Nitrates in tap water!

[Andos99]

I've had some growing concerns over my nitrate levels and today I decided to check my tap water to eliminate possible options. To my surprise it tested 10-15 ppm straight from the tap! Is this very common and how can I fix this? RO unit? I'm going to buy a new test kit this week just to make sure my chemicals aren't dated. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

Once upon a time I had a tap water nitrates problem. My pwc's were upping my nitrates so I did more pwc's, and fish would die after each one. If I didn't do pwc my nitrates were very low (overplanted, overstocked). I finally tested my tap water and it was 80+ (should have sent a sample to the EPA). I had been using 50% RO before, but now I use all RO.

 

[richiestang_78]

You must since the EPA standard is 10ppm. If they really are that hihg in the drinking water your should contact the EPA

 

[SHIFT_Unique]

i thought 100% RO water is not healthy, because it contains no trace elements that fish need for health

 

[Alshain]

I not quite sure why you are concerned over 15ppm. You want 10-20ppm if you keep live plants, and event if you don't then 15ppm is still negligable. We are talking about NitrAtes right?

 

[dapellegrini]

I agree with alshain. I had my tank as high as 60ppm of NO3 with no issues, while I was figuring things out. I actually dose 10ppm of NO3 into my tank 3 times a week! Now my levels are more around 10ppm (the plants eat it up), which is closer to what is recommended.

I could see fish starting to die around 80ppm, though I have heard you can take it to around 130ppm before catastrophic failure.

Your tap water should not be over 10ppm as mentioned, as that is a violation of the the EPA standards.

These hobby-grade test kits we use are very inaccurate, and often times you can in fact be at 0ppm of NO3 even when they are showing 10ppm! If you are really concerned, this is what you should do. Take some distilled water. Add 10ppm of NO3 and run that through the test. Keep that as a reference and then run your normal tap water. Compare the colors.

For your own purposes, I would not drink water with NO3 in it, but your fish should be fine. RO water is fine for personal consumption. Unless you are on a bread and water diet, you will get your minerals elsewhere

 

[SHIFT_Unique]

RO water is fine for personal consumption. Unless you are on a bread and water diet, you will get your minerals elsewhere

I read that fish get the nutrients from both their food and enviornment. and that they need trace elements in the water.

RO water has no elements at all. just straight H2O.

a 50/50 mixture of RO and tap water was best.

 

[dapellegrini]

Oh, read that wrong... Ha...

Don't put 100% RO in your tank. Your tap water would be much better for the fish. For yourself, I would recommend RO over NO3-tainted tap water

 

[Andos99]

It's just kind of annoying....back in Phoenix my water had zero NO3 and now that I live in Maricopa my water is so hard it stains my landscape and contains NO3......sigh.

 

[dapellegrini]

Hey I didn't realize you are around Phoenix. You aware of the local group?

http://aape.naturalaquariums.com/forum/

 

[Andos99]

Hey thanks! I'll check it out.