0.5 Ppm-1 Ppm Nitrite After 50% Water Change

So I did a 50% water change today on my 3.5 gl Betta tank, and tested the water afterwards. The results for the nitrite freaked me out since it read to either be 0.5-1 ppm. The tank has been up and running since about August 2018 so it should be cycled by now.

I do have a amazon sword in there that I recently gave a flourish root tab to. Could that have caused the nitrite spike?

oh and my other water parameters are:

Amonia: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0.5 ppm-10 ppm or 10 ppm-20 ppm I can never read the Nitrate color chart correctly.

 

Try testing your source water for nitrites. I recently had work done on our main water pipes and I now have 5ppm nitrates when before I had 0. If the nitrites are gone by tomorrow I think you’ll be okay

 

Okay thanks I'll have to do that later tonight once I get back home.

 

Okay thanks I'll have to do that later tonight once I get back home.

Okay, let us know what happens

 

So my tap water tested 2 ppm-5 ppm if I read the chart correctly. It was kinda hard to tell since it was such a vibrant purple.

 

What is your water source? Do you have your own well?

 

So my tap water tested 2 ppm-5 ppm if I read the chart correctly. It was kinda hard to tell since it was such a vibrant purple.

Wow, so that means your tank did a great job converting it then. I think you should perhaps change water sources

 

I have city water and live in a condo so no clue how to change sources.

My other tank, a 20 long, always reads 0 ppm of nitrite, but has better filtration. I run a Aquaclear 20 and 30 on it, If that information helps at all.

 

high nitrites in tap water is unusual. maybe let the water run for a few minutes to flush out the pipes and test again. if there is still high nitrites call you water company. there should not be any nitrites.

 

I agree with Skavatar, call the water company just to check this out. The EPA has set a limit of 1mg/l for nitrite contamination. That is equal to about 3.3ppm using our test kits. So I would really like to see you have them confirm that the levels at your tap are not higher than that. Have them come check it. Let us know what they say. We don't often run into someone with nitrite in the tap water. Nitrate yes, but not nitrite.

 

I think the result still reads 5 ppm after re-testing and letting the water run for about a minute. I’m going to include a picture too though since I’m not the best at reading the chart.

 

If you have a LFS nearby I'd ask them to double check your water and ask if they've had similar readings. I suspect your test is correct but it doesn't hurt to confirm, and when you contact the water dpt it would be good to say the reading was obtained by two separate testers.

The EPA has set a limit of 1mg/l for nitrite contamination. That is equal to about 3.3ppm using our test kits.

Tootsie, is it something with the API test not reflecting 1 mg/L as 1 ppm?

 

Tootsie, is it something with the API test not reflecting 1 mg/L as 1 ppm?

No, not at all. It's just two ways of measuring the same thing. I can explain it in further detail if needed.

elwe1996, I think my best advice is, at this point to ask you not to drink or cook with this water until you can get the water department to confirm the nitrite is within safe drinking limits. I don't want to cause undue stress, but I do want you to take these precautions until you can have further professional testing done.

 

Okay thanks. I'll have to get it tested by PetSmart tomorrow (I refuse to go back to work today).

Also as a side note my boyfriend thinks it reads 2 ppm. Is that 2 ppm or 5 ppm? I'm really bad at reading the color chart. ops:

 

Okay thanks. I'll have to get it tested by PetSmart tomorrow (I refuse to go back to work today).

Also as a side note my boyfriend thinks it reads 2 ppm. Is that 2 ppm or 5 ppm? I'm really bad at reading the color chart. ops:

It is really impossible for us to tell. Screens...computer, phone, tablet... their colors aren't calibrated accurately, so what I see will be different to what JenC sees, to what you two see there. And this is important enough I do not want to take a chance. If it is 2ppm using the API, then that will be under the EPA MCL of 1mg/L. But it is so unusual to detect any nitrite at all, that I just don't feel the API kit is accurate enough...due in part it relies on people to match colors.

 

Okay thanks again everyone for all the help.

 

Okay thanks again everyone for all the help.

Keep us updated if you don't mind. Let us know what the water company says.

Actually, you might be able to pull up the water records online for your city. It may tell you in them if a level of nitrite is present. But even if it says there usually is, I would still have them test your water at your tap.

