Re: tap water question

["Cathy Hartland" <hartland at nfis_com>]

> 
> 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

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