High Nitrate Levels - Please Help!!

Thanks for the suggestion. I specifically bought mineral water that had a virtually zero nitrate level. Its amazing what variations you get between different brands.

I think I was doomed using tap water to begin with because when I tested it, the nitrate levels were already over 40ppm!!!

Crab Update - decided to pick up just the one rainbow crab today to see how he responded to my new environment. While the guy in the aquarium was trying to bag him, the crab leapt out of the bag and fell 5 feet to the groud!!

He's broken at least 1 if not 2 of his legs. Great start eh!!!

Andy

 

You should never ever use mineral water, Thats why we use R/O water it strips all the minerals out minerals could be about anything from Iorn to copper to sulpher ):

 

But none of the aquariums around here supply RO water.

The tap water is not suitable.

So I've had to use mineral water and then add some additives to reduce the mineral content

 

Then..... buy an RO/DI unit.
www.buckeyefieldsupply.com

 

Please forgive my ignorance here as I have never seen nor heard of this unit before.

Do you connect it up to your tap and then perfect aquarium water comes out the other end? Does it take everything harmful out? such as nitrates, calcium, mg, etc?

Do you keep it connected permanently or do you just connect it when you need it?

 

Do you connect it up to your tap and then perfect aquarium water comes out the other end? Does it take everything harmful out? such as nitrates, calcium, mg, etc? Yes, however, just an FYI calcium and magnesium are not harmful to a saltwater tank.

Do you keep it connected permanently or do you just connect it when you need it? You need to keep it connected permanently.

 

Use AZNO3

Do a search on the product...
some people call it witchcraft... snake oil...
but based on my experience... I'm running 0 nitrates... down from 100ppm for more than a month!

good luck!
Rye

 

Thanks for all your help and suggestions and sorry if some of my questions have been "newbie" questions and addressed a thousand times before!!

RO/DI is clearly the way forward so I'll be ordering a system shortly.

Currently my nitrate levels are around 5ppm so I am hoping they are under control for at least the short term.