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Please Advice Me!

Posted: 03 Dec 2006, 12:35
by eurospage
Heys guys!!
Ive just done a water test on my tank and the levels are as follows
pH - 7.0
AMMONIA - 0ppm
NITRITE - 0ppm
NITRATE - 10ppm
These levels are good but i also did a test on my tap water without conditioners init or anything and the levels were
pH - 7.0
AMMONIA - 0ppm
NITRITE - 0ppm
NITRATE - Just below 5ppm.
With these levels in my tap water could i just put it straight into my tank without adding the conditioners such as Safe guard and safe water (king british products).
Would be greatful if anyone can help cheers :D

Posted: 03 Dec 2006, 13:39
by kerwin1
You probably won't be able to, because the tapwater also contains harmful metals and chlorine

Posted: 04 Dec 2006, 11:37
by MatsP
I'd expect the "harmful metals" to be fairly low on the scale of harmfullness in the tapwater in the UK (at least if the tap-water is 7 or higher in pH), but Chlorine at some unidentified level is added to tap-water to sterilize it. This will be present when you pour it from the tap.

You can get a water report from your local water-supplier, it will tell you the min, max and mean values of "last years" testing.

You have two choices when it comes to removing chlorine:
1. Leave it to aerate for 24 hours (that is, add an air-stone to a tub of water, and leave it for 24 hours or more).
2. Add a dechlorinator compound. These often say that they neutralize other things such as heavy metals [1], but I expect this to be of negligable effect if you have public water supply in the UK.

[1]I'm pretty sure that the active ingredient in this is EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), which indeed binds many differnt substances - however, it's not really "removing", it's just binding it so that it's not quite as easily taken up in other ways.

--
Mats

Posted: 04 Dec 2006, 12:30
by eurospage
ok many thanks for your help. As always very helpful 8)