# nitrates



## BIGSSS (Dec 18, 2007)

For some reason weather I do weekly or bi-weekly water changes , even the next day after a water change my nitrates always seem to read 40. I know my test kits are new and accurate and spigot reading is lower than 40. What can be attributing to the higher than desired reading?
Tank (80 gal.) has been established for about a year now with few fatalities! Is it ok to just roll with it at 40..?


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

What percentage of water do you change? In my 55g. I was doing 50% changes weekly and getting back up to 40 in a few days so started doing 2 changes weekly. I have to admit that got old quick so now I'm doing bigger than 50%.


----------



## sirmo (Sep 9, 2008)

What are the rest of your readings?

What is your stock?

Filtration?

Lets see if we can pin point a specific cause.


----------



## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

Nitrate isn't life or death at 40 ppm. I'd say it is acceptable considering most older tanks probably more than double that number.
Through my own experience if nitrates are kept low the fish do not get sick often. That is why I monitor my nitrate level and keep it under 40.
I had the same experience as the both of you. I couldn't get my nitrates to drop under 40 according to my test kit. I was doing 50% wc once a week.
I got rid of 2 large fish and I finally got the guts to try a 75% wc. Nitrates dropped to about 15-20 ppm.
Then I cut down on the size of the feedings and fast them once a week. This brought it down to about 5ppm after a water change. 
By the end of the week it is back up to 20 ppm. So I just do 75% a week now.
That is my bioload calculation so figure yours out and water change accordingly.


----------



## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

Have you tested your water out of the tap?

My well water comes out of the tap at 20ppm... With 50% weekly water changes, my nitrates stay around 40ppm.

Been that way for 6 years with no ill effectsâ€¦

If you can keep nitrates below 20ppm, thats good... but I cant...


----------



## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

CICHLUDED said:


> Have you tested your water out of the tap?
> 
> My well water comes out of the tap at 20ppm... With 50% weekly water changes, my nitrates stay around 40ppm.
> 
> ...


I hope your not drinking that water or you are having the excess nitrates removed. Your levels are twice the federal allowance of 10 PPMs. Ideally there should be no nitrates in drinking water. There are know health effects to excess nitrates in drinking water. Just warning you.


----------



## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

Heyguy74 said:


> I hope your not drinking that water or you are having the excess nitrates removed. Your levels are twice the federal allowance of 10 PPMs. Ideally there should be no nitrates in drinking water. There are know health effects to excess nitrates in drinking water. Just warning you.


know health effects? Please enlighten meâ€¦

I have been drinking this water as long as I have lived hereâ€¦. It also passed water test when I purchased this place.

And, same as fishâ€¦ no ill effectsâ€¦


----------



## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

> know health effects? Please enlighten meâ€¦
> 
> I have been drinking this water as long as I have lived hereâ€¦. It also passed water test when I purchased this place.


Here's EPA a link for you:
http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/contaminants/d ... rates.html

And another older one from Illinois public health:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/f ... rateFS.htm

hth,
Alicem


----------



## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

Well, I hope I don't start turning blue.

.


----------



## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

Maybe, something has changed in the last few years with the ground water. It def won't hurt to have the water retested.


----------



## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

Heyguy74 said:


> Your levels are twice the federal allowance of 10 PPMs. Ideally there should be no nitrates in drinking water. There are know health effects to excess nitrates in drinking water. Just warning you.


Actually, those 10ppm are as nitrogen, it corresponds to 45ppm nitrates.


----------



## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

Chris2500DK said:


> Heyguy74 said:
> 
> 
> > Your levels are twice the federal allowance of 10 PPMs. Ideally there should be no nitrates in drinking water. There are know health effects to excess nitrates in drinking water. Just warning you.
> ...


Not according to the EPA website. They clearly list Nitrates at 10 ppm max and Nitrites at 1ppm max.


----------



## BIGSSS (Dec 18, 2007)

Thank you all for input. I went from trying to figure out y my nitrates were high to wondering if i'm being poisoned by my local M.U.A.. I will try cutting down on feeding amounts I think I've been a little heavy lately also I will increase to two water changes weekly just to see if it has an effect. I think my tank is getting to the limit as far as bioload. My stock has been multiplying like crazy.Every time I look in the tank there are more fry.I'm having a hard time counting how many fish. (75 gal)


----------



## Donfish (Dec 24, 2007)

Heyguy74 said:


> Chris2500DK said:
> 
> 
> > Heyguy74 said:
> ...


Since I'm in the "water" business I'll clarify this. The EPA limit is for Nitrate-Nitrogen, most if not all consumer test kits test for total ionic nitrate. To get Nitrate as Nitrogen from the results you need to divide that number by 4.4. In otherwords if you use the EPA method and measure Nitrate as Nitrogen the MCL is 10 mg/L-ppm but when measured as ionic nitrate the limit is 44.2 mg/L-ppm.


----------



## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

Thanks for the clarification Donfish.


----------

