Nitrate Spike On All My Tanks, Including Fry Tank

So I recently tested the water ofall my tanks and found the results much higher than I would like

9g betta tank: 40ppm,
50g goldfish tank with fry box: 80ppm,
90g heavily planted goldfish tank 80ppm,

I do 30%-50% water changes weekly so decided to test my tap water and it's at 40ppm!!!

My county must have experienced a water quality change as nitrates in my tanks used to be at around 20ppm-40ppm

All my fish seem happy and healthy but I'm still a bit worried :/

So I have a couple of qs:.

It's my understanding that elevated nitrates exposure is bad for my fish, fry in particular. This is especially concerning given that I am looking after my fry!

What can I do to lower nitrate levels in a way that won't cause nitrate shock to my fish?

Would a nitrate reactor work?

R/o unit a bit out of my price range

Thanks for any advice

 

nitra-zorb (or any other similar product) in your filter if you're not using sponge filters. If you are using sponge filters, you may want to look into HOB filters.

 

Eighty ppm isn't nearly high enough to be toxic. If your tap water was 5 ppm and your tanks were 80 ppm then you might need to change more water.

 

What is the Nitrate level of your source water (the fresh water you put in your tank when you do a water change)?
Never mind, I see you posted it.
What brand/type test kit do you use?

 

They don’t tell you this but you need to bang the reagent #2 bottle on a hard surface a few times before you shake it... every time, but the ingredients precipitate out.
If you haven’t been doing this, try it and retest...

 

It says her tap is 40ppm

 

Maybe investing in an rodI system.
Those remove nitrates.

 

What is the Nitrate level of your source water (the fresh water you put in your tank when you do a water change)?
Never mind, I see you posted it.
What brand/type test kit do you use?

ApI fresh water test kit

Bought in it June so it should be accurate

 

Eighty ppm isn't nearly high enough to be toxic. If your tap water was 5 ppm and your tanks were 80 ppm then you might need to change more water.

You want, ideally, for your Nitrates to stay below 20ppm (preferably no higher than 10 ppm). 80 IS way too high and over a short time it will cause problems. IF you are using API Master test kit, you have to shake the #2 Nitrate test solution vigorously for AT LEAST 30 seconds immediately before adding it to the test tube. If you don't, your Nitrate test results WILL BE incorrect.

Maybe investing in an rodI system.
Those remove nitrates.

If you do use RO/DI water as a primary water source though, you will also have to invest in mineral replacement additives for it to be safe for fish.

 

If you do use RO/DI water as a primary water source though, you will also have to invest in mineral replacement additives for it to be safe for fish.

I think it would be worth it though.

 

I think it would be worth it though.

Do you use RO/DI water Logan? If so, What mineral additives do you use?

 

Seachem Equilibrium and Seachem alkaline buffer are my favorites.

 

Do you use RO/DI water Logan? If so, What mineral additives do you use?

What ever minerals the OP or anyone else would use does not matter. I think 80 ppm is bad, and constantly putting in chemicals constantly to fix the nitrate problem is not a good long term solution.

 

What ever minerals the OP or anyone else would use does not matter. I think 80 ppm is bad, and constantly putting in chemicals constantly to fix the nitrate problem is not a good long term solution.

Just wondering if you had a RO/DI system set up and could explain how it works and maybe post pics of your system. Indeed RO/DI would be a good system for someone with high source water Nitrates.

 

Just wondering if you had a RO/DI system set up and could explain how it works and maybe post pics of your system. Indeed RO/DI would be a good system for someone with high source water Nitrates.

Oh, sorry. I took that the wrong way.
Sorry.

 

Not going over 10 ppm in nitrates is a little strict. Not going over 40 ppm nitrates is the norm and not unhealthy for your fish.

 

So I recently tested the water ofall my tanks and found the results much higher than I would like

9g betta tank: 40ppm,
50g goldfish tank with fry box: 80ppm,
90g heavily planted goldfish tank 80ppm,

I do 30%-50% water changes weekly so decided to test my tap water and it's at 40ppm!!!

My county must have experienced a water quality change as nitrates in my tanks used to be at around 20ppm-40ppm

All my fish seem happy and healthy but I'm still a bit worried :/

So I have a couple of qs:.

It's my understanding that elevated nitrates exposure is bad for my fish, fry in particular. This is especially concerning given that I am looking after my fry!

What can I do to lower nitrate levels in a way that won't cause nitrate shock to my fish?

Would a nitrate reactor work?

