[kbeth]

I just moved into my college dorm and set up my 5 gallon tank, I tested the water and it showed about 10 ppm nitrate after running for about 12 hours, with no ammonia and no nitrite, even with a seeded filter that seemed wrong. I just tested the tap water and it has 5-10 ppm nitrate, should I be using different water or is this safe?

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

According to PetMed and a paper I found on the National Library of Medicine, long-term exposure to Nitrates is the issue. If you keep up with weekly water changes and vacuuming everything will be fine. However,if you are worried, you can also use 50% each of distilled and tap water. Remove one gallon with each water change and add the mix that has bee, mix the distilled and tap, condition and then pour back into tank.

You must use distilled because it has nothing in it so will cut the Nitrates. Spring water will not.