Help My Tapwater Suddenly Has Nitrate

[kiro 47]

I did water change as usual yesterday, (about 90% )and cleaned one of the two Fluval Fx6 filters I have. The tank is 500 liter. The nitrate was higher than it normally is after a week, but I wrote it off to warm weather and goldfish having been fed a little more than usual.

 

I decided to check the levels again today, however and they were back to about 15ppm (having hard time telling 10 and 20 ppm apart API freshwater test kit). So I tested the tap water and it is about 5ppm (probably little higher but 5 is closest) fresh from tap (I retested 2 times, made sure I follow directions to letter and even used fresh never used tube). 

 

My tapwater has always been 0ppm before this and never over 5ppm just before water change.

 

Is there anything I can do aside from double dozing Prime daily until the tapwater resettles?

Edited June 14, 2016 by kiro

[Arctic Mama 3,626]

Can you show us some pictures of your test results? 15 ppms of ammonia would equal emergency calls to the water department for major infrastructural breakdown. That's absurdly, dangerously high and would indicate either an over reliance on chloramines for sterilizing and/or fecal matter in the water being broken down.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[dnalex 13,633]

First, call the water utility to ask if there is a sudden change. 5 ppm is a lot, and you want to find out if they are aware. If they are not, they may come out and verify the readings.

Also, is your tank cycled? Why do you have ammonia readings normally?

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[kiro 47]

Can you show us some pictures of your test results? 15 ppms of ammonia would equal emergency calls to the water department for major infrastructural breakdown. That's absurdly, dangerously high.

I was just about to edit. I meant Nitrate instead of ammonia. I am really sorry for the confusion, my brain just glitched. The Ammonia is 0ppm.

Edited June 14, 2016 by kiro

[Arctic Mama 3,626]

Oh, well that's w totally different ball of wax. The nitrate isn't wonderful but that's within allowable levels, and if your municipal water source is a river instead of an aquifer or other more homogenous body of water there are any number of fluctuations that could necessitate increasing the treatment levels to deal with dissolved organics. Can you set some aside for a day and then test it for us and let us know if the parameters change at all?

[kiro 47]

Oh, well that's w totally different ball of wax. The nitrate isn't wonderful but that's within allowable levels, and if your municipal water source is a river instead of an aquifer or other more homogenous body of water there are any number of fluctuations that could necessitate increasing the treatment levels to deal with dissolved organics. Can you set some aside for a day and then test it for us and let us know if the parameters change at all?

I will do that. It has just never changed this much before, not even with the rains we get so I kinda paniced :/  I believe out water source is lake and river water so I suppose the rains have affected it.

Also can someone edit my title since I obviously can't to say from Ammonia to Nitrate? 

 

Also do you still want pictures, I don't know how good quality I can manage (only have old cell) but I can get some I guess?

Edited June 14, 2016 by kiro

[Arctic Mama 3,626]

No, that makes more sense for nitrate and the levels are logical - the ammonia was a little nuts and required more investigating

[kiro 47]

No, that makes more sense for nitrate and the levels are logical - the ammonia was a little nuts and required more investigating

Thank you very much for the help. I'll get back to you tomorrow 

[shelbysfish 370]

Phew!! Glad it's not Ammonia. 15ppm like they have said is "safe", but obviously I'm sure you'd like it lower.

[kiro 47]

So tested the water again today.

Tap: Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 15ppm (I assume it is between 10 and 20, I am having really hard time telling the difference)

 

I did water change on my tank on Monday and the parameters today are:

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 15ppm (again the same trouble with colours).

 

What's the highest "safe" amount I can have in tank? I keep seeing mixed information with either 20ppm or 40ppm.

[shakaho 6,312]

We prefer to keep it no higher than 20, but most fish have no problem with 40.

[kiro 47]

We prefer to keep it no higher than 20, but most fish have no problem with 40.

Thank you very much. I'll keep close eye on them then, while the tapwater (hopefully) returns to normal.

[Arctic Mama 3,626]

Okay, it's stable tap water which is good! The nitrates aren't really worrisome, as Sharon said jusf aim to keep you overall level as low as possible and always water change if it's edging up near 40 ppms. Some fish are sensitive to nitrates and you may notice some behavioral changes - I have one of those fish - so you might need to keep to at a lower level to be safe for them, but it really shouldn't be toxic in the 20 ppm range.

A nice veggie filter would be a solid addition to your lineup and help control the nitrates too - there is a great thread going about it right now you might find helpful

[kiro 47]

Okay, it's stable tap water which is good! The nitrates aren't really worrisome, as Sharon said jusf aim to keep you overall level as low as possible and always water change if it's edging up near 40 ppms. Some fish are sensitive to nitrates and you may notice some behavioral changes - I have one of those fish - so you might need to keep to at a lower level to be safe for them, but it really shouldn't be toxic in the 20 ppm range.

A nice veggie filter would be a solid addition to your lineup and help control the nitrates too - there is a great thread going about it right now you might find helpful

Thank you for all your help again. I will definitely take a look in this veggie filter and see how to go about it. I really just wanted to make sure my waterpuppies are safe and as comfortable as I can do under the circumstances.

[kiro 47]

The situation is getting worse. During last few days, the tap water nitrates have raised up to 30ppm (the colour us between 20 and 40ppm). The tank is stable at about 15-20ppm, but tomorrow should be my waterchange day. Help?

[Butterfly 485]

Good luck. My tap comes out looking like 40. Had water company test it and officially if is 20. EPA limit is 44 (note they measure nitrate-nitrogen with limit of 10 but you multiply that by 4.4 to get total nitrate).

I bought a nitrate resin which does a really good job but I am still working in the best way to use it. I think I'm going to design a pre filter for water changes kinda like a ghetto RO but not RO unit). I'm worried the resin will foul too quickly in my canister. I was running it in a HOB but the unit was loud and started to leak and I didn't like the look or sounds it made so it got returned and I will have to find another way.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Butterfly

[kiro 47]

Good luck. My tap comes out looking like 40. Had water company test it and officially if is 20. EPA limit is 44 (note they measure nitrate-nitrogen with limit of 10 but you multiply that by 4.4 to get total nitrate).

I bought a nitrate resin which does a really good job but I am still working in the best way to use it. I think I'm going to design a pre filter for water changes kinda like a ghetto RO but not RO unit). I'm worried the resin will foul too quickly in my canister. I was running it in a HOB but the unit was loud and started to leak and I didn't like the look or sounds it made so it got returned and I will have to find another way.

I've been reading around and there are some type of nitrate filters (one brand I have ran into around fish forums is Pozzani and it isn't too expensive either, about £50), but I kinda want to hear what are opinions of people here and my love isn't too keen on idea of buying tap-filter. He thinks I am just fussy :/ Other option mentioned are chemical nitrate removal tablets etc, and veggie filter both of which I am doing more research on right now, though they both seem bit counterproductive if I'll be first adding nitrate to tank during water change, then removing them with filtration? I don't know. I am too new in fishkeeping to have formed informed opinion yet.

Edited June 19, 2016 by kiro

[KimA. 55]

My well water out of the tap  measures somewhere between 40-50.  I'm going to try  Seachem  Denitrate tonight and will let you know how it works.