City water high nitrates fish coming today

[Chillie308]

Ok so apparently from the last time I tested my city water the amounts of nitrates in it has went up. It was testing between 10-20 on API but now is testing between 20-40. I have a RO system but it only pumps out 2 gallons per hour and I have a 60 gallon (with fish arriving today via FedEx) a 20 gallon and a 55 gallon I planned to set up soon. My 20 gallon has 6 small Java fern ... A large portion of Christmas moss and 4 large moss balls and still tests 40 with a 5 gallon wc weekly.

Honestly I just don't have the time or money to do fancy planted tanks. Is there anything out there to help remove nitrate? I live in a small town there are no LFS within 2 hours from me so I will have to order if there is anything.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Hornwort, lots of it. It will soak up those nitrates in no time. Not hard to grow either.


Caleb

 

[Chillie308]

Does Matrix really work? I had about 3/4 of a 500 ml bottle left so I threw it in my filter between the sponge and carbon (hob filter)

 

[Chillie308]

I forgot to add I don't think I can add any plants as I did put the recommended dosage of aquarium salt into my tank

 

[fish wrangler]

You shouldn't need salt imo.

Hotelier
Hornwort, elodea (aka anacharis), and water wisteria are all easy nitrate sucking hogs.

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[Chillie308]

Yea I'm kicking myself now... I have to have fish shipped in and everything looked so good about it (the salt) as a disease deterrent and improving health I already added it ugh

 

[fish wrangler]

Drain the tank and refill it twice. This should remove 99% of the salt, and the 1% left won't be harmful to plants.

I wouldn't worry about disease deterrence. If something comes up then treat for it, but until then just monitor the fish for 2 weeks in a bare bottom quarantine tank.

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[PerfectDepth]

I would trust your water report over a hobby test kit. The EPA limit for nitrates is 10 ppm. If your city's water is higher than that, they are in violation, but it isn't very likely in my opinion.

I never go by the color card for the nitrate test. I calibrate with reference solutions, and go by that color. My tap water has just 7 ppm of nitrates, but going by the color card it reads about 30 ppm. Not even close, but I know 7 ppm is correct because the color is exactly in between the 5 and 10 ppm solutions.


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[Fishobsessed7]

You could go to lowes, Home Depot, or Walmart, and look in the house plants section for pothos. Them you could bring it home and rinse all the dirt off of the roots, and place the roots in your filter, with the leaves above the water. The pothos should thrive in there, and they do a good job removing nitrates.


Fishobsessed7

Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Fish Which Is Pretty Much The Same Thing