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Re: tap water question
>
> Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 11:29:32 -0000
> From: "babar100" <babar100 at ix_netcom.com>
> Subject: tap water question
> I became particularly concerned with the level of nitrates
> (33ppm) and Phosphates (1.1ppm) in the water supply. I imagine that a tank
> that maintained these levels of nitrate and phosphate would have algae
> problems. The other thing I thought was, with nitrate levels this high in
> the tap water, what would be the point of a water change?.
> How do others deal with water such as this?.
> Does any one else have water this bad?. Is reverse osmosis the only
> solution?.
>
> David Brooks
After battling algae outbreaks for all too long, I finally wised
up and tested my (filtered and presumably clean) tap water.
Nitrates were in the low 20's, and phosphate was too high (I
forget exact reading). I began to use phosphate resin in my
canister filter, and the results were almost immediate. I have
not had an algae outbreak since then (about a year). The plants
are growing so strongly that they use up all the nitrates and I
now add more to the tank in PMDD. I recently stopped using the
phosphate resin, since I suspected that the plants would use
whatever was in the water. So far so good, some slight green
spot algae on the glass but nothing else. I stand ready with
the resin if there is another outbreak.
Perhaps this approach will work for you too. I do use CO2
injection, which keeps the plants photosynthesizing at a good
rate so that nitrates are used quickly. Hope this helps.
Cathy Hartland, in Maryland where the sun has come out after 12
days of rain