R/o unit a bit out of my price range

Thanks for any advice

If your source water is 40ppm and your tanks are testing at 80 after water changes, it's probably a testing error. Recheck that you are strictly following the instructions on the API Nitrate test directions and recheck. If your source water is truly testing at 40 and your tank water i

Seachem Equilibrium and Seachem alkaline buffer are my favorites.

I'll PM you. Have another question.

 

I Finally Got Around To Doing A Writeup On My System.

 

Do I do not use a rodI system as my tap water does not need it, but I know that Seachem Equilibrium is a popular choice for remineralizing ro/dI water.

 

So I recently tested the water ofall my tanks and found the results much higher than I would like

9g betta tank: 40ppm,
50g goldfish tank with fry box: 80ppm,
90g heavily planted goldfish tank 80ppm,

I do 30%-50% water changes weekly so decided to test my tap water and it's at 40ppm!!!

My county must have experienced a water quality change as nitrates in my tanks used to be at around 20ppm-40ppm

All my fish seem happy and healthy but I'm still a bit worried :/

So I have a couple of qs:.

It's my understanding that elevated nitrates exposure is bad for my fish, fry in particular. This is especially concerning given that I am looking after my fry!

What can I do to lower nitrate levels in a way that won't cause nitrate shock to my fish?

Would a nitrate reactor work?

R/o unit a bit out of my price range

Thanks for any advice

If your source water is 40ppm and your tanks are testing at 80 after water changes, it's probably a testing error. Recheck that you are strictly following the instructions on the API Nitrate directions and recheck. If indeed your tank levels are that high, you need to do water changes to keep your aquarium nitrates at least as low as the 40ppm your source water is and then look at another method you could use, as suggested above by others, to reduce tank nitrates to at most, 20 ppm.

 

They don’t tell you this but you need to bang the reagent #2 bottle on a hard surface a few times before you shake it... every time, but the ingredients precipitate out.
If you haven’t been doing this, try it and retest...

I shook it for about 1 minute but did not bang it

I will bang it and do more tests tomorrow though

You want, ideally, for your Nitrates to stay below 20ppm (preferably no higher than 10 ppm). 80 IS way too high and over a short time it will cause problems. IF you are using API Master test kit, you have to shake the #2 Nitrate test solution vigorously for AT LEAST 30 seconds immediately before adding it to the test tube. If you don't, your Nitrate test results WILL BE incorrect.

I know :/

I test my params pretty regularly and nitrates, in all tanks, have always been in the orange section, usually at 20ppm but when I tested this week they had spiked

I clean my filters, do regular water changes so think it's my water source

I thought I did shake it enough but I'll time it tomorrow and do another test

If you do use RO/DI water as a primary water source though, you will also have to invest in mineral replacement additives for it to be safe for fish.

Yea I'd considered a rodI system but the only ones I found so far are pretty expensive and need to be hooked into the water mains which since I'm currently living with my parents, I don't think they would let me do

If your source water is 40ppm and your tanks are testing at 80 after water changes, it's probably a testing error. Recheck that you are strictly following the instructions on the API Nitrate directions and recheck. If indeed your tank levels are that high, you need to do water changes to keep your aquarium nitrates at least as low as the 40ppm your source water is and then look at another method you could use, as suggested above by others, to reduce tank nitrates to at most, 20 ppm.

Tomorrow I'll do another water change on the 90g and 9g and test the water again

I do have slight problem with the 50g

I found a lone fry in my tank and I'm trying my best to look after it

Because of the way the breeder box is set up, I can't do more than 10pc water change unless I move the box so I usually end up doing back to back water changes

Soo if I move the fry to a small container to do a bigger water change will that be ok? And will a drop in nitrates stress it? I know it's just a silly fry but Ive had it for a week am trying to do my best for it

Not going over 10 ppm in nitrates is a little strict. Not going over 40 ppm nitrates is the norm and not unhealthy for your fish.

Given I have very messy goldfish I try and stick to 20 to 40ppm but I'll try and invest in an ro unit or set up some nitrate reactors


This 80ppm on the goldfish tanks really threw me

 

That Goldfish has the meanest eyebrows Ive ever seen.

So after seeing your picture, I saw that you have a lot of algae, some on the plants. I had a theory so I asked SeattleRoy because I’m not too experienced with plants, he says this:

“If you have a bunch of algae covering the plants it would certainly effect the ability of the plant leaves to do photosynthesis and would slow the uptake of nutrients. However many other things can cause nitrates to spike including vacuuming the gravel, moving around a lot of plants, or overfeeding.”

