High nitrates in tap water!

[Mcor]

Don't know why I didn't test sooner, but my tap water has really high nitrates! What can I do to reduce the levels as I've been changing my water frequently in the tank trying to bring my nitrates down? It's a 250litre heavily planted and heavily stocked tank. I'm reading a slight .25ppm ammonia reading on the tap water too. My tank tests are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 80+ppm nitrates. Ph is 7.6. I have purigen, bio balls, ceramic rings, carbon, and sponges in my trickle filter.
Any help or suggestions?

Include a photo of my nitrates test on tap water.

 

[patrickriley2010]

Don't know why I didn't test sooner, but my tap water has really high nitrates! What can I do to reduce the levels as I've been changing my water frequently in the tank trying to bring my nitrates down? It's a 250litre heavily planted and heavily stocked tank. I'm reading a slight .25ppm ammonia reading on the tap water too. My tank tests are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 80+ppm nitrates. Ph is 7.6. I have purigen, bio balls, ceramic rings, carbon, and sponges in my trickle filter.
Any help or suggestions?

Include a photo of my nitrates test on tap water.

Not only for fish health but your health! I use a water purifier for my drinking water . Idk what to do about the tank though

 

[Rivercats]

If your on city water there are regulations as to how high nitrate levels in drinking water can be so I'd make inquires to the water company. If your on well water there isn't anything you can do except see about cutting your tap water with RO. Say you have 40ppm of nitrates in the tap water. If you use 50% RO and 50% tap you lower your WC levels down to 20ppm.

You can also see about adding some plants like water sprite or wisteria to the tank to help use up nitrates. Duckweed is a royal pain IMO but it can use up so much nitrates in this instance it might be worth a try. It grows so fast you literally have to scoop a couple handfuls or more every couple of days so it doesn't choke itself out. Also look into planted HOB filters if you have any spare ones laying around. I'll post a link. The plants you use in them can also use tons of nitrates. Your going to have to think outside the box and get creative.

Anyone ever grow emersed plants out of the filter of a Fluval Spec?

Planted HOB thread.

 

[Mcor]

Just checked the water company website - the maximum limit for nitrates is 50mg per litre. How would that translate to ppm?

Thank you rivercats, I used to have duckweed but my fish nibbled off all the roots and decimated it. The planted filter sounds like a really interesting idea. I will definitely have to have a look into it. I have an amazon sword, several java ferns, some fanwort (which is also being attacked by the fish), and a few unknowns (similar to java fern but the leaves are frilly at the ends).

For the meantime, I'm going to calm down on the excessive water changes, I'm probably putting back as much or more nitrates than I'm removing! Time to think of a plan B.

Thanks for your help!

 

[aqua_chem]

mg/L is the same as ppm.

The ability of plants to take up nutrients is driven by light. If you've got decent light, I would look into floating plants, as they aren't co2 limited like a submerged plant would be.

 

[Mcor]

I have T5 lighting. So... Floating plants. The duckweed failed to thrive in my tank. The platys and gouramis nipped off all the roots and my beautiful big clump of duckweed turned into a few tiny scrappy little things which started going yellow so I pulled them out. I need some suggestions for other floating plants to try. Thinking probably something with tiny leaves might fare better?

 

[Rivercats]

Gourami's are famous for picking at roots. I had the same problem with mine. BUT I didn't have a spare HOB or room for it so I had a couple clear breeding boxes that I put the fry saver bottom in, then filled it most of the way up with a lightweight clay substrate (I'll post the link), added super suctions cups (on the link), and planted some riparium type plants (ones that like wet feet but not submerged leaves) in it. They are on the back corner of my tank. That is something you could also look into. Check out this site... Shop | Riparium Supply.

 

[Mcor]

Gourami's are famous for picking at roots. I had the same problem with mine. BUT I didn't have a spare HOB or room for it so I had a couple clear breeding boxes that I put the fry saver bottom in, then filled it most of the way up with a lightweight clay substrate (I'll post the link), added super suctions cups (on the link), and planted some riparium type plants (ones that like wet feet but not submerged leaves) in it. They are on the back corner of my tank. That is something you could also look into. Check out this site... Shop | Riparium Supply.

That is a fantastic idea! The planted filters you suggested are a little daunting to me, but the breeder box is something I could really try! Thank you!

 

[Rivercats]

It's pretty much the same principle with the exception that the plants in HOB filters have nutrient rich water constantly being flushed through their roots so they can absorb more of them. I also have a now huge Potho's plant that started out with several cuttings loosely tied together and draped over the rim of the tank in one corner. The roots grow in the water and the plant over the rim of the tank and down. Those roots also absorb nutrients like crazy and when roots get too close to the substrate (30" in my tank) I just take sissors and cut them back by about 1/2.

 

[Mcor]

Hmmm. I have limited room, and zero money for a new filter. I'll try the breeder box - only, I assume my hood might get in the way if only the roots need to be submersed. I don't have much height between the top of the water and the hood. I could maybe try and get some more duckweed and have it floating in the breeder box? I think I'm going to test my tap water once more today. I still can't believe the results. See, now I don't know if my 0 or 5ppm results I used to get were accurate or not. Could you get 'false' results as you reach the end of your bottles? As in, the concentration of the chemicals is high enough that it would give a false high result?

 

[Mcor]

Just thought I'd update this if anyone reads it. Found the cause of my high nitrate readings was a dodgy test kit. Tested with a fresh new API test kit and the tap and tank are both ZERO nitrates. Problem solved, even though there wasn't a problem to begin with.

 

[aqua_chem]

You were shaking the API kits really well before using them right? They give falsely low readings if not thoroughly shaken first.

 

[Mcor]

Yeah, got the LFS to do it, twice. Then came home with a new test kit. Don't worry, I shake them so hard it hurts.

 

[Rivercats]

You can do duckweed in breeder boxes but be sure to remove excess daily or everyother day so it doesn't choke itself out. There are alot of reasons you can get false readings but it's most due to human error and not the chemicals. But old test chemicals can cause it also.

 

[Mcor]

You can do duckweed in breeder boxes but be sure to remove excess daily or everyother day so it doesn't choke itself out. There are alot of reasons you can get false readings but it's most due to human error and not the chemicals. But old test chemicals can cause it also.

+1 to human error for sure. I never shook the bottles particularly well until recently so now when I don't have much left in the bottle, it's really concentrated, and giving false high readouts as a result. Thanks for all your help though, Rivercats. I'm still going to try the planted breeder box.