe your results than yr water company's claim.
You could plant out your tank quite heavily and they'll consume the nitrates or you could look at an RO unit which should bring those levels down.
The other option would be a water treatments like tetra easy balance, which claims to reduce nitrates, quite how it does this or how effective it is I'm not sure.

 

[Scott28]

I've done quite a few tests and followed it to the letter aswell as taking others advice on doing it and it all come out + 80ppm. Interested to see if they come out what it is.. I`m going to continue to add plants until the levels come down enough..

Any recommendations on RO units?

 

[Dreadz]

I'm really not qualified to make that kind of recommendation but have a look online, find what suits your budget and ask on here if anyone has experience with the ones you're looking at.

 

[creic38]

Man, that stinks that your tap water is like that. If you are going the plant route, definitely see if you can get your hands on some hornwort and anacharis.