I have a 130 gallon freshwater set up which I've changed the water about 4 times in the past month. Couple fish started dying on me. But I have high nitrates, I think its coming from the tap water. I got PRIME water conditioner yesterday but is there anything more I can do for this issue?
High Nitrates from Tap Water
- Thread starter Realdeal56
- Start date
Test the tap water lol seems pretty easy solution
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Howdy
What is "high"???
Honestly I doubt that your fish die from high nitrates. Have you checked nitrites and ammonia? What pH? You have to compare tap vs tank to get to the bottom of it
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
What is "high"???
Honestly I doubt that your fish die from high nitrates. Have you checked nitrites and ammonia? What pH? You have to compare tap vs tank to get to the bottom of it
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
First, Why do you think it's nitrates? Have you tested the tank and the tap water, if so please share the results if not then test.
Are you on city water or a well ?? And were you using any sort of water conditioner/dechlorination before this ? How long has the tank been set up, and what's the stock ??
Really not enough information in your post to help at all. IF you've done all the tests and KNOW it's nitrates in the tap water then really the only solution is more water changes, or a new water source (R/O, filters etc), Heavy plant load especially floating cover plants like water lettuce and duckweed also really suck back the nitrates so they may help as well.
Yes, the first thing you need to do is test the tap water so you can see what you're putting into the tank. How heavly is the tank stocked? How often and how much do you feed? What do you feed? Is there uneaten food left in the tank? How often do you clean the filters, vacume the substraight. What percentage of water do you change? As you can see there are a few variables involved. Start looking at some of these things we've mentioned and start narrowing down the root cause.
I just googled the Providence RI water quality report, (don't know if that's where you're from but just in case?).
Average nitrate level in the tap water is listed at 0.5ppm.
The US MCL is 10ppm, and no commercial water provider I know of, would ever come close to that, the penalties are too expensive.
Average nitrate level in the tap water is listed at 0.5ppm.
The US MCL is 10ppm, and no commercial water provider I know of, would ever come close to that, the penalties are too expensive.
+1
The amount of nitrates needed to kill off tropical fish is far above any approved levels for tap water in the US. Of course, there are certainly areas where nitrates are in the water, but those are at levels that should, at most, be adding to an already existing problem or causing an aquarist to have to make some adjustments (much less drastic that large water changes.)
Best bet is to test the tank water for a full array of parameters and if needed to do a quick set on the tap water.
Here's what you had posted that you had in the 130 in December:
"Housing a Clown knife, Bichir, 2 bala sharks, 2 rainbow sharks, pleco, archer fish, african butterfly, Ctenopoma, Albino Fossil Catfish, Yoyo Loach, Green Severum, 3 Silver dollars."
Is this still what you have? How big are these?