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I tested my water in my two tanks and find it odd that my 20 gallon that has been running for almost a year still has nitrites present. I tested the water every 2-4 weeks and there are still traceable nitrites each time. I've always made excuses about it to my self saying maybe I over cleaned the filter to much that time or over cleaned the tank but now I'm beginning to worry. I tested the water two days ago and got the same reading in both my 20 gallon and 45 gallon. 0 ammonia 0.05 nitrites 10 nitrates. I could understand the readings in the 45 because its somewhatnew but not my 20. But I now that I recall ive always gotten these same reading each time I have checked each tank. Is it possible that the liquid tests are expired and giving false readings?

Last night I went and tested the tap and had some interesting results. I tested ammonia and got 0. I tested nitrite and got 0.05 again. But the weird one is the nitrates. After waiting the 5 min,. I got a reading of 10. I went to bed and left the tubes and woke up to a reading that was close to 40. Is it normal for the waters nitrate to rise like this. I have done this before with tank water and the color has never changed. I don't know what do you all think?

I know that something is wrong as well because both my tanks with fish flash more than what I see as normal or adjusting to water.(so much so that my shark has scratched off scales) I also know I'm not overstocked because I haven't even begun to stock. 20 has one full grown rainbow shark and 45 has 5 tigerbarbs. The goal is to have them all together but things seem worse in the 20 and I dont want him to make things worse in the 45.
Both tanks have 2 - 3 times the filtration and both have air stones. I do water changes weekly 10% evaporation (really hot here) 20%-30% water change. So by the end of the week nearly half the water is gone is changed/removed.

I am wondering if it is really just my water and I need to adjust the way I do water changes. If you leave the water out for 24-48 hours doesn't the water purify or something?

I am so lost


tigermom

Hi,
I would do two things. I'd take a water sample to your
usual LFS and ask them to test the water for you. See
if they come up with similar results. Give them a little
"slack" but if they are off, I would "assume" that the
LFS test kits are newer than yours and that the reagents
in yours have expired or become, somehow, contaminated.

It is normal for one to draw a clean glass of water and
then leave it out overnight and find that you get different
readings. As the water ages and degases, some of the
various values such as pH, GH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and
Nitrate will change.

If your LFS is in the same water district as the one you
live in you might share with them your findings and
concerns.

Some folks will draw the 20-30 gallons of water they need
for a water change, and save it in a brand new plastic
trashcan with an operating air-stone in the bottom of the
can for circulation.

In the case of the glass of water for overnight and the
case of the trashcan full of water for the next change,
be sure to keep the pets & children from playing in it and
with it (kitty spit, or doggy drool, and God only knows
what the kids might do!).

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Might be a good idea to fit an evaporation tray too, be it perspex or glass.Preventing massive evaporation may help to stabilise the tank. Could also be that the filter is underperforming, we used to get that at the shop I worked because the level of media bypass was awful, and because of an over dependance on chemically absorbant media rather than full bacterial filtration. Could also find that you have high ph too. Even with some truly odd tapwater there is usually a way to stabilise things, could be that the water supply in your area has chemicals to kill bacteria because of a high level or organic detritus, not unusual in a country that gets a lot of heat. Perhaps try RO water, or letting it sit under treatment in a large container for a few days before using it for water changes.

You left the chemicals in the tube overnight and found it was darker in the morning? That's an inaccurate test. Over time the color will change even if the nitrate stays the same. You should look at the tests within at least a few hours and after 5-10mins. I would retest and leave the nitrate test a little longer(mine says 10mins) and see if it actually looks any darker than 10ppm. Especially since the tanks don't have that high of nitrate. If your tap was really 40 I don't see how the tanks could only have 10 without them being heavily planted.

The nitrite is one of 2 possibilities. Either your test is off and always showing .05 nitrite on any water or your tap contains nitrites that are being added to the tanks on water changes. I would actually lean towards the former because unless you always test right after a water change and change alot of water you should not see the exact same nitrite reading on everything. The tank should use up a tiny bit of added nitrite within a few hours to at least within a day.

My guess would be 1 or both of your test kits are off. How old are they? If it's more than a year old just go get a new kit otherwise take a sample to a local store that uses liquid test kits and have them check it.