Nitrates ... Question

[daytonaguy1111]

I just checked my newly cycled tank , which has been running now for about two monthes and i checked the nitrate levals .....they were around 20ppm and holding but today there at 5ppm is the good ..im thinkin it means the cycle is going great .....just wanna make sure thanx Jon

[aquariumfishguy]

Yeah, those are great readings! Just make sure to keep a close eye on those nitrates as they change just about daily...

-Cory

[Sharyl C]

just wanted to make sure that nitrites and nitrates were not being confused.

nitrates typically do not drop from 20ppm to 5ppm over short periods unless plants added or water changes are done.

[aquariumfishguy]

***I assumed that w/c's and the cycle process ending was what lowered the nitrates***

I agree though, nitrates don't just fall suddenly, not once a tank is cycled. If you've read one of my threads, I have said that my nitrates have dropped to 8 PPM after being at 20-30 ppm for years and years...the key thing here is that when I mean dropped, they dropped over a 6-9 month span of time.

Nitrates still have me stumped. I am always trying to figure out why my nits are so low...but hey, it sure is a nice "problem" to have, huh? :D

[daytonaguy1111]

update....well i went to the pet store today just to get some supplies and to have my water checked be somone else just to make sure and yet nitrates are real low still below 10ppm but the prob now is that my p.h is at 8.4 tooo high for tetras and so im trying to use a chemical that came with the ph test kit called ph down .... so far it seems to be going up still im confused any help"??? thanx btw nitrites are gone also and ammonia is also at zero thanx

[aquariumfishguy]

Don't try to change the pH! :eek: This will (for sure) KILL your fish! I have had Tetras live in a pH of close to 9 where I used to live before so yes, they CAN live in such a pH. They might not breed but thats a whole other issue...

[daytonaguy1111]

ok now im lost .... some people told me to change it vary soon and now you sayin not to ... why is it bad to change it ?? please anyone get this right for me ....thanx

[Hebdizzle]

it doesn't "for sure" kill fish.

[anonapersona]

The thing about trying to change pH is that it always bounces back. It is the sudden swing that does great damage to fish. The pH scale is like the earthquake scale, 7.0 is 10 times worse that 6.0 on the Richter scale. Same with acidity/alkalinity. The chemical solutions that the store may sell you will only be a temporary fix, then the pH will bounce back.

If you must alter pH, do it by mixing in RO or distilled water. Know that distilled water has no oxygen in it, so pouring it in is bad, you should aerate it first, run an airpump and airstone for an hour or so.

First question, what is the pH of tap water that has set out overnight?

It might not be the tap water, but something in your tank that is making the pH so high. Fish stores sell sand and gravel that is meant for saltwater tanks that has shell and things that are meant to make the tank water near 8.2 pH which is great for satwater, not for freshwater unless you have chiclids.

[daytonaguy1111]

ill check the tap tonight and find out ...i just did a 20 percent change on it on saturday ...but theres no shells or anything is my substrate and i have just plastic new decorations ...like i said the store said it was 8.4 and i got home and tested it and it was 7.2 so im lost im not sure whats right and whats not ....thanx

[aquariumfishguy]

pH changes should never increase or decrease by more than .2 in 24 hours. If you change the pH much more than that, it WILL "for sure" kill your fish. :o

My advice is to try to see how things go without changing the pH and then once these fish you have die out, stick to fish that like a high pH.

[OrionGirl]

How long was the test sample sitting around before the LFS tested it? Can make a difference. For best results, keep the water in a cooler during transport. If you can, test your water from your tank with 2 different tests, and make sure they are both either broad range, or in the correct range for your water. Some test kits are high or low range. If you're using a low range kit, 7.2 might be the highest it can read, no matter what the water actually rates at. Before making any changes, make sure you are comfortable that you know the value of the water as it sits.

Also--sudden changes are bad, of any kind. Taking a fish from gross, goeey water and dropping it into a sparkling tank can cause shock as easily as the reverse. If your fish are alive and fine in your current water, there is no reason to change it unless you want them to breed. If you are looking to purchase more fish, then you'll need to acclimate them to the water--much easier than changing the tank.

Anona got it right--pH can be changed, but only carefully and with planning. The 'magic bullet' chemicals tend to cause problems other than bouncing pH, since they introduce nutrients for algae.

[brianfl]

Daytonaguy,

Florida water can be tricky. With all of the limestone, it isn't unusual to have high ph. In addition, a lot of the treatement by the localities increases the ph. You may want to try the following. Get 5 gals or so of water and put an airstone in it for a couple of hours. Test your ph before and after. When I did this with water down here in South Florida, the ph dropped from 8.8 to 7.5.

[OrionGirl]

A pH that drops after aeration is quite common--actually normal. This happens as the dissolved CO2 gases off--the CO2 gets in as the water sits in the pipes under pressure. Has nothing to do with it's base value. Also has nothing to do with this, as daytonaguy is referring to 2 seperate test results for the tank water, not the tap water.

Just wanted to clear that up! ;)

[daytonaguy1111]

alright thanx for all the advice guys and gals...well my p,h is now at 7.6 buttt thats the highest that my test kit reads ,,,,so that means nothing i guess....the store was prob right....the fish seem great i havent loat any at all since i had the tank should i just leave it alone....I have a bubble wall in the back plus my filter so that should give it some airiation right....so any more ideas or just see what happens with it? thanx The good news is that my cycle is done !!!! that took a while ... thanx all Jon

[brianfl]

Jon,
Usually a steady ph is best, whether it's 6.0 or 8.0. It's always a great feeling when your cycle finishes :)