Sweetnitanitro!!!! Are you there?!

[peggotty]

Hi, I hope you don't mind me asking you some more advice..?!

I have just done a fishless cycle on a new tank, and am finding that I'm struggling to get the nitrate levels down - ammonia and nitrite are both back to zero. I've been doing water changes every day for the last 3 days - today I did a 50% water change and the nitrate is still above 40. I tested my tap water and it is reading between 20 and 30! I don't know what to do, it looks like our tap water has nitrate content itself - any suggestions? THanks!

Yeah, that can happen in some areas. You've got 2 choices, both of which sadly will cost you money. You could mix up your dechlorinated tap water with some RO water (you can buy this from your local fish shop or buy your own unit but they cost about £80) but you need to be careful about pH if you do this. This option will work out to be quite expensive

OR you can use a product like nitrateminus (think Tetra makes this) or nitrate safe and add it to water before you do a water change. Nitrateminus claims that you won't have to do a water change for months on end, but ignore that. It's good if you're going away on holiday but I wouldn't use it instead of water changes routinely. It will help reduce nitrAte levels though.

Also if you stuff the tank with plants that will help.

I would probably go with the second option but it depends on what your tap water pH and hardness is and what fish you want to keep. Hope that helps!

Thanks, I think it will be the second option! YOu always give great advice

I've made plenty of mistakes and learnt from them Glad to have helped!