Happy new year every one .On friday did 60% water change on my 150 lt tank which has my female dwarf pike yesterday I noticed she was at the surface trying to breath so did a ammonia test 0ppm did a nitrate test the reading was off the scale past 100ppm so did a 80% water change and searched the tank and found some minute bits of food which I removed today did a nitrate test again reading was past 100 ppm again checked filter wasn't too bad cleaned it any way cleaned the gravel and re filled the tank then did another which read about 5ppm checked my tap water which also read about 5ppm never had a nitrate reading of 5 ppm on my tap water .Checked my other tanks as did several other water changes and the nitrate readings for them below the 5ppm mark. Was wondering if such small pieces of un eaten fish can cause such a massive nitrate spike?
massive nitrate spike
- Thread starter bathawk
- Start date
Probably not. My guess is the test is either expired or was not done correctly. By correctly I mean it's possible the vial was contaminated or the solutions were not properly shaken. Weird readings like this happen from time to time I just assume I did something wrong and or the test solution is faulty. I mean if nothing has changed stocking levels, maintenance, feeding and so on. It only takes 1 test where you didn't get the solution shaken enough to throw off the rest of your tests. I keep some test strips around in case I get an off the wall test just to help cross check. I know the test are not as accurate, but at least it's an idea. I also have a couple different Hannah meters from back in my salt days the nitrate and ammonia tests work for salt or fresh. I just got some new test solutions for those as well as I'm setting up more tanks and working on projects in the fish room. The Hannah meters are very accurate and a much more precise measurement. They are not cheap though, neither are the reagents.
Seasonal changes or weather events are common cause of nitrate fluctuations in tap water, and are common depending on the source to the water plant.
If the water providers source is a river, anything from snow melt, to heavy rains far upstream can affect nitrate.
If you are in a rural area, where farming is common (or common upstream) or ground water, can influence nitrate from the tap.
Do you know the actual source of your tap water? River/lake (large or small)/reservoir/ ground water/desalinization ?
What is your normal water change schedule, and when was the last water changed filter cleaning before this nitrate spike anomaly?
If the water providers source is a river, anything from snow melt, to heavy rains far upstream can affect nitrate.
If you are in a rural area, where farming is common (or common upstream) or ground water, can influence nitrate from the tap.
Do you know the actual source of your tap water? River/lake (large or small)/reservoir/ ground water/desalinization ?
What is your normal water change schedule, and when was the last water changed filter cleaning before this nitrate spike anomaly?
Ilive in london uk so my water supply is from reservoir I did a research and it claimed up to 5mgl of nitrate is allowed in uk water. I did a test on the tank this morning using the same test kit and nitrate is below 5ppm. Yes maybe there was a fluctuation of nitrate on friday as I noticed the dwarf pike gasping for air so knew something was wrong I have a large amount hornwort in the tank don't if that has some of sucked up some of the nitrate as yesterday evening the nitrate reading was 5ppm today it is below 5ppm when I test I at least 3 times and clean the vial with distiled water.
I did a little checking on your London tap water.
Average pH of 8.2 (although it also varies seasonally).
And rather alkaline (hard).
Not the greatest water for Amazonian dwarf pikes,, or any other Amazonian soft water species.
Those parameters are much like the water I had in Wisconsin, and now have in Panama, and I found trying to keep soft water species a bit bothersome in WI, because to be successful, I needed to mix tap with rain water, which was inconsistent.
As they'd age they'd become affected by chronic bacterial infection, from bacteria common to water with pH of 7.5 and above, and any of the least bit lapses in my water quality judgement led to HITH or even death.
The South Americans I could reliably keep, hailed from southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, such the Geophagus brasilienaus clade, Gymnogeophagus, and Australoheros, that are evolved to live in more mineral rich waters, or those from west of the Andes.
There are pike cichlids from that southern area, that are more hard water tolerant.
The pics below are Crenicichla saxitills from Uruguay.
Average pH of 8.2 (although it also varies seasonally).
And rather alkaline (hard).
Not the greatest water for Amazonian dwarf pikes,, or any other Amazonian soft water species.
Those parameters are much like the water I had in Wisconsin, and now have in Panama, and I found trying to keep soft water species a bit bothersome in WI, because to be successful, I needed to mix tap with rain water, which was inconsistent.
As they'd age they'd become affected by chronic bacterial infection, from bacteria common to water with pH of 7.5 and above, and any of the least bit lapses in my water quality judgement led to HITH or even death.
The South Americans I could reliably keep, hailed from southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, such the Geophagus brasilienaus clade, Gymnogeophagus, and Australoheros, that are evolved to live in more mineral rich waters, or those from west of the Andes.
There are pike cichlids from that southern area, that are more hard water tolerant.
The pics below are Crenicichla saxitills from Uruguay.
