High nitrites but no fish - brisbane, australia

[sleepy_bear]

Howdy all fishy people,

I'm setting up a salt tank and I've had it running with just salt for about a week before going to buy some live rock this weekend. I'm planning to keep clownfish.

I have my ammonia and nitrites tests, but I ran the nitrites test to see what "normal" looked like, and it was bright red! Very very bad, so I did a partial water change, and its still quite pink.
I tested straight tap water and it seems to be the problem - its too high to start with.
Is this because the water I tested from the tap hadn't been dechlorinated, or do I just have a shoddy water supply.

I thought only fish poo could make nitrites?

I'm obviously lost, help please?

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to RDO, Sleepy!

That is curious. At this point though I don't think you should waste your time doing water changes to lower the nitrite, you need to promote the growth of the microbes that will convert the nitrate, must of us have to wait for the introduction of live rock etc. for that to happen.

We should consider the possibility that your test is inaccurate for one reason or another, either something in the tap water throwing it off or it is a bad test. What type of test are you using?

If your water supply is a source of nitrites, that will be cause for concern once your tank is established. Are you or do you plan on treating the tap water some how?

 

[Anonymous]

Definately check the test kit, freshwater can have nitrates in it. I know that when I lived in a home with wellwater I had a huge problem with that.

If your source water is that bad you probably should start thinking about an R/O system.

 

[ChrisRD]

It wouldn't hurt to verify the numbers with another test kit, or maybe have your LFS check your water for you. That said, IMO pure source water is critical to long term success with a reef tank so I would either locate a source to buy from or start saving for an RO or RO/DI unit.

 

[starfish 1]

Your Tank is cycling it goes from Ammonia to Nitrites to Nitrates. I may take a few weeks before you get nitrites down. Do not put fish in at this time. Put a a couple of good live rock in ,stock slowly, I know it is hard.

 

[Tackett]

uhh...strange question here. But Ive never known any tap water that has a high nitrite count. Is this a safe thing to be happening in drinking water. To me it sounds like there is something decaying in the water source...regardless, I'm sure that a high nitrite level = a high TDS. Right or wrong? at any rate, I would definatley try some purer source water. Maybe try the old wal-mart routine, or buy a RO/DI unit. I found a four stage the other day for 150 dollars, though Im not too sure of its quality.

 

[sleepy_bear]

hmm okay, well after I did the partial water change last night before posting my question, I added some more cycle juice that my fish guy gave me. I also added some water softener/preparer - and now my water has turned a gross browny/green colour!
I know I'm not very good at this (duh) - do I have to have to start from absolute scratch again? I'm starting to think I'll never get to keep fish, only murky puddles!
Please dont suggest I get a cat instead

 

[danmhippo]

It's either the bad test kit, or you need to get an RODI unit to suppy you with almost pure water.

 

[Anonymous]

hmm okay, well after I did the partial water change last night before posting my question, I added some more cycle juice that my fish guy gave me. I also added some water softener/preparer - and now my water has turned a gross browny/green colour!
I know I'm not very good at this (duh) - do I have to have to start from absolute scratch again? I'm starting to think I'll never get to keep fish, only murky puddles!
Please dont suggest I get a cat instead

What was the product you added? Also, have you tested your source water for all values?

 

[Anonymous]

uhh...strange question here. But Ive never known any tap water that has a high nitrite count. Is this a safe thing to be happening in drinking water. To me it sounds like there is something decaying in the water source...regardless, I'm sure that a high nitrite level = a high TDS. Right or wrong? at any rate, I would definatley try some purer source water. Maybe try the old wal-mart routine, or buy a RO/DI unit. I found a four stage the other day for 150 dollars, though Im not too sure of its quality.

It's not uncommon to have nitrates in source water. In my case with the well water I was surrounded by farm land which produced runoff into the acquifer. Guess what else the water was high in? (think about farming, fertilizer and animal waste and it'll come to you).

