Nitrate in tap water

[wuvarien]

My tap water here in the UK is 20ppm Nitrate, I've spoken to a Stendker supplier here in the UK (Devotedly Discus). He's told me that Discus are fine with higher levels of Nitrates, and the only reason some people remove it is to lessen Algae...

He has suggested maybe using https://www.devotedly-discus.co.uk/acatalog/A-520-Nitrate-Resin---by-the-litre-7_0010__.html#SID=36 but it's not essential.

Does this sound right to you guys?

I don't mind paying for the resin + canister but just want to make sure I need it before spending £100+

[jeep]

If your supplier has the same water and says it's fine then you'll probably be ok. <5 is ideal but there are many people with nitrates up to 20. If you keep up with water changes and have good filtration you shouldn't have any issues. I certainly wouldn't want to go any higher.

Using resins can be extra work. I'm unfamiliar with this specific resin but the resin used in RO units to produce DI exhaust pretty quickly, and when they do the water stinks and it can be costly to constantly replace the resin.

With nitrates at 20, I would be more concerned about bioload than the nitrates alone. Water changes and regular maintenance will take care of bioload http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?120956-What-Are-Bioload-and-Biomass-and-Why-They-Are-Important

[wuvarien]

Brilliant,

Thank you Jeep!

[captainandy]

I use pretty strong LEDs but surface of tank loaded with water lettuce.
With water changes my nitrates are below 5 and phosphates nearly undetectable

[jeep]

Yes, plants can be excellent at naturally removing nitrates. A lot of people use Pothos as well. Stick the stem in the tank and train the vines to grow outside the tank the way you like.

[Willie]

The US Environmental Protection Agency lists a maximum level of 20 ppm for nitrate due to human safety concerns. Infants are particularly susceptible to high nitrate levels. Assuming your nitrate reading is correct (it wouldn't hurt to ask a local fish store to verify), you might want to consider going to R/O for your own use. It'll also pull out sodium and other dissolved compounds in your drinking water.

As for the fish, I agree that putting in plants are a good approach. I'm not in favor of using rooted plants because substrates trap dirt. Water lettuce and Porthos are both good options. I've had very good results with guppy grass, which floats and will rapidly fill a tank when nitrate levels spike. It's simple enough to clean out afterwards. You'll find these to be a much more cost effective option than ion-exchange resin which will soon exhaust its adsorption capacity and need replacement.

[wuvarien]

Here in the UK it's 50ppm max level, as per EU regulations. :eek:

Thanks for the tips - I'll have a look for these plants. Do you think I'd be able to put the plants in the aging tank, or do they take a while to remove the nitrates?

[LizStreithorst]

I have water lettuce in almost all of my tanks. If you were here in the States I'd send you some.

[LizStreithorst]

I have water lettuce in almost all of my tanks. If you were here in the States I'd send you some. I put them in the tank rather than in the water storage container.