So this is a possibility worth mentioning.

I’m also a bit concerned for your health from drinking water with 80ppm of nitrates, that’s not good for people either. In the US, the water company is not allowed to have over 10 ppm in tap water.

 

I Finally Got Around To Doing A Writeup On My System.

Have you any experience with the Ro buddie system? I don't think I could get a system that hooks up to my mains but I could get one for my faucet

That Goldfish has the meanest eyebrows Ive ever seen.

So after seeing your picture, I saw that you have a lot of algae, some on the plants. I had a theory so I asked SeattleRoy because I’m not too experienced with plants, he says this:

“If you have a bunch of algae covering the plants it would certainly effect the ability of the plant leaves to do photosynthesis and would slow the uptake of nutrients. However many other things can cause nitrates to spike including vacuuming the gravel, moving around a lot of plants, or overfeeding.”

So this is a possibility worth mentioning.

I’m also a bit concerned for your health from drinking water with 80ppm of nitrates, that’s not good for people either. In the US, the water company is not allowed to have over 10 ppm in tap water.

She's judging me for not feeding her lol

I do have algae. Could be due to overfeeding or my lights? They are very powerful and by the end of the week the tank walls are usually covered in green algae

My tap water is at 40ppm and UK law says no more than 50mg/l of nitrates. Took Chemistry a while ago so I've forgot how to translate that into ppm levels

Copy of the most recent water report for my area (Jan 2017) not sure how to interpret it though in relation to ppm levels in my tank

 

Mg/l and ppm are equal

It’s very likely being caused by too much light.

I have an RO buddy that hooks onto my sink, it’s on right now actually.

 

May just be your water company did something in the system. Some type of cleaning and that why the sudden high nitrates. As said earlier 80ppm isn’t terrible. Not sure why people are chasing nitrates now? Seems to be the in thing. I change my water weekly and rarely ever test.

 

Mg/l and ppm are equal

It’s very likely being caused by too much light.

I have an RO buddy that hooks onto my sink, it’s on right now actually.

Thanks for clearing that up

You've taught this unI student one cool fact today!

It looks pretty neat.. I might order one myself..mix it with my tap water so I can maybe lower the nitrates but keep the minerals


These fish are like my aquatic babies so I really hate the idea of them suffering from high nitrates, especially my lone fry

May just be your water company did something in the system. Some type of cleaning and that why the sudden high nitrates. As said earlier 80ppm isn’t terrible. Not sure why people are chasing nitrates now? Seems to be the in thing. I change my water weekly and rarely ever test.

Could be

I'll ask around

Yea I know my nitrates could be *a lot* worse and my fish seem happy and healthy (see pic) but I posted on another forum and was told that my fish are pretty much doomed and that got me all worked up!

 

Wow beautiful tank. So many plants. Even growing out the top?? Since you bought the test kit have you allways shook the nitrates? Do you test a lot (more than once a week)?

 

The only reason I use this is for my Ram tanks, my tap water is fairly hard and I wouldn’t be able to breed them otherwise, but my tap has 0 nitrates. So in my situation I mix it with tap. The problem with your water is you don’t know your KH and GH, it might be low, so if you mix your tap with it it might not be enough.

80ppm of nitrates is pretty awful, even for humans to drink. Mine stay below 20, in the wild most fish have zero. Check this out https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860914000041 there have been several studies to show the effects of high nitrates. Not trying to freak you out, but I just want to make it clear that nitrates are not something to label “safe” when not in low amounts. This is also for you 86 ssinit

Edit: wow, that tank is amazing, it’s hard to believe those plants don’t take care it

 

Oh my goodness, that tank is beautiful!!

Sorry I don't have anything useful to add, just... wow, that is gorgeous!

 

Not going over 10 ppm in nitrates is a little strict. Not going over 40 ppm nitrates is the norm and not unhealthy for your fish.

