Easy Balance with Nitraban - WARNING!

[Roan Art]

This thread is for all the people using or thinking of using Easy Balance. I ask you this question:

WHY?

Nitraban is not a substitute for regular WEEKLY water changes.

The KH (Carbonate Hardness) of the water in your tank is what keeps your pH stable. KH is consumed by natural processes in the tank. If you do not change out the water in your tank on a regular basis the KH will be used up. When the KH is used up, the pH begins to fall. If the KH gets to 0, all of your bacteria will die. This is also known as a "pH crash". If your bacteria die, your tank will start to recycle.

Secondly, it's not only nitrates that must be removed from your tank. There are DOC, Dissolved Organic Compounds, that we cannot measure for, that are also produced by natural processes. Then the TDS, Total Dissolved Solids. The longer the water sits, the "thicker" it gets and harder it is for the fish to live in it. The only way to remove any of those is via water changes.

Now, that you have a very very basic understanding of the above, let me tell you what Easy Balance will do and why it is not a good idea:

Using Easy Balance will increase your KH and pH. Since your pH will not drop and your KH will not be consumed, your tank will remain "stable" in that regard. If you do no water changes, like Easy Balance says you do not have to do, the water will become heavy with DOCs. Think of your fish as swimming in nitrifying jello.

This state is known as OTS, or Old Tank Syndrom. It is what happens when a FW tank does not get regular water changes. Once you have OTS, any new fish you try to add to the tank will die almost immediately. Eventually, your older fish will die. The bottom dwellers will go first, followed by your more sensitive fish and then the rest.

Here are some wonderful articles on the importants of water changes and OTS:

http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/water/waterchange.html
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/water/waterchangemath.html
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/small/ots.html
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/water/otswater.html

Although I'm sure there is some use somewhere for this product, frankly if you can't miss one water change without your nitrates going through the roof, then you have some SERIOUS overstocking problems going on with your tank. THAT needs to be addressed, not masked with chemicals.

My advice is to run from Easy Balance. Screaming, if need be. They should change the name to "Easy OTS". It's pure snake oil.

Roan

[Penfan66]

Excellent points Roan. You could also add Waste Control, Cycle, and water clarifiers to the list as well.

[Wishful]

I thoroughly agree that regular water changes are key to good health, but I do wonder if this product (or one similar to it) has a potential use as an emergency short term fix in the hobby. There are times when even the best fishkeeper gets busy or distracted and can have a tank get into trouble. Murphy's law dictates that at least some of the time it'll be detected when it's impossible to make the time to get in an immediate waterchange.

My LFS suggested having it on hand for just such emergencies--essentially to buy a little xtra time until you can fix the problem properly.

[Roan Art]

I thoroughly agree that regular water changes are key to good health, but I do wonder if this product (or one similar to it) has a potential use as an emergency short term fix in the hobby. There are times when even the best fishkeeper gets busy or distracted and can have a tank get into trouble. Murphy's law dictates that at least some of the time it'll be detected when it's impossible to make the time to get in an immediate waterchange.

My LFS suggested having it on hand for just such emergencies--essentially to buy a little xtra time until you can fix the problem properly.
Wishful,

I agree with this as it pertains to products such as Ammolock and its ilk, however, I cannot, in the foggiest way, shape or form, see how having Easy Balance can help in *any* emergency situation.

The ONLY time I can see Easy Balance as being of any help is if you have high nitrates out of the tap, no plants, and do regular water changes anyhow.

Anyone else see an honest use for this stuff?

Roan

[Roan Art]

Excellent points Roan. You could also add Waste Control, Cycle, and water clarifiers to the list as well.
I smell a Top Ten+ List of Snake Oil Products, but that's something I'd want on AquaFacts. I'm going to start a thread there.

Roan

[Needeles]

I have used this and will stop as of now. I just was wondering if this might be why my ph level is so high and I can't seem to get it down. My water hardness, Alkalinity & ph all seem to be very high but coming out of the tap the only thing that is high is the water hardness. I do water changes weekly of about 25-50% at the moment. If I say wait 2-3 weeks before changing the water will my ph in fact start to drop as the KH level starts to go down. My question then would be will it jump right back up when I do the water change after that 2-3 week period. Below is what my water levels are at the moment.