 

Will do and okay

Update: My betta tank no long has nitrite in it, and I've called the department that's in charge of water quality for my area. But they were out when I called so I had to leave a message which I'm bad at so it's all rambly and awkward, but should do the trick.

 

Update: My betta tank no long has nitrite in it, and I've called the department that's in charge of water quality for my area. But they were out when I called so I had to leave a message which I'm bad at so it's all rambly and awkward, but should do the trick.

Lol. I hate having to leave messages too. The tank will be able to deal with the nitrites in quite a short period of time after water changes. And, because the city will be monitoring the water quality, there is a real good chance the nitrite level is under the 1 mg/L EPA limit. The EPA tests nitrite as nitrogen. Our API test kit tests nitrite as nitrite. mg/L and ppm are equivalent. So it is the difference of measuring nitrogen as opposed to nitrite that accounts for the different numbers in the test result.

I hope I am not confusing you. But if you understand that, it might make it easier to talk to the water company.

Edit: elwe1996, also I would just like to make sure the water out of the tap at your end is the same as what the water company claims there is, just to be certain nothing extra is going on in your pipes that contribute to this level.

Also just to keep as much info in one post as possible... 1mg/L according to EPA would be about the same as 3.3ppm using the API test kit.

elwe1996, a typo may have made that more confusing too. I typed nitrate but I meant nitrite. Sorry about that. I corrected it.

 

I don't understand. Is there a water impurity/test guide for dummies?

 

Lol. No, not that I know of. Feel free to ask questions. It might help me explain further.

But...its kind of like using Fahrenheit and Celcius. They both tell what the temp is, but the numbers are different. It is possible to convert between the two if you know what to multiply by.

 

These are records I found on the web from 2017 on what the nitrate is. does this help? Also I don't understand what any of the numbers mean.

Nitrate (as Nitrogen) (ppm)

Dates of Sampling 4/2017, 6/2017
MCL Violation Y / N N
Level Detected 0.029
Range of Results ND - 0.058
MCLG 10
MCL 10

 

Well, the nitrate as nitrogen is different than nitrite as nitrogen. They like testing the nitrogen portion no matter if its nitrite ion or nitrate ion that they are testing.

If you can provide a link though, I might be able to help decipher it for you.

 

so far this is the only report I can find but I'll keep looking
https://www.martin.fl.us/search?text=resources 2017 water quality report pdf

 

so far this is the only report I can find but I'll keep looking
https://www.martin.fl.us/search?text=resources 2017 water quality report pdf

Ok, this is a pretty brochure, but yeah there should be one that isn't so pretty and lists all of the mineral and contaminant levels. Lots of places do have them online, but yours may not. idk.

 

I don't think it's listed online but I was able to find one other resource

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater//system-contaminant.php?pws=FL4431891&contamcode=1040

 

I don't think it's listed online but I was able to find one other resource

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater//system-contaminant.php?pws=FL4431891&contamcode=1040

Yeah, that is still for nitrate. Nothing about nitrite in it.

The EPA MCL (maximum contaminant level) for Nitrate is 10 mg/L (or ppm)
But the EPA MCL for Nitrite is only 1 mg/L (or ppm)

Confusing I know. But it's just like how nitrites and nitrates are both different in our fish tanks and the level that is acceptable for both are different in it... the same is true for us. We can have more nitrate in our drinking water than nitrite.

I found a grand total of 12 pages of nothing. I'm going to link you to it so you know what I mean. Click on the report. Maybe it will show up for you, but I got all blank pages.

https://www.martin.fl.us/WaterQualityReport

Edit:
elwe1996 It finally loaded. But it's the same as you found.

 

No it just took me to the 2017 one that I linked before. Thanks for taking the time to go through this with me. I appreciate it.

 

Do you have ammonia, nitrites AND nitrates in your tap water?

No it just took me to the 2017 one that I linked before. Thanks for taking the time to go through this with me. I appreciate it.

Not a problem. I am a bit mystified at the simplicity of what we are finding though. But I don't mind working on this with you, not one little bit.

 

Last time I tested the tap water I believe it was at 1 ppm for ammonia, as for nitrates I think it was around 10 ppm-20 ppm

 

OK, 10 ppm - 20 ppm, is within limits. The EPA limit of 10 mg/L measures nitrate as nitrogen. So because our test kits use the entire nitrate ion our test results would have to be about 45ppm to equal the same as the EPA 10 mg/L

The same type of reasoning is used for the nitrite test kit.

