Nitrates in neighbors tap.

[jaws7777]

I have always assumed that the api test kit readings were more of an approximation than an exact measurement, but was thinking maybe a 5-10 ppm variance not 75 ppm. Can you test your water before filtering to see if you get similar results?

Its my neighbor

If homeboy is on a well in land used for agricultural uses he should not be surprised to hear his mutations were from lack of filtering

Lol
So this the subject was braught up because he said that i didnt need the home water filtration that i have. I dont care what the govt says i dont want my kids drinking any water that has nitrates and wasnt filtered by some means. He goes on ro say his water was tested and it was at the acceptable 5ppm or something. So i test the water and come up with the above readings.

Guys if the twst kit was bad then my tank water tests would be off the charts

 

[Woefulrelic]

On his death bed he will tell you chemo is a scam, won't be long

 

[robham777]

J jaws7777 , I was just wondering if your water was the same as your neighbor's. Did you get a professional test done before the installation of your system? Just wondering if you had a spike at your well since you moved in.

 

[jaws7777]

On his death bed he will tell you chemo is a scam, won't be long

Lmaooo

J jaws7777 , I was just wondering if your water was the same as your neighbor's. Did you get a professional test done before the installation of your system? Just wondering if you had a spike at your well since you moved in.

Oh i see. I tested my water last week and it was 0.
When they installed the filtration system the company tested it. I dont remember what the results were. Going to reach out to them

 

[duanes]

Just an FYI about testing .
Buy a gallon of DI water.
Before and after any tank water test (or use) rinse the tube (cuvette) 3 times with the DI water, do another test (sample), after reading results, rinse the tube 3 times with the DI water, etc etc.
When finished testing, let tube sit upside down, on paper towel.
DI water is like an aquatic form of a vacuum, because it is devoid of any mineral it helps remove any residual minerals, reagents etc from th tube.
When dealing with ppm, any slight trace remaining from a previous test can, and will skew results.
Any mineral component of your tap water can skew results, such as chloramine ( it may present as ammonia or nitrate depending on the sensitivity (or lack thereof) of the kit.
This is why rinsing with tap water can be problematic, andI use DI.

 

[jaws7777]

Especially with a well (I assume you mean private well) there are reasons you can have high nitrates.
If the wells water (aquifer) is at all influenced by agricultural run off, or if it is near an old or aboandoned septic system, etc, etc.
I was once called to a home where the family was sick with cryptosporidium,and their well, was down hill from a small feed lot. And my tests also were positive for E coli.
That said, if the test tubes have not been rinsed with DI water after each test, there is a chance residual build up is skewing the results.
A lab is required to rinse tubes in between tests, and wash their test glassware with acid to eliminate any residual contamination (my lab was).
I always rinse the tube at least 3 times with DI water before doing another test to avoid contamination, if you consider you are dealing in parts per million, the margin for error and contamination is great unless you use aseptic technique with each test.

Just an FYI about testing .
Buy a gallon of DI water.
Before and after any tank water test (or use) rinse the tube (cuvette) 3 times with the DI water, do another test (sample), after reading results, rinse the tube 3 times with the DI water, etc etc.
When finished testing, let tube sit upside down, on paper towel.
DI water is like an aquatic form of a vacuum, because it is devoid of any mineral it helps remove any residual minerals, reagents etc from th tube.
When dealing with ppm, any slight trace remaining from a previous test can, and will skew results.
Any mineral component of your tap water can skew results, such as chloramine ( it may present as ammonia or nitrate depending on the sensitivity (or lack thereof) of the kit.
This is why rinsing with tap water can be problematic, andI use DI.

Thx duanes. Wanted to mention i recently started using the distilled water

 

[duanes]

Curious if now that you have started using DI, have your results changed? A little, a lot?
Or if its not relevant, because of a new house, and new method occurring simultaneously.
In the lab with sophisticated technology, small changes are obvious.
But what about a down and dirty real life situation?

 

[markstrimaran]

How do you interpret the color, for 20 ppm or 40ppm.

I use my cell phones screen on full backlight, and hold the vial, against the white spots between the color. Thanks to whom took the picture.
Seam pretty accurate back when I was comparing an ORP meter to ppm vial samples, from a denitrator, over a long period.

 

[jaws7777]

Curious if now that you have started using DI, have your results changed? A little, a lot?
Or if its not relevant, because of a new house, and new method occurring simultaneously.
In the lab with sophisticated technology, small changes are obvious.
But what about a down and dirty real life situation?

I havent noticed a difference with testing my tanks but as of now am dealing with ammonia issurle and a larger tank so really have no base line to go with.


Havent re tested the neighbors water as the wife says im going to start sound like crazy water guy.

Another neighbor had her water tested here are the results.


My inderstanding is even though we are all on seperate wells the water is coming from the same source water table ?

While i have your attention i want to ask you about this ammonia issue im having. So im thinking i caused it and shoukd be easily rectified but i wanted your take.

Just moved my stock into a 300. Prior tank was a 150.

In the 150 i lightly fed maybe 3 or 4 times a week. Never had any ammonia.

Moved all fish to the new tank along with the bio. Thinking back i remembered that i gave a real good leaning to the media (well water) and adde 20L of new matrix.

In the new tank for the 1st week i fed like crazy just to gauge how high nitrates would rise with the new water volume.

Fish erent looking right so i tested ammonia and was shocked it was almost 4ppm. Immediately thought what an idiot. Im thinking that i overwhelmed the existing bb colony that was the size it needed to be to convert the waste while it was in the 150 and was supporting my light feeding routine.

Am i right in my assumption ? Niw just need to manage the feeding until the new media is colonized ?

As of today it looks like .25 ?


Yesterday .50 ?


Day before 1 ?

 

[markstrimaran]

My dad gets snakes, he pulls them out, and chloroxes. That would spike nitrate. Having a dead garter snakes in a well.