stragen001
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2014
- Messages
- 4
Hello All,
I am just getting started with keeping fish and have been furiously researching over the past couple of weeks whilst waiting for all my kit to arrive. This forum has been very helpful so thank you all!
I got my 22G tank set up and running yesterday, just took my first water test today and got some strange results. There are no fish in the tank yet, have just had the filter running for the past 24hrs or so, and I have put no additives in the water except Tetra Aquasafe to de-chlorinate. I previously had water in the tank but no filter running for about 5 days (original filter DOA, replacement took a few days) but did a 80%ish water change yesterday before adding the filter
The readings I got using an API master test kit were:
pH=8.0 / Ammonia=0.25ppm / Nitrite=5ppm / Nitrate=between 40-80ppm
Those Nitrite and Nitrate readings seemed REALLY high considering the tank hasnt even cycled yet, so I took some readings from my tapwater and got:
pH=7.6 / Ammonia=0.25ppm / Nitrite=0ppm / Nitrate between 40-80ppm
Seems like I have high Nitrates in my tapwater? I checked my water company report which says I have average 23.7mg NO3 per litre. Not sure what that works out to in PPM?
To my questions:
- Will Nitrate levels this high harm any fish I put in the tank?
- What can I do about the high Nitrates in my tapwater?
- Why are the Nitrites so high compared to my tapwater?
- Is it possible that the tank is already in the process of cycling itself due to the Ammonia in the tapwater?
Please see attachments
Tank vs Tap pH test - tank on left, tap on right
Tank vs Tap Nitrite and Nitrate test - tank on left, tap on right
Water company report
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Andy
I am just getting started with keeping fish and have been furiously researching over the past couple of weeks whilst waiting for all my kit to arrive. This forum has been very helpful so thank you all!
I got my 22G tank set up and running yesterday, just took my first water test today and got some strange results. There are no fish in the tank yet, have just had the filter running for the past 24hrs or so, and I have put no additives in the water except Tetra Aquasafe to de-chlorinate. I previously had water in the tank but no filter running for about 5 days (original filter DOA, replacement took a few days) but did a 80%ish water change yesterday before adding the filter
The readings I got using an API master test kit were:
pH=8.0 / Ammonia=0.25ppm / Nitrite=5ppm / Nitrate=between 40-80ppm
Those Nitrite and Nitrate readings seemed REALLY high considering the tank hasnt even cycled yet, so I took some readings from my tapwater and got:
pH=7.6 / Ammonia=0.25ppm / Nitrite=0ppm / Nitrate between 40-80ppm
Seems like I have high Nitrates in my tapwater? I checked my water company report which says I have average 23.7mg NO3 per litre. Not sure what that works out to in PPM?
To my questions:
- Will Nitrate levels this high harm any fish I put in the tank?
- What can I do about the high Nitrates in my tapwater?
- Why are the Nitrites so high compared to my tapwater?
- Is it possible that the tank is already in the process of cycling itself due to the Ammonia in the tapwater?
Please see attachments
Tank vs Tap pH test - tank on left, tap on right
Tank vs Tap Nitrite and Nitrate test - tank on left, tap on right
Water company report
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Andy