Keeping Up with Nitrate | Freshwater | Feature Articles |

I shook it for about 1 minute but did not bang it

I will bang it and do more tests tomorrow though

I know :/

I test my params pretty regularly and nitrates, in all tanks, have always been in the orange section, usually at 20ppm but when I tested this week they had spiked

I clean my filters, do regular water changes so think it's my water source

I thought I did shake it enough but I'll time it tomorrow and do another test

Yea I'd considered a rodI system but the only ones I found so far are pretty expensive and need to be hooked into the water mains which since I'm currently living with my parents, I don't think they would let me do

Tomorrow I'll do another water change on the 90g and 9g and test the water again

I do have slight problem with the 50g

I found a lone fry in my tank and I'm trying my best to look after it

Because of the way the breeder box is set up, I can't do more than 10pc water change unless I move the box so I usually end up doing back to back water changes

Soo if I move the fry to a small container to do a bigger water change will that be ok? And will a drop in nitrates stress it? I know it's just a silly fry but Ive had it for a week am trying to do my best for it
View attachment 519441

Gotta take care of the babies! Your baby should be fine if you just scoop it up in a plastic container with tank water in it while you're doing a water change. When you're done, lower the container into the tank and let the new water trickle in and mix with the old water then just tip him back in his breeder box. He should be fine. NICE FISH! They're gorgeous!
Nitrates 1 mg/l = 1 ppm
The Nitrate levels in the 8 samples collected ranged between 23.5 to 34.2 ppm so your's could be the 40ppm you are measuring from your tap. That's fairly high for a municipal water source. It exceeds the US EPA desired level of nitrates (10 ppm) in drinking water but is generally okay for drinking as long as the water is treated for microbial contamination before it is supplied to users (I personally wouldn't drink it).
I agree with 86 ssinit that your source nitrate levels may be elevated because of 'system manipulation' but must differ in regard to nitrate levels higher than 40ppm being safe or even tolerable for fish.
If you google "acceptable nitrate levels for aquarium fish" I guarantee you will NEVER see 80 ppm listed as acceptable. As a matter of fact, I guarantee you won't even see 40ppm as an ideal level of nitrates. Most reliable sources will put the 'best' level for fish at less than 40, and most frequently, between 0 and 30. Think about it, if research has shown that drinking water is less than desirable above 10 ppm or even 50 ppm, why would something higher be ok for fish to live, breathe and reproduce in? Nitrates are pure water contamination. Nitrates are a main ingredient in farm and garden fertilizers. Nitrates in an aquarium are the end waste product of fishpoop metabolism ie the fishes sewer water. More frequent water changes will help keep your tank water at least as low in nitrates as your source water.
Double check ANY information you receive here or from any other source, especially if it sounds 'fishy'! (Pun intended) lol!

 

Wow beautiful tank. So many plants. Even growing out the top?? Since you bought the test kit have you allways shook the nitrates? Do you test a lot (more than once a week)?

That's a fake vine I use to hide the filter but I really thought the plants would take care of the nitrates, along with my filters (x2 heavy duty, Inc eheim 2217)

I'll do another test today and properly shake it

I test a couple of times a month, maybe more if I spot weird behaviour

The only reason I use this is for my Ram tanks, my tap water is fairly hard and I wouldn’t be able to breed them otherwise, but my tap has 0 nitrates. So in my situation I mix it with tap. The problem with your water is you don’t know your KH and GH, it might be low, so if you mix your tap with it it might not be enough.

80ppm of nitrates is pretty awful, even for humans to drink. Mine stay below 20, in the wild most fish have zero. Check this out https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860914000041 there have been several studies to show the effects of high nitrates. Not trying to freak you out, but I just want to make it clear that nitrates are not something to label “safe” when not in low amounts. This is also for you 86 ssinit

Edit: wow, that tank is amazing, it’s hard to believe those plants don’t take care it

I don't my exact level of kh and h
Gh (I can buy a test though) but I do know my water is very hard

Kitchen tap and outside tap is left alone, every other outlet is softened using a salt brick

I know nitrates can be bad. When I was younger more inexperienced one of my fish develop nitrate poisoning and his spine became kinked. Also read somewhere that nitrates=kidney damage so may also increase risk of dropsy... So I definitely want to get those down, at least to 40 and lower

It is surprising. Still hoping it's a reading error or overfeeding on my part

If it's not I'll look into possibly buying a nitrate reactor like this



(fuzzy on the FL rules re posting other links. Mods let me know if I need to take it down and I shall. Not promoting, just trying to show product)

Then filling it with Seachem denitrate and making a nitrate reactor. I don't have a sump and this reactor can be attached to my tank wall which is quite neat

Preferably I want a simple solution that doesn't require buying buffers or chemicals

Thanks again everyone for all the advice

Oh my goodness, that tank is beautiful!!

Sorry I don't have anything useful to add, just... wow, that is gorgeous!

Thanks

It's my pride and joy so I'm extra keen to get those nitrates down!

 

I was going to suggest adding more plants, as they also feed on nitrares, but I see your tank is already fully planted.

