Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've been keeping fish for 30 years, and to be honest, I've become a bit complacent with my water testing. My Juwel Vision 180 tank has been running smoothly, and I've only recently done a water test which showed some concerning results - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 80 ppm, PH 7.6, GH 16 and KH 5. The high nitrate level caught my attention. I then tested my tap water and found Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 40 ppm, PH 7.6, GH 16 and KH 9. It seems my tap water has a significant nitrate level, and I'm essentially adding 40 ppm of nitrates to my tank whenever I do a water change. I only feed my fish three times a week, which I thought was a good thing.

I've spoken to my local aquatic centre, and they suggested getting a RO kit to use RO water and add minerals. However, this is quite expensive. I also visited another aquatic store, and they weren't too keen on RO water. Instead, they recommended using RP Nitrate Remover, a resin that you can put in your filter. I'm keen to hear your thoughts on this matter and how I can reduce my nitrates. I've been using Seachem products like Prime, Stability, and Pristine, and I'm interested in trying Seachem Matrix in my filter instead of the RP Nitrate Remover. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

I'm not a huge fan of using chemical filtration media in the tank filter, but I do think it's worth considering pre-filtering your water-change water overnight before doing a water change. I appreciate you're probably changing around 60 litres or so, but it could be worth the effort. You could get something like a simple filter unit - there are plenty of options online, such as the ones on eBay - to pre-filter the water before adding it to your tank. Then, you could also get a basic internal filter filled with a nitrate removing media, like Seachem Matrix or a similar product, to use in the bucket overnight. This way, you can remove some of the nitrates from the water before adding it to your tank.

Angelie wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:56 pm I've been keeping fish for 30 years, and to be honest, I've become a bit complacent with my water testing. My Juwel Vision 180 tank has been running smoothly, and I've only recently done a water test which showed some concerning results - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 80 ppm, PH 7.6, GH 16 and KH 5. The high nitrate level caught my attention. I then tested my tap water and found Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 40 ppm, PH 7.6, GH 16 and KH 9. It seems my tap water has a significant nitrate level, and I'm essentially adding 40 ppm of nitrates to my tank whenever I do a water change. I only feed my fish three times a week, which I thought was a good thing.

I've spoken to my local aquatic centre, and they suggested getting a RO kit to use RO water and add minerals. However, this is quite expensive. I also visited another aquatic store, and they weren't too keen on RO water. Instead, they recommended using RP Nitrate Remover, a resin that you can put in your filter. I'm keen to hear your thoughts on this matter and how I can reduce my nitrates. I've been using Seachem products like Prime, Stability, and Pristine, and I'm interested in trying Seachem Matrix in my filter instead of the RP Nitrate Remover. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

It's worth noting the difference in nitrate measurements between the UK and US. When comparing the two, we need to consider the scales used. In the UK, nitrate levels are measured as nitrate-NO3, whereas US water providers use nitrate-N. This distinction is important, as the US 10 ppm nitrate-N upper limit is equivalent to approximately 45 ppm on the nitrate-NO3 scale. Interestingly, this is almost identical to the UK's upper limit, which highlights the similarities in their approaches to nitrate regulation.

sSjey wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 6:45 pm

Angelie wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:56 pm I've been keeping fish for 30 years, and to be honest, I've become a bit complacent with my water testing. My Juwel Vision 180 tank has been running smoothly, and I've only recently done a water test which showed some concerning results - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 80 ppm, PH 7.6, GH 16 and KH 5. The high nitrate level caught my attention. I then tested my tap water and found Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 40 ppm, PH 7.6, GH 16 and KH 9. It seems my tap water has a significant nitrate level, and I'm essentially adding 40 ppm of nitrates to my tank whenever I do a water change. I only feed my fish three times a week, which I thought was a good thing.

I've spoken to my local aquatic centre, and they suggested getting a RO kit to use RO water and add minerals. However, this is quite expensive. I also visited another aquatic store, and they weren't too keen on RO water. Instead, they recommended using RP Nitrate Remover, a resin that you can put in your filter. I'm keen to hear your thoughts on this matter and how I can reduce my nitrates. I've been using Seachem products like Prime, Stability, and Pristine, and I'm interested in trying Seachem Matrix in my filter instead of the RP Nitrate Remover. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

It's worth noting the difference in nitrate measurements between the UK and US. When comparing the two, we need to consider the scales used. In the UK, nitrate levels are measured as nitrate-NO3, whereas US water providers use nitrate-N. This distinction is important, as the US 10 ppm nitrate-N upper limit is equivalent to approximately 45 ppm on the nitrate-NO3 scale. Interestingly, this is almost identical to the UK's upper limit, which highlights the similarities in their approaches to nitrate regulation.

Thanks for the clarification, sSjey. I've definitely gained some new knowledge today, regardless of the measurement scale. The fact remains, I've got a nitrate issue with my tap water that I need to address.

I completely agree, 40 ppm of nitrates in tap water is far from ideal for our aquatic friends.

I've had my fair share of dealing with high nitrates in my tap water, previously at 40ppm, but fortunately, my current home has a relatively lower nitrate level of 25ppm. For my smaller tanks, ranging from 30 to 100 litres, I've found that incorporating terrestrial plants and using Seachem Purigen has been effective in reducing nitrates. In one of my tanks, I've managed to achieve 0ppm after a 24-hour water change cycle, albeit with a 25% water change. The result is that I'm essentially adding 75% of the water at 0ppm and 25% at 25ppm, giving me a rough level of 6-7ppm.

I've also observed a similar trend in my other tank, albeit with slightly higher nitrates. To address this, I've introduced some additional stems of lucky bamboo, which I sourced from Ikea. One indicator I use to gauge the effectiveness of my methods is duckweed. In my 0ppm tank, the roots of the duckweed are long and irregular, whereas in my other tank, they were initially short and uniform. However, after introducing more terrestrial plants and Purigen to my filter, I've noticed that the roots are now growing more irregularly, suggesting that the nitrate levels are decreasing.

It's essential to note that aquatic plants don't absorb nitrates in the same way that terrestrial plants do. Instead, they take up the ammonia produced in the nitrogen cycle, thereby preventing the formation of nitrates. This is why aquatic plants are often touted as being effective in managing nitrates, but in reality, they're primarily addressing the ammonia in the cycle. Floating plants are a different story, but they're not as effective as terrestrial plants like Pothos, Monsterra, or Lucky Bamboo.

@sSjey, your insight into the US measurements was fascinating. I often lament the poor quality of the UK's tap water, but it seems that the US isn't much better in terms of nitrate levels.

I'm one of the fortunate ones, it seems. My tap water, supplied by Northumbrian Water, has a mean nitrate level of 2.544, with readings ranging from 1.68 to 3.92 on the nitrate-NO3 scale. According to my test kit, this translates to a colour between 0 and 5 ppm. I also have a relatively low hardness of 110.69 ppm or 6.29 dH, and a KH of 50.85 ppm or 2.8 dH.

It's interesting to note that not all UK water is bad. I'm fortunate to have Northumbrian Water, which reports a mean nitrate level of 2.544 on the nitrate-NO3 scale, with readings ranging from 1.68 to 3.92. My test kit shows the nitrates as between 0 and 5 ppm, and my water hardness is 110.69 ppm or 6.29 dH, with a KH of 50.85 ppm or 2.8 dH.

I've often wondered why some areas have a high concentration of aquarium stores, including specialists in aquascaping, marine, and cichlids, while others have very few. My theory is that areas with good water quality, like mine, tend to have more stores because it's easier for the average customer to achieve success.

MikeyKid wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 3:22 pm I'm not a huge fan of using chemical filtration media in the tank filter, but I do think it's worth considering pre-filtering your water-change water overnight before doing a water change. I appreciate you're probably changing around 60 litres or so, but it could be worth the effort. You could get something like a simple filter unit - there are plenty of options online, such as the ones on eBay - to pre-filter the water before adding it to your tank. Then, you could also get a basic internal filter filled with a nitrate removing media, like Seachem Matrix or a similar product, to use in the bucket overnight. This way, you can remove some of the nitrates from the water before adding it to your tank.

I've had my fair share of nitrate battles, and let me tell you, it's not a fun fight. The media I've tried gets exhausted quickly, and you don't even get a warning - one bucket's fine, the next is back to 40ppm. I've lived in ignorance for years, just like @willie32, with tap water at 50ppm. I tried various methods before switching to RO, but it's worth noting that a 75% water change can drop the nitrate in your tank to 50ppm - not ideal, but better than 80ppm.

Aquatic plants won't reduce nitrates, but they do stop them from being created. If you have enough plants, they'll consume the ammonia produced by the fish before the bacteria can get to it, so your nitrogen cycle doesn't happen. In my tank, I don't see detectable nitrate after a week, and I only have sponge in my filter. You could get your nitrate level to 40ppm and keep it there.

Your KH dropping from 9 to 5 suggests you're not changing enough water. This number should stay stable over time. KH is the buffer that stops your tank from turning acidic. Biological processes would turn your tank acidic without this buffer, and that's why KH is reducing. If it reaches zero, you'll have a catastrophic pH crash.

I used to think my fish were just fine, but once I switched to RO, their lifespan increased from 18-24 months to 6-8 years on average. Be aware that your water is on the hard side, so if you switch to RO, you'll need to re-mineralise for fish that require it. I'm no chemist, but I've learned to keep things simple - minimal fertiliser and fish food are all I add to my water.

I'm in a fortunate position, living in an area served by Northumbrian Water, with nitrate levels significantly lower than the UK average. My latest readings show a mean nitrate level of 2.544, with upper and lower limits of 3.92 and 1.68, respectively, on the nitrate-NO3 scale. In terms of hardness, my water comes in at 110.69 ppm or 6.29 dH, with a KH of 50.85 ppm or 2.8 dH.