To convert your level of nitrates in the tap water to compare it to the EPA limit of 10 mg/L divide your result by 4.43

To convert your level of nitrites, divide by 3.3

(For the record, you can also multiply your nitrates by 0.2259 … more than one way to skin a cat, they use to say.)

Does any of this help? Or just more confusing?

 

I think it does. I divided the 5 ppm for nitrite by 3.3 and it gave me 1.5 so that means it's about in legal range right?

 

I think it does. I divided the 5 ppm for nitrite by 3.3 and it gave me 1.5 so that means it's about in legal range right?

Well, you divided correctly, but the limit for nitrites is only 1 mg/L so 1.5 would be higher than we would want.

But because the colors are hard to tell, and the API test isn't a professional test, it is possible that it will test under.

I am kinda baffled as to why we haven't seen a level on the info you did find. Just nitrates. So I am kinda wondering if this is a new development for your city.

 

In the U.S. the legal limit for nitrite is 1ppm, for nitrate 10ppm, for ammonia 0.25ppm
From what I'm seeing, your water violates all of those so I'd definitely notify the water company

 

In the U.S. the legal limit for nitrite is 1ppm, for nitrate 10ppm, for ammonia 0.25ppm
From what I'm seeing, your water violates all of those so I'd definitely notify the water company

They don't have a MCL for ammonia.

In the U.S. the legal limit for nitrite is 1ppm, for nitrate 10ppm, for ammonia 0.25ppm
From what I'm seeing, your water violates all of those so I'd definitely notify the water company

Also, you have to understand the difference between testing nitrites and nitrates as nitrogen, like the EPA does, and using the entire ion like the API test kit does.

For Nitrates - EPA 10 mg/L = about 45ppm for the API test kit
For Nitrites - EPA 1 mg/L = 3.3 ppm from the API test kit.
There is no MCL for ammonia.

 

The ammonia could have been 0.25 ppm since it doesn't want to go past that when there is no ammonia, and I could have misread the 0.25 ppm for the 1 ppm.

 

D'oh, my bad. I misread this "The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has not established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for ammonia in drinking water. Environmental limits forammonia in surface water in the US range from 0.25 to 32.5 mg/l (ppm)." My eyes just went straight to 0.25
This is where I got the other two from
"Introduction. EPA has set an enforceable standard called a maximum contaminant level (MCL) in water for nitrates at 10 parts per million (ppm) (10 mg/L) and for nitrites at 1 ppm (1 mg/L) [EPA 2002; EPA 2012]"

 

D'oh, my bad. I misread this "The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has not established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for ammonia in drinking water. Environmental limits forammonia in surface water in the US range from 0.25 to 32.5 mg/l (ppm)." My eyes just went straight to 0.25
This is where I got the other two from
"Introduction. EPA has set an enforceable standard called a maximum contaminant level (MCL) in water for nitrates at 10 parts per million (ppm) (10 mg/L) and for nitrites at 1 ppm (1 mg/L) [EPA 2002; EPA 2012]"

Yes, and those numbers are correct, unfortunately in what you found, they don't specify that it is based on testing nitrates as nitrogen (sometimes expressed as Nitrate-N, or NO3-N … the N indicating as nitrogen) and are also base the testing of nitrites as nitrogen, (sometimes expressed as Nitrite-N or NO2-N … the N indicating as nitrogen).

But they are.

The API test kit test nitrate as nitrate ... And nitrite as nitrite. Not just the nitrogen like the EPA.

The ammonia could have been 0.25 ppm since it doesn't want to go past that when there is no ammonia, and I could have misread the 0.25 ppm for the 1 ppm.

1ppm ammonia is pretty green, but regardless, because you do have levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrates in your drinking water, I definitely want you to talk about this to the water company. Use this thread if you want. I would hope they know and understand the difference between testing nitrite as nitrogen, and nitrite as nitrite. And the same goes for the other nitrogen products.

 

Okay and hopefully they will get back to me by tomorrow.

 

Okay and hopefully they will get back to me by tomorrow.

Hopefully. You can still use the water to shower and clean. It's only drinking and cooking that I am a bit concerned about.