Honestly apart from a RODI sysyem I don't know what else you can do. You could reduce your stocking to the point st which they only produce as much as plants can consume, so the nitrate level stays constant at hat of your tap water. In my tank which is currently understocked due to some deaths this seems to be the case. Not a really ideal solution though.

I've seen ppl on youtube add a certain houseplant (don't know the name) on top of the tank, withthe roots submerged, to help with nitrates. Maybe look into that, see if it is actually helping?

 

Right .. some people add pothos (ivy), letting the roots drape into the tank. They love nitrates.

Love your goldfish <obviously prejudiced>.

 

Keeping Up with Nitrate | Freshwater | Feature Articles | TFH Magazine

Gotta take care of the babies! Your baby should be fine if you just scoop it up in a plastic container with tank water in it while you're doing a water change. When you're done, lower the container into the tank and let the new water trickle in and mix with the old water then just tip him back in his breeder box. He should be fine. NICE FISH! They're gorgeous!
Nitrates 1 mg/l = 1 ppm
The Nitrate levels in the 8 samples collected ranged between 23.5 to 34.2 ppm so your's could be the 40ppm you are measuring from your tap. That's fairly high for a municipal water source. It exceeds the US EPA desired level of nitrates (10 ppm) in drinking water but is generally okay for drinking as long as the water is treated for microbial contamination before it is supplied to users (I personally wouldn't drink it).
I agree with 86 ssinit that your source nitrate levels may be elevated because of 'system manipulation' but must differ in regard to nitrate levels higher than 40ppm being safe or even tolerable for fish.
If you google "acceptable nitrate levels for aquarium fish" I guarantee you will NEVER see 80 ppm listed as acceptable. As a matter of fact, I guarantee you won't even see 40ppm as an ideal level of nitrates. Most reliable sources will put the 'best' level for fish at less than 40, and most frequently, between 0 and 30. Think about it, if research has shown that drinking water is less than desirable above 10 ppm or even 50 ppm, why would something higher be ok for fish to live, breathe and reproduce in? Nitrates are pure water contamination. Nitrates are a main ingredient in farm and garden fertilizers. Nitrates in an aquarium are the end waste product of fishpoop metabolism ie the fishes sewer water. More frequent water changes will help keep your tank water at least as low in nitrates as your source water.
Double check ANY information you receive here or from any other source, especially if it sounds 'fishy'! (Pun intended) lol!

I know, he's a surprise fry

I used filter media from the 90g to cycle my betta tank and I found him in there last Wednesday day, fortunately before my betta arrived!

Thanks! I love them like my children lol

Will a drop in nitrates not shock the fry too much?

The nitrates in my tap do seem very high! As does the UK limit of 50ppm

Makes me wonder how long my fish have been exposed to it? They seem OK but still worrying

Though both goldfish tanks have successfully spawned eggs which does indicate that they are fairly healthy and happy... For now at least

I think fertilisers are to blame. The water report mentions fertiliser as a source of nitrates and I do live next to various farms

I was going to suggest adding more plants, as they also feed on nitrares, but I see your tank is already fully planted.

Honestly apart from a RODI sysyem I don't know what else you can do. You could reduce your stocking to the point st which they only produce as much as plants can consume, so the nitrate level stays constant at hat of your tap water. In my tank which is currently understocked due to some deaths this seems to be the case. Not a really ideal solution though.

I've seen ppl on youtube add a certain houseplant (don't know the name) on top of the tank, withthe roots submerged, to help with nitrates. Maybe look into that, see if it is actually helping?

Unfortunately all my tanks are in my bedroom and I don't have space (or a strong enough floor) to add another aquarium unless I somehow convince my parents to clear my garage and let me set up tanks there (highly unlikely)

Not only am I way to attached my fish but I don't think I would risk selling them or giving them to a lfs where they might be mistreated

I did find a ro unit called Ro buddie which using a python brass adaptor (which I have) I can attach to my faucet and produce ro water to mix with my tap water to reduce the nitrates a bit. That would avoid me having to attach it to the mains

Pothos plant is the one you're talking about. I can get some off ebay so I may try that actually

Right now I'm thinking my best bet to make something like this

Amazon and eBay actually sell ready made ones so I would only have to buy the denitrate and set it up

A bit pricey but I'll just dip into my savings

 

Well I tested the tap water again

I banged on the bottle shook it for 30sec and the tube for 1min and it still looks be at 40ppm..... Hoping not 80ppm but I do find it hard to distinguish the 2 colours

 

I know, he's a surprise fry

I used filter media from the 90g to cycle my betta tank and I found him in there last Wednesday day, fortunately before my betta arrived!

Thanks! I love them like my children lol

Will a drop in nitrates not shock the fry too much?

The nitrates in my tap do seem very high! As does the UK limit of 50ppm

Makes me wonder how long my fish have been exposed to it? They seem OK but still worrying

Though both goldfish tanks have successfully spawned eggs which does indicate that they are fairly healthy and happy... For now at least

I think fertilisers are to blame. The water report mentions fertiliser as a source of nitrates and I do live next to various farms

The fertilizers do cause problems, here too.
Apparently, your fish are doing fine despite the nitrate levels but over time it's taxing to their disease resistance etc.
Were your fish raised and sold locally?
If I were going to go RO/DI in your situation, I would just use RO water to dilute my local water to a Nitrate level around 20. Your plants use much of the nitrates in your tank.
Do you fertilise your aquarium plants?
These plants apparently, utilise nitrates and help lower nitrate levels in aquariums the most:

1. Duckweed (pretty messy)
2. Moss Balls. ...
3. Water Sprite. ...
4. Anacharis Elodea. ...
5. Frogbit. ...
6. Water Lettuce

I know, he's a surprise fry

I used filter media from the 90g to cycle my betta tank and I found him in there last Wednesday day, fortunately before my betta arrived!

Thanks! I love them like my children lol

Will a drop in nitrates not shock the fry too much?

The nitrates in my tap do seem very high! As does the UK limit of 50ppm

Makes me wonder how long my fish have been exposed to it? They seem OK but still worrying

Though both goldfish tanks have successfully spawned eggs which does indicate that they are fairly healthy and happy... For now at least

I think fertilisers are to blame. The water report mentions fertiliser as a source of nitrates and I do live next to various farms

Goldfish tolerate a huge range of water conditions much better than most tropical fish. Your two fancy gf in the picture you posted are especially gorgeous! I know very little about the fancys. What kind are those two and what are the white 'tufty' looking things I can see on the black ones head? THAT'S something special!

 

Goldfish tolerate a huge range of water conditions much better than most tropical fish. Your two fancy gf in the picture you posted are especially gorgeous! I know very little about the fancys. What kind are those two and what are the white 'tufty' looking things I can see on the black ones head? THAT'S something special!

Fortunately they do

Whilst I don't like my nitrates being this high when I came back from holiday I found my nitrates at 160ppm...and they had been like this for a month because I couldn't get someone to come look after them . Fish were Ok but I ended up doing lots of water changes

The bigger of the 2 is a marble ryukin and the other one is an oranda with nose pom poms (that's what I call them anyway lol)

 

OK update!

Did 50pc wc on the 50 gallon and 90g and tested my tap water again, making sure to shake the nitrate bottle and the vial

Tap is 40ppm and it looks like the water change brought down the nitrates to about 40ppm in both goldfish tanks though I really struggle to tell the 40-80ppm reds apart

With that in mind I will increase my water change schedule to x2 a week, feed my goldfish once every other day and buy seachem denitrate and a reactor as well as more Juwel nitrate sponges

I added an extra air pump in the 90g and I've ordered more plants, though still looking to find a decent supplier of pothos plants

If all that doesn't reduce my nitrates then I will look into buying an ro unit I can fit on my tap

In the meantime though, will my goldfish, fry included, be ok? I can get the reactor by Thursday/Friday and it'll hopefully start bringing down the nitrates by next though from what I read says it can take 2 weeks to see a fall in nitrates

 

In the meantime though, will my goldfish, fry included, be ok?
Do you mean will the fry add too much bioload? I doubt it. He's little. Or do you mean will he survive being eaten? I doubt it . OR do you mean 'will the water be okay for him'? Certainly. He should be fine added to the tank. In a safe place just to make SURE the other fish don't think he's a snack!

 

80ppm of nitrates is pretty awful, even for humans to drink. Mine stay below 20, in the wild most fish have zero. Check this out https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860914000041 there have been several studies to show the effects of high nitrates. Not trying to freak you out, but I just want to make it clear that nitrates are not something to label “safe” when not in low amounts.

Current research on nitrate toxicity in human infants shows that tap water levels can be increased as it's not nearly as bad as people once thought.

Scientific articles almost always use nitrate-nitrogen units so when you see 80-100 mg/L they're actually talking about 355-443 mg/L nitrate. If you read the Davidson 2014 article carefully, it says that the toxicity was likely caused by nitrate or potassium. Davidson published another paper in 2017 that used sodium nitrate instead and the toxicity they observed in 2014 was absent. That points the finger at potassium. In the 2017 study, they found no health effects at 443 mg/L nitrate for 8 months. This was with salmonids who are considered more sensitive to water quality than tropical fish.

Eighty ppm nitrate isn't that bad and not worth the trouble and expense of RO/DI. Most off-the-shelf RO/DI units will need modification and all will require constant monitoring to prevent the membrane from being damaged by chlorine.

 

In the meantime though, will my goldfish, fry included, be ok?
Do you mean will the fry add too much bioload? I doubt it. He's little. Or do you mean will he survive being eaten? I doubt it . OR do you mean 'will the water be okay for him'? Certainly. He should be fine added to the tank. In a safe place just to make SURE the other fish don't think he's a snack!

I meant will the water be OK for the fry

Sadly my goldfish aren't good parents lol

He's in a breeder box I made inside a a reinforced fry net in my 50g

Just wondering because if the nitrates were too high I could move him to a small QT tank I have and maybe mix some tank water with some bottled water to dilute some nitrates

He spends all day scavenging the baby brine eggs I give him and seems alert. No gasping, lethargy or flashing but I want to be extra sure!

 

The nitrate reactor you posted has similar diy units. Look on utube. I remember the pond guru was showing them in his canister filter video. Thanks to the members who sent me nitrate info. Juvenile fish are going to be more susceptible to anything you give them. There whole immune system hasn’t developed. That would have been better if they used adult fish. The TFH states long term high nitrates over 100ppm. The op isn’t talking long term this is new to her. The highest her nitrates got was40 ppm before this. AD just showed high nitrates aren’t as bad as it’s being made out. So who knows?
Yes the bottle water break down in 5he fry tank should be fine. I wonder what others in the UK do? Is this common throughout the UK? I would think London would have the cleanest water.

 

The nitrate reactor you posted has similar diy units. Look on utube. I remember the pond guru was showing them in his canister filter video. Thanks to the members who sent me nitrate info. Juvenile fish are going to be more susceptible to anything you give them. There whole immune system hasn’t developed. That would have been better if they used adult fish. The TFH states long term high nitrates over 100ppm. The op isn’t talking long term this is new to her. The highest her nitrates got was40 ppm before this. AD just showed high nitrates aren’t as bad as it’s being made out. So who knows?
Yes the bottle water break down in 5he fry tank should be fine. I wonder what others in the UK do? Is this common throughout the UK? I would think London would have the cleanest water.

I might buy one or make own using denitrate or something similar

The UK legal limit for nitrates in water is 50mg/l and the average in my area is 30mg/l. So it makes me think that my tap water has been at 40 for while and my fish have grown used to it

When I was doing prior tests could be I wasn't shaking it properly and my results were higher than 20ppm?

I'd considered moving the fry to a separate tank and mixing bottled water and tap water but because it's so young (~1 week) I'm worried any fluctuation in PH, Gh and kh will stress it as well as any drastic change in params

Before I saw the high nitrates on all tanks, I figured him being in the 50 gallon was the best for him as temp/ph/ammonia/nitrite are stable and I have the filtration to cope with all the uneaten food he leaves.

Definitely lots of conflicting Info re nitrates! I think I will err on the side of caution and set up a couple of reactors on the goldfish tanks. Possibly move the fry to a bottled and tank water tank if I notice it become lethargic or anything. Never dealt with fry so everything is new to me!

Well the legal limit is 50ppm so looks like it could be quite common, even in London it seems.

I mean I've owned goldfish for 10 years and my nitrates have rarely been problem bar when I skipped maintenence.

Not sure what UK people do. Most homes like mine have normal taps. Never heard of anyone talk about having to install a rodI unit for their health or their fish, not even the lfs near me mention it

I might contact other fish store and water suppliers for more info

Current research on nitrate toxicity in human infants shows that tap water levels can be increased as it's not nearly as bad as people once thought.

Scientific articles almost always use nitrate-nitrogen units so when you see 80-100 mg/L they're actually talking about 355-443 mg/L nitrate. If you read the Davidson 2014 article carefully, it says that the toxicity was likely caused by nitrate or potassium. Davidson published another paper in 2017 that used sodium nitrate instead and the toxicity they observed in 2014 was absent. That points the finger at potassium. In the 2017 study, they found no health effects at 443 mg/L nitrate for 8 months. This was with salmonids who are considered more sensitive to water quality than tropical fish.

