Misleading Nitrate Test??

cloud

cloud

AC Members
Sep 15, 2004
319
0
0
50
London, UK
Hi All,

I've been using the sam Nitrate Test since I got my new tank about 3 months ago, and although my tank cycled properly some time ago my Natrate test never came back with a level lower than 25, even after a 60% water change.
So yesterday I decided to test out some water straight from the tap to see if it would read any lower. It came back 25 also. So either the water in south London has nitrates in it, or my test kit isn't up to scratch.
I'm using a TetraTec Nitrate tester kit. Has anyone else had problems with this brand? And could anyone recommend another make available in the UK?

Thanks
Scott
 
I would tend to lean more towards nitrates in the water. It isn't as uncommon as it should be. I use AP kits, and like them but I don't know if they are available in the UK. Take a sample to the lfs of your tap water and tank water. see if they get the same results that you do.
dave
 
London is notorious for high nitrates, in some areas exceeding the EPA limits set for the USA, but it does flutuate across the city as multiple water sources are involved. Do your utilities publish water secifications as ours are required to do? That might give you more information.
 
Thanks guys. I'll take the water for a test at the LFS, but if it is the London water, is there anything I can do about it? I've not seen RO water for sale round here, and I don't have a car for transporting it anyway.
 
25ppm is a little high, but I don't think that you need be overly concerned. NO3 is not toxic in the short term, and I'd even wager that the 'long term' toxicity is more a factor of the pollutants that it indicates than the NO3 itself, but of this I'm not certain.

Regardless, the main reason for NO3 testing is to get an indicator of general pollution in the tank from organics, fish hormones and the like that cannot be easily tested. Since you've got NO3 in your water, you need to do twice the number of tests, one a blank, measure your tap and the other your tank. Subtract the tap measurement from the tank measure and that's your tank's NO3 level and the pollution indicator you seek.
 
Thanks guys. Will put up with it for now but would eventually like to try and breed some of my fish, so I'm looking into portable RO units. I presume they'll deal with Nitrate?
 
You could try adding some floating plants as well--duckweed is fantastic at removing nitrates (though not a good choice for a planted tank--they will shade the rest of the tank and outcompete the plants for nutrients). Once established, they can be a bit of a weed and require weekly removal. I use them in my tanks as a floating monitor--when I start seeing lots of duckweed, it means the tank is due for a larger than normal water change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom