[FishLover61]

The mystery of my tank cycle is becoming more clear now. I'm three weeks into the new setup and with only slightly increased levels of ammonia and nitrate up till now, I thought I was doing good. Yesterday I checked my levels and did the partial change and checked again and the nitrate was actually higher! I called my local petstore and was recommended to test my tap water. Guess what? Very high nitrate levels.

What are your recommendations for this? Do I have to buy Spring Water or do a R-O unit? What do I need to do to get my nitrate levels down in my tank?

Thanks so much!

 

[Byron]

First question is, just what is the number for the tap water nitrate? Methods to deal with this depend upon the extent of the nitrate. And which test kit? Liquid tests like the API are more reliable than test strips. And if it is the API liquid test, you need to shake Regent #2 for a good 2 minutes or the test may be faulty.

Byron.

 

[AbbeysDad]

If you have a well in an agricultural area, it's likely you have high nitrates in your supply water. I have several thoughts that may assist you, but Byron is correct about detailing your test method and results.

Edit: While awaiting your response on method/values, here is a recent post I made regarding the challenges and required learning I've experiance in battling high nitrates in my source (well) water.

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-aquarium/newbie-advice-comments-appreciated-127539/page4/#post1418093