i did a water test 3 days ago and my nitraes were at 80ppm did a large 50% water change and got it down to 40ppm but wont go down any more. months of prevoius reads at no3 at 5-10(usual readings for me). so what you people recon. using a api master test kit around 7 months old. the test shows my tap water at 40ppm now but never been that high and no work is going on around me at all. i have no idea wheather it is the test kit or the water from the tap.
should i try a different test kit??????
by the way nothing has happened in the tank no deaths or anything just usual and only stocked to 60% of my tank
prevous readings
ph 7.6 amm 0 no2 0 no3 5 ( for 5 times in a row)
ph 7.6 amm 0 no2 no3 5-10
ph 7.6 amm 0 no2 0 no3 10
ph 7.6 amm 0 no2 0 no3 0-5(closer to 0)
ph 7.6 amm 0 no2 0 no3 80
ph 7.6 amm 0 no2 0 no3 40(today)
all these test were taken before the usual 20% water change every week

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another tank yes please. want a bigger tank always

Try doing a larger water change. Close to 50%

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You can use the nitrate reading as your guide to how much water to change. It will reduce about the same percentage as your water change (20% change, 20% reduction). Your tank doesn't look out of the norm to me. We all get fluctuating nitrate readings, even with plants.

Are you saying the tap water is testing 40ppm nitrite?

tap water showing 40ppm nitrate

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another tank yes please. want a bigger tank always

The way I battled nitrates were 50% water changes!

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55g Juvi Tiger Oscar, Tiger Barbs, Juvi Pleco

How many times did you test your water? If you only tested it once your should test it one or two more times. If the readings are high for all of them then you might have a problem.

update tested tap water for the 4th time and still at 40ppm nitrates i have got a pic but cant upload on my phone will do later. also did a strip test to confirm and that shows around 40 alot harder to judge thought. think i am going to have to find a cleaner water source. dont know what the watet board have done to the water never had nitrates that high in the tap water. also tested tank and showing 40ppm the lowest i can get in with the current water from the tap

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another tank yes please. want a bigger tank always

Planting your tank will help, although with it being 40ppm from the start will be a challenge to keep levels from getting too high. If your tank is on the smaller side, may try mixing half and half with RO water or possibly distilled.

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pic of tap water nitrate test

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another tank yes please. want a bigger tank always

the tank is mediumly planted and they seem to be keeping up with the nitrates keeping them at 40ppm so not rising. the tank is 266l. may have to invest into a ro unit if the tap water dosent start to show signs off falling. cant under stand way the nitrates have just jumped up from the tap. would the nitrate media have a good enought effect on the level just for now till i sort something out????

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another tank yes please. want a bigger tank always

In this case larger water changes won't help because nitrates are the same from the tap. It sounds like you are doing the right things. To get nitrates down further as has been said your only choices are to add water from a different source or add more plants. Consider adding some easy fast growing plants or floating plants. Interestingly I've also found marimo moss balls effective to lower nitrates.

thanks i am adding more fast growing plants and searching for other sources of water now. might buy a ro di unit next friday to save me from these moments in the furture. should work out cheaper than buying water from lfs

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another tank yes please. want a bigger tank always

If high nitrates continue in your tap water you might consider contacting the water company as it could be a sign of contamination.