I have a 5 gallon tank with one betta. It's heated, filtered, has 4 live plants, all that good stuff! Both my ammonia and nitrite levels have been 0 for over a month now. My nitrate levels have been slowly rising (which I know is supposed to happen) BUT, the levels ONLY rise when I do a water change. The tank was originally filled with tank water from my hometown, and the nitrates were hanging around 5 for awhile. But now I'm away at school, and the tap water here tests about 30, which is what my tank is at now. I'm guessing that since it's finally equal to my tap water it'll stop rising. What I'm wondering is, is a nitrate level of 30 too high? I'm guessing that it's okay, since 20 is what most people aim for, but I just wanted to double check. And if it's not okay, do you have any advice on what I should do?
Nitrate of 30 Okay?
- Thread starter fredfishy
- Start date
I would find nitrate readings of 30ppm out of your tap water very suspect.
10ppm is the maximum amount of nitrate legally to be found in drinking water in the USA. This website shows the maximum amounts of many contaminants: Drinking Water Contaminants | Drinking Water Contaminants | US EPA
How are you testing the water? Test strips can be unreliable if expired or contaminated, and a liquid test kit's instructions must be followed exactly (often you need to really shake the two bottles for a long time to get accurate readings).
10ppm is the maximum amount of nitrate legally to be found in drinking water in the USA. This website shows the maximum amounts of many contaminants: Drinking Water Contaminants | Drinking Water Contaminants | US EPA
How are you testing the water? Test strips can be unreliable if expired or contaminated, and a liquid test kit's instructions must be followed exactly (often you need to really shake the two bottles for a long time to get accurate readings).
I use the API freshwater complete liquid testing kit. The kit is only about two months old, and I use a stopwatch to make sure that I'm shaking the bottles long enough. I've also tested bottled water, which reads 0. So I don't think the kit is the problem.
Actually, I came across that EPA website before while googling high nitrate levels in tap water, and filed a tip on the site to check my university's water source. I haven't heard anything back on it, but I'm not thinking that I will.
Actually, I came across that EPA website before while googling high nitrate levels in tap water, and filed a tip on the site to check my university's water source. I haven't heard anything back on it, but I'm not thinking that I will.
I mix tapwater at my home with RO water as the fish I'm attempting to breed come from high mountain rivers with little (but not NO) minerals. If I were to use straight RO water, I'd have to add minerals back to the water to keep the fish healthy.
If you could get cleaner water somewhere, I think that would be the best option. If you use bottled water, depending on how 'filtered' it is, you may not have the minerals that fish need to exist and would need to supplement with minerals. Luckily, you have only the 5 gallons to worry about; a 1 gallon jug is not too much to carry and would do a 20% water change.
If you could get cleaner water somewhere, I think that would be the best option. If you use bottled water, depending on how 'filtered' it is, you may not have the minerals that fish need to exist and would need to supplement with minerals. Luckily, you have only the 5 gallons to worry about; a 1 gallon jug is not too much to carry and would do a 20% water change.