Nitrate High

[daninmd]

If that is straight from your tap (and not your tank), in addition to calling the proper authorities, I would try a different set of testing drops. Could yours have expired or be otherwise defective? I am assuming the "test tube" is clean. Can you test a neighbor's water to see if they showing roughly the same thing?

I agree with the tests not being accurate. have you tried to do a nitrate test on some bottled water to make sure its tests at zero?

 

[DougGosnell]

New well will not fix the problem, outlawing the use of fertilizer will, after a couple hundred years.

This is a problem in the industrialized world, we did as were told by big business and the gov't, use fertilizer... increase output. The "Hank Kimball's" of the world were out there preaching this to all the farmers who would listen. The only thing that can be done now is to basically add carbon sources to wells on a widespread basis and hope that the water draw flowing to nearby streams and lakes will allow for the detoxification of the soil to start. (Don't expect this to be ever done for to acknowledge this problem would be to say "we" as big business and the gov't caused this)

There are numerous thesis projects right now, primarily in Bangladesh doing similar things to remove arsenic from the ground water feeding iron into the wells. If I recall it is like 60%+ of the population drinks from wells that produce a lot of arsenic and the deformities it causes are severe.

wow, I hope you guys are drinking bottled water! I would definitely have someone come in and run a full test of your water. a new well may be in order to get to a deeper, cleaner water source if you are really pulling 60ppm out of the well. right now I would say your fish tank's water is the least of your concerns...they can handle nitrates in their water and be ok.

 

[Localzoo]

Yeah. When you come over tonight can you help me make sure my eyes are right and can we do a nitrate check? Lol


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Sure I can bring my kit just incase
We can perform a small experiment.
Bottled water Montgomery county tap water and your water. See if it really is the water or test kit.
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[DougGosnell]

and the results were?

 

[DougGosnell]

I did yet further reading as anything to reduce nitrate is of a lot of interest to me.

Amquel plus does nothing for nitrite or nitrate. The company that developed it is ARG (AquaScience Research Group) and sold it to Novalek but they also market ClorAM-X which is what I use, a cheap powder that uses the same formula and scales well for my size ( fish room, not belt). The next link is a product sheet with a chemical reaction equation Will is so fond of seeing.

http://www.koicarekennel.com/pdf/ClorAm-XDataSheet.pdf

Since the products were based on the same formula, they were receiving many questions regarding these claims that had to post it on their website that Novalek's claims were false and had laboratory proof.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/general-reef-aquarium-discussion/7231-amquel-plus.html
http://www.koiphen.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-65137.html

 

[cichlidaddicted]

I'm just wondering how you haven't realized this already? I know your on top of testing your water pretty often and I don't understand how you didn't catch it sooner. Because I know your on top of testing I'm wondering if its always a constant 60ppm or of it changes sometimes lower other times higher, like right now. I also must comment on the worthlessness of the api test kits color chart for nitrate. I'm convinced 5-20 and 40-160 are so close in color you cannot possibly get an accurate reading. They do appear slightly different but the uncertainty lies in how you look at the test tube. It may just be me but there is so much uncertainty that when I test I only look for two results- high (40+) or low (40-). As far as reducing it on a system similar to the scale of yours I only see two options RO or treating the hell out of it with all those close to worthless products that claim to work miracles. The later will cost you unimaginable amouts of money over the course of a year. It also won't be that effective may drop it to 40 if your lucky. The first will be expensive once but much easier on the pockets in the long run. I remember you having issues with higher ph and gh then your fish prefer straight from the tap. RO will solve all of these issues and honestly I think your family should investigate this option on the large scale- whole house or atleast all faucet water. Is 60 deadly for fish? No, not to most but, if it starts at 60 it will be at 120 in a few days and that is bad.

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[Localzoo]

Hey Dan was over there and tested it and first reading was off the chart. read somewhere to aerate then retest now it's lower about 40-60 so kind of weird.
Zack thank you to your mom and family they're really nice and your dog too lol!


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[cichlidaddicted]

Huh strange did you try two different test kits? May be a good idea to check it every other day to see of it fluctuates.

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[Localzoo]

Yep told to check it tomorrow. He lives close to a few places that spread manure on a regular basis so it leaching into there well.


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[DougGosnell]

as per "The Wicked Witch of the West" this should read "and your little dog too"

just sayin'

and your dog too lol!


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[DougGosnell]

Ha... so it is not just me. I go through kits all the time, I test nitrate every day on the system and each of my 2 digesters. I found one kit that looked like it had a correct chart (no 2 kits are the same) and I sleep with it under my pillow... just kidding.

I also must comment on the worthlessness of the api test kits color chart for nitrate. I'm convinced 5-20 and 40-160 are so close in color you cannot possibly get an accurate reading. T

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[frankoq]

+ 1 on nitrates color chart. To me, it's either orange (<40) or redish (> 40).

 

[DougGosnell]

You need my super decoder chart!

+ 1 on nitrates color chart. To me, it's either orange (<40) or redish (> 40).

 

[frankoq]

You need my super decoder chart!

I'll take it and we still need to chat about a device to obliterate nitrates from my tank.

 

[Localzoo]

There you go Doug make a device that removes nitrates on a small scale patten and sell it that will fund your trip. Lol you got too many projects going already


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[hollyfish2000]

Just one thought -- you really do have to shake the heck out of the bottles to get an accurate reading. So I'd suggest you shake each bottle for five minutes and then test again. I'd also buy a bottle of RO water and test that as a comparison.

You get can get RO water in big jugs delivered to your house. I can't think of the name of the water company right off the bat. Andrew TFW will remember. It's not that expensive. Maybe $5 for 5 gallons.

 

[frankoq]

I shake, I shake. Not 5 min but I shake.


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[cichlidaddicted]

I question the accuracy of any of the two step tests. The directions are very specific but lets be honest it says shake for "x" minutes. No two times will you ever shake it the same. When the directions stress the importance of shaking and waiting it makes me question how much of a difference it makes in the results.

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[Frank Cowherd]

I did yet further reading as anything to reduce nitrate is of a lot of interest to me.

Amquel plus does nothing for nitrite or nitrate. The company that developed it is ARG (AquaScience Research Group) and sold it to Novalek but they also market ClorAM-X which is what I use, a cheap powder that uses the same formula and scales well for my size ( fish room, not belt). The next link is a product sheet with a chemical reaction equation Will is so fond of seeing.

http://www.koicarekennel.com/pdf/ClorAm-XDataSheet.pdf

Since the products were based on the same formula, they were receiving many questions regarding these claims that had to post it on their website that Novalek's claims were false and had laboratory proof.

≈

I reread a lot of literature including the US patent on this and came to the same conclusion as Doug: there is nothing in Amquel that removes nitrate or nitrite. And the chemical literature basically has no mention of any chemical reaction that can remove either from water.

That leaves ion exchange and bacteria and plants as three different types of methods to remove nitrate and nitrite.

My water is very low in nitrite and nitrate so I have not invested much time in reviewing the methods to see how practical they are.

I like the refugium idea because it removes all nutrients needed to grow algae in my tanks by growing plants (algaes or higher plants) in like a sump area connected to the main tank. But can this mehtod be used to remove nitrate efficiently in well water/ground water?

 

[Localzoo]

I think based on the number of plants and type of plants etc... But might need to run through the plants a few times lol

Good thing Zack has plants so that might help a little


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