Eighty ppm nitrate isn't that bad and not worth the trouble and expense of RO/DI. Most off-the-shelf RO/DI units will need modification and all will require constant monitoring to prevent the membrane from being damaged by chlorine.

Thanks for the Info! That was informative and very interesting

Tbh an ro unit is a bit out of my price range and I only have goldfish/betta so not as sensitive as discus or marine fish

Good to hear my 80ppm could not be as bad as I feared. My fish seem quite happy so far just wanted some reassurance

I've got it down to 40ppm in my tanks so I'm hoping that will be OK until I can the reactors up and running to start lowering those nitrates a bit more

 

That is a beautiful tank. I am jealous.

 

That is a beautiful tank. I am jealous.

Thanks

 

Thanks for the Info! That was informative and very interesting

Tbh an ro unit is a bit out of my price range and I only have goldfish/betta so not as sensitive as discus or marine fish

Good to hear my 80ppm could not be as bad as I feared. My fish seem quite happy so far just wanted some reassurance

I've got it down to 40ppm in my tanks so I'm hoping that will be OK until I can the reactors up and running to start lowering those nitrates a bit more

Do you

Current research on nitrate toxicity in human infants shows that tap water levels can be increased as it's not nearly as bad as people once thought.

Scientific articles almost always use nitrate-nitrogen units so when you see 80-100 mg/L they're actually talking about 355-443 mg/L nitrate. If you read the Davidson 2014 article carefully, it says that the toxicity was likely caused by nitrate or potassium. Davidson published another paper in 2017 that used sodium nitrate instead and the toxicity they observed in 2014 was absent. That points the finger at potassium. In the 2017 study, they found no health effects at 443 mg/L nitrate for 8 months. This was with salmonids who are considered more sensitive to water quality than tropical fish.

Eighty ppm nitrate isn't that bad and not worth the trouble and expense of RO/DI. Most off-the-shelf RO/DI units will need modification and all will require constant monitoring to prevent the membrane from being damaged by chlorine.

Do you have links to the research you referred to, or a first initial, or a article title? Do you know what journal, paper it was published in? I'd be interested in reading those articles! But with all the researchers named Davidson (one of them is my Daughter in law and she says SHE didn't write those papers lol!) It will be nigh on impossible to find those particular articles without more info. Please?

 

I found this 2014 abstract by a John Davidson: Don't think you're referring to that one. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860914000041
Found this one 2017 too (same author) about nitrate effects on farmed salmon:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860917301231
100mg/liter is 100ppm of whatever they're measuring. So if 100 ppm of nitrates in scientific research is stated to "mean" 334 ppm, in regard to dissolved elements or solids, it MEANS 100ppm nitrates PLUS 234ppm of other dissolved solids, pollutants or elements. When they indicate ppm of a particular substance, that is not up for translation. Nitrates affect different fish different ways, if you just read those abstracts they are testing cold water trout and salmon, (like our very tolerant goldfish friends) not tropical fish. When you're checking and believing research on fish effects on species HAS to be considered. And that researcher did. With vastly different results between trout and salmon.

 

I found this 2014 abstract by a John Davidson: Don't think you're referring to that one. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860914000041
Found this one 2017 too (same author) about nitrate effects on farmed salmon:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860917301231
100mg/liter is 100ppm of whatever they're measuring. So if 100 ppm of nitrates in scientific research is stated to "mean" 334 ppm, in regard to dissolved elements or solids, it MEANS 100ppm nitrates PLUS 234ppm of other dissolved solids, pollutants or elements. When they indicate ppm of a particular substance, that is not up for translation. Nitrates affect different fish different ways, if you just read those abstracts they are testing cold water trout and salmon, (like our very tolerant goldfish friends) not tropical fish. When you're checking and believing research on fish effects on species HAS to be considered.

I think this is the full article. Used my unI access to get it

 

Pothos supplier? Just go to any store/nursery and buy a starter plant. Remove pot, rinse the dirt off and drop in tank. It's a regular household plant.

 

I think this is the full article. Used my unI access to get it

**** that link isn't working and no Idea why there's Arabic lol

Edit: if you Google Davidson nitrate trout there's the article on a website called core.ac.uk where you can access it

Pothos supplier? Just go to any store/nursery and buy a starter plant. Remove pot, rinse the dirt off and drop in tank. It's a regular household plant.

Unfortunately I don't drive so I was thinking of ordering some online

But I'll try my local garden centres, thanks!