Nitrate - 0-20ppm mg/l
Nitrite - 0 -.5 ppm mg/l
Total Hardness - 300 ppm GH
Total Alkalinity - 300 ppm KH
pH - 7.8 -8.4
Ammonia - 0ppm mg/l

Thanks

[Rbishop]

Help us out...draw some tap water into a shallow dish, let it sit over night and post a set of readings of that tap water. The closer your tank water is to the replacement water, the better.

[Needeles]

Hello again. I went ahead and tested some water after it sat for 24 hours and found that the tap is my problem. My tap levels are listed below...

Nitrate - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Hardness - 300ppm
Alkalinity - 300ppm
pH- 8.4
Ammonia - 0

Is there anything I can do to get these levels down. Most of my fish do prefer to have the lower levels. Thanks again.

[Rbishop]

I personaly do not see an issue, steadily do water changes of 20% every other day for a week to get your tank off the nitra ban. However, I believe you have live plants (?) and I am not well enough informed about them and their care.

[Needeles]

Thanks for the reply. I currently have been doing water changes of 25-50% every week. Should I just start doing them every other week. I have just added 2 Penguin 660R's to my system and still have the HOB filter. I am trying to figure out if I will be keeping the HOB. Thanks

[Rbishop]

I, as many others, believe in consistent, weekly water changes, of 30-50%, regaedless of how else your tank parameters are, maintaining your tank as closely as possible to the tap conditions.

[Roan Art]

I agree with Bob and there's nothing wrong with your pH. Really.

Roan

[Needeles]

Thank you. I just didn't know if my fish would be alittle happier if I could get the levels down alittle bit. I guess just alittle closer to what I have heard they like. I will continue my weekly cleanings and try not to worry so much. Thanks again.

[Roan Art]

Thank you. I just didn't know if my fish would be alittle happier if I could get the levels down alittle bit. I guess just alittle closer to what I have heard they like. I will continue my weekly cleanings and try not to worry so much. Thanks again.
My tap pH runs from 7.4 to 8.2, depending on the time of year. What kind of fish is it that you are worried about?

Roan

[Needeles]

Hello, well from what I have been reading the highest the pH should be is 8.0 as that is what one of the fish like as the higheat pH level. The others are between 6.8-7.8 I beleive. I just did't know if lowering the pH level would make the fish happier.

[Roan Art]

Hello, well from what I have been reading the highest the pH should be is 8.0 as that is what one of the fish like as the higheat pH level. The others are between 6.8-7.8 I beleive. I just did't know if lowering the pH level would make the fish happier.
I wouldn't think so, really. I have neon tetras, rummy nose and other Amazon fish in 8pH water. Actually, the pH is probably higher than that since I have crushed coral in the tank to stablize it. The KH out of my tap is pretty low.

Rummy nose lose their red noses if they are not happy. I've never seen them without their red noses.

My silver dollars are a year old and they run from 3-4" in size. The "rescue" dollar I have is closer to 6" in size. If the pH mattered all that much to them, especially the newer dollar, they would have gone belly up by now, doncha think?

Quit worrying about pH so much ;)

Roan

[Needeles]

lol thanks for the reply. I will stop worring so much. I just want to take care of my fish and try to do a good job. I kinda look at them like my children. I don't just look at them as "ol well there just another pet". They are living creatures just as you and I and I think it is only fair to treat them as such. Thanks agin for the help.

[Roan Art]

lol thanks for the reply. I will stop worring so much. I just want to take care of my fish and try to do a good job. I kinda look at them like my children. I don't just look at them as "ol well there just another pet". They are living creatures just as you and I and I think it is only fair to treat them as such. Thanks agin for the help.
That's admirable and commendable. You just have to remember that, like children, if we smother them we can actually do more harm than good.

"low pH" fish actually care more about the hardness and TDS of the water than they do the actual pH. If your water is hard and this *really* concerns you, you can try using RO water mixed in with your tap water or peat moss in your filter. This will soften the water "permanently".

Again, though, your fish have most likely been kept and bred in water that is local to the fish farm.

The GH in my "Amazon" tank usually runs around 10dGH, KH 3 in the summer and 0-1 in the winter.

My caution is in using chemicals for this type of thing as they usually cause more instability than good.

Roan