From what I have researched, the National Standard here in the States for the acceptable levels of Nitrate in water is 10 ppm, and drinking water often exceeds those numbers. To give some scale to that number, at 12 ppm there are serious risks of birth defects. E-coli, arsenic and chromium are just a few of the goodies that are potentially floating around your glass.

The full nasty report is at http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/usci ... chap05.pdf
if you'd like to know what else is in the water you drink.

Also, the main web page is http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/usci ... ntents.asp and it rates some major US cities. Might open your eyes a bit

Bottled water is no better...

According to a report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, bottled water is not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water. NRDC found that about one-third of 103 brands of bottled water tested contained chemical or bacterial contaminants at levels exceeding the industry’s own guidelines or the most stringent state standards. For information on the report, visit NRDC’s website, www.nrdc.org

 

[ChrisRD]

Personally, I'd find a source of pure water (or buy an RO or RO/DI unit), empty the tank, refill it with good water and start over...

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, oh, oh let me guess! Is it large amounts of NITROGEN?

I just love FYI's. For those people on well water, if you take a soil sample and get it tested (ask for the organic gardening one) at your county extension office, every thing listed in your soil test is in your well water 8O

Oh and I agree with ChrisRD, get the ro/di unit and start over.

 

[Anonymous]

hmm okay, well after I did the partial water change last night before posting my question, I added some more cycle juice that my fish guy gave me. I also added some water softener/preparer - and now my water has turned a gross browny/green colour!
I know I'm not very good at this (duh) - do I have to have to start from absolute scratch again? I'm starting to think I'll never get to keep fish, only murky puddles!
Please dont suggest I get a cat instead

I would stop adding the chemicals. If you do not have any thing or just live rock drain the tank and start over with RO/DI water or atleast RO water to make your SW. Get you live rock and start the tank cycling. Don't add any of the magic cycle in a bottle.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, oh, oh let me guess! Is it large amounts of NITROGEN?

I just love FYI's. For those people on well water, if you take a soil sample and get it tested (ask for the organic gardening one) at your county extension office, every thing listed in your soil test is in your well water 8O

Oh and I agree with ChrisRD, get the ro/di unit and start over.

DING-DING-DING

We have a winner!!! I had my water tested by the county extension agent and basically the results were...

So I got a total home purification system :lol:

 

[Tackett]

Oh, oh, oh let me guess! Is it large amounts of NITROGEN?

Uhh.. there would have to be Nitrogen in the solution if either of the oxides are present. Which leads me to the other question.. I thought we were talking about NO2, not NO3, we have been switching back and forth between the two in this thread and im an confused off my rocker now...

 

[Anonymous]

Oh come on Tackett, I'm the one who's easily confused! /\ that remark was to what was in Law's well water. Lot's of nitrogen in animal poo and fertilizer. And only relates to one's source water and how much filtration it takes to make it "clean" or "pure".

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry Tackett! Knowse is right I was referring to my own nasty well water!

 

[Anonymous]

Being in Australlia there may be different standards than the US, you should be able to get a water analysis from your local water processing plant which will give an idea where you should be starting from. If they are saying no nitrates in the water and you are showing them there may be a problem.

 

[Tackett]

Oh come on Tackett, I'm the one who's easily confused! /\ that remark was to what was in Law's well water. Lot's of nitrogen in animal poo and fertilizer. And only relates to one's source water and how much filtration it takes to make it "clean" or "pure".

AHHHHHH that is as clear as mud now.

 

[starfish 1]

I live in Victoria Australia, I took on the waterboard once as i tested the water and it was high in Nitrites and Nitrates, I was told it was in a safe acceptable range.I told him it kills fish what the hell do you think it will do to us. There was silence, then he said what sort of test kits was I using I told him, ahh, he said those are what we use. I rest my case. But in fairness to the water companies they try hard to keep our water catchment s as clean as possible from bacteria, so they have to add a fair bit of chemicals that is what they told me anyway. But what is this doing to our health?