# Nitrate! ?



## jzyjack (Dec 31, 2008)

I have a newly cycled 110 gallon tank (3 months) that has a nitrate problem. ammonia near 0 nitrite 0 nitrate REAL FN HIGH!!! I was about to do a 25% h20 change when I got the bright idea to check my tap water for nitrate. turns out it's about 80 ppm! In my Previous tank I've done my water changes monthly, but never thought to check the tap water (I live in Philadelphia and supposedly one of the few clean things we have is the water). What should i do? What do I have to buy now? lol. :-? :-?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Is that a typo on the nitrate? It says zero.

I believe purigen in your filter can help, but I would plant lots of vallisneria. My tank went to zero nitrate (which has it's own problems) within 1-2 weeks of planting it. Other fast growing plants can do the trick too. The key is "*fast*-growing" and "*lots*" of plants.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

jzyjack said:


> ammonia near 0 nitrite 0 nitrate REAL FN HIGH!!! I was about to do a 25% h20 change when I got the bright idea to check my tap water for nitrate. turns out it's about 80 ppm!


commas and/or dashes would be helpful :wink:

ammonia- near 0, nitrite-0, nitrate-real high

I had to read the sentence a couple of times just to make sure I was reading it right.

I would begin with getting a new nitrate test. I know that some cities struggle with nitrates in the tap water but I can't believe it's that high. Once I confirmed my reading then I would be setting up a refugium on that tank with hornwort and/or elodea in it to filter out nitrates. I might even be tempted to try and grow algae as nothing beats algae for nitrate removal IME.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

And make sure you shake it as long as hard as the directions suggestion. AND contact your city water department...I don't think that's legal!

Algae? Really, Number6? I have lots of algae and lots of nitrate (before PWC of course) in all my tanks, except for the one with vallisneria. The planted tank had algae and nitrates pre-vallisneria, and nitrates went to zero post vallisneria. I was doubtful, but it made a believer out of me!


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

DJRansome said:


> The planted tank had algae and nitrates pre-vallisneria, and nitrates went to zero post vallisneria. I was doubtful, but it made a believer out of me!


I guess it depends on what algae is in the picture... staghorn or BBA don't seem to put a dent in nitrates.

The bright green fuzzy stuff used to soak it up like a sponge though when I had that algae.

Vals work well for using up nitrogen, as does elodea and hornwort. Ideally, the poster could put Vals in the main tank and a refugium for some floating elodea! :thumb:


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## jzyjack (Dec 31, 2008)

how about getting a reactor and loading it with purigen?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

IMO it would be a pain to recharge it all the time and high risk if you forget. :thumb:

I'd go with the vallisneria...plant it and forget it.


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## jzyjack (Dec 31, 2008)

Got my vallisneria spiralis in the mail today. I put about (15) 16" plants in my 110 gallon. It looks great! Should i get more or will that be enough? :-?


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## vfc (Feb 13, 2007)

I think you were misinformed about Philly water being clean.

If your water is coming from the Schuylkill River consider this: there are 82 sewerage treatment plants draining their "treated" water along the length of the river. That shows up as high nitrates out of the tap and an oily film on the surface of the water.

This article is fairly informative.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/vi ... d/2610954#


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## jzyjack (Dec 31, 2008)

thanx vfc:

i looked into it a little, and my water is a mix of delaware and schuykill river water. (yuk!) contrary to what i read and what is acceptable according to the EPA, my nitrate level is higher. I just might send a sample directly to the EPA and see what they have to say, although i wouldn't expect anything to happen other than our idealistic mayor taxing us more or cutting more services. this link was pretty interesting, although it's probably propaganda.

http://www.phila.gov/water/pdfs/WQR_2007-f.pdf

I argue with my wife all the time about how all those plastic water bottles pile up and encourage her to just drink it out of the tap, but i'm starting to have second thoughts. Where do you live in philly?, PM me. i live in south philly, near the stadiums. It would be cool to hook up with some local cichlid keepers.

but i digress, i still need to know how much vallisteria i need.

thanks... -jack :fish:


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## jzyjack (Dec 31, 2008)

more info i found on philly water. this is from a good source, although a little old.

http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/usci ... elphia.pdf


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

If you water is over 10ppm nitrates dont drink it. Its very harmful for small children especially newborns.


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

cevvin said:


> If you water is over 10ppm nitrates dont drink it. Its very harmful for small children especially newborns.


And pregnant/nursing women.


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