Tap water and tank levels

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J

john__505

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 14, 2008
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Ok, I just went out and picked up a API master test kit for fresh water today, So I went and tested my tank and tap water. I know I have been having problems with the Nitrate and Nitrite levels in the tank, A local fish store did free testing for me in NJ, I live in Phila PA and this is my levels
Tank
Ammonia .25 - .50
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 20
PH 7.5

Tap Water
Ammonia .50
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20 -30
PH 7.0

My question is what can I do to get the levels down without doing the RO unit. I live in the city and cannot beleave the levels they have, I also rent the house we live in and the most important thing, My girl lost her job and I can pay all the bills but dont have the extra to realy spend.

I have a 90 gal tank with 1 jag, 1 oscar and 2 parots. I think I have been realy lucky and also realy stupid as not to know all my levels over the 3 years it has been set up. I still do my water changes and all but just looking to see what else can be done to help out.

Please dont flame me to hard. I am trying to find out what to do.

Thank you.
John
 
MFK is a No Flame Zone but some people do as they please.

Anyway, you can age the water and keep Pothos vines in it to consume the ammonia. You can also use a cycled filter on an aging barrel or tank if you are very regular with your water changes. I'd stay away from using chemicals to fix it because fish don't naturally swim in them.

By the way, keep an eye on the nitrites. If it's a regular thing, then it will need to be addressed.
 
Surely an RO unit is the only way to go with tap water as bad as that. Who supplies your water and do they have water report online anywhere to verify your findings?
 
I would think your testing is off. No way the tap water can have a higher nitrate value then the tank water.
 
Not necessarily. Plants and even algae will bring nitrates down.

I'd pre-filter the water with some zeolite to bring down the ammonia, or something like purigen. Age your water in a barrel/bucket, and run a little duetto or some other pump/filter in there with one of those products. Purigen is probably better, as it's supposed to even bring down nitrates.
 
rnocera;2633510; said:
Not necessarily. Plants and even algae will bring nitrates down.

I'd pre-filter the water with some zeolite to bring down the ammonia, or something like purigen. Age your water in a barrel/bucket, and run a little duetto or some other pump/filter in there with one of those products. Purigen is probably better, as it's supposed to even bring down nitrates.
Click to expand...


Do you really think this 90g tank with Jag and an Oscar has enough of a plant or algae base to consume these nitrates? If so why then does his tank show levels of ammonia which would also be consumed by these cichlid proof plants.

This tank is three years old and has been receiving WCs with tap water that has a nitrate level of 20~30ppm yet the tank's nitrate level is only at 20ppm.

I don't think so:screwy:
 
I live in Philadelphia and have no problems with tap water for water changes. I'm not saying that means your water coming out the tap is not what you say it is but it shouldn't matter. If your tank is completely cycled it would convert the ammonia in the tap water before it would harm the fish. Try using Prime to dechlorinate the tap water, prime locks up the amonia.
 
I will retake the test again tonight and double check everything.

I am also running Algone in one filter and a Water Softener Pillow in my Rena filter. The lfs said to try them. I want to give as much info as I can to help find something out.

Also, my tank is truly almost bare bone with only a couple ceramic pots and a few river stones in it. I have no gravel or plants. Like the jag would realy keep them in place.
 
I live in a NW suburb of Philly and I have 10 to 20 PPMs of nitrate out of my tap. The main water source is the Schuylkill river. Using Google Earth, I can see 12 waste treatment plants upriver plus a nuclear power station. The PH varies as well. Six months out of the year they draw supplemental water for the nuclear station out of a coal mine that has filled with water. The coal mine water is very acidic and contains heavy metals.

He is a picture showing "treated waste" coming from one of the treatment plants upriver from me.

Norristown Waste Treatment Plant.JPG
 
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