Nitrate/discus questions

[dereks]

What is the acceptable nitrate level for a discus tank? Also, what works better, the strips or the dropper? Does it matter which I use?

Nitrites need to be 0, correct?

[BettaFishMommy]

the best test kit to use is the API Freshwater Master Kit. it is a liquid kit.

nitrItes and ammonia both need to be zero at all times.

i've never kept discus before but do know that they need to have low nitrates.

[dereks]

Thanks! Everything conflicts when I go online and try to find where nitrates need to be, guess I'll just keep them as low as possible. Is it possible to have low nitrates but high nitrites? If so, is it likely?

[pinkertd]

You don't want any nitrIte. It's toxic. Even low levels of nitrite can kill fish.

As far as nitrate levels acceptable for discus.....the lower the better....for any fish. I have nitrate coming out of the tap. Spring when the farmers are using fertilizers it comes out of the tap at near 20. It's never below 10 out of my tap. So given what comes out of the tap and what gets produced in the tank, my discus are in water that always contains 20-40 ppm nitrate without issue. They are big, healthy and gettin old.

And definitely use the liquid test kit, not the strips.

[dereks]

Thanks. I tested my tank and nitrates are somewhere around 5 ppm. So I wanted to know if it was still likely that there could be nitrites in the water because I don't have a test kit for it. If nitrates are low is it highly doubtful that any nitrites could be present?

[BettaFishMommy]

if your tank is established and healthy then there shouldn't be any nitrites or ammonia.

i would highly suggest picking up the API freshwater master kit. it has ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph tests in it. best test kit out there IMO.

[reptileguy2727]

As long as the tank is cycled the most important thing, and usually the only thing you need to worry about, is nitrate. A simple API liquid test kit is fine. If you want something fancier to be more precise, go ahead.

For discus, as with any fish, keep nitrate as low as possible. 5ppm is great and if you can maintain it there permanently that is great. If you could get it even lower, do it. Test your tap water too though, you may find that a significant amount of nitrate is coming in with water changes, so you won't be able to get below that level.

Test nitrate before water changes to get a good idea of how bad it gets, not after a water change in which case you are seeing it at its best.

[dereks]

ok cool thanks

[discuspaul]

Ideal nitrate levels for discus are "0", or barely a trace - under 5ppm.
That's not difficult to achieve & maintain, if you have little or no nitrates in the water coming out of the tap.
WC's of 30-50%, 2 or 3 X weekly, in a planted tank, should keep nitrates pretty much at or near "0" all the time.

[reptileguy2727]

This is actually true of all fish, it is just that fish that are hardier don't show signs of it in the short term.