I was testing my water, and noticed that the Alkalinity was pretty high. The rest of the readings were well within safe. Any ideas on lowering the levels?
Alkalinity
- Thread starter captaincaveman9
- Start date
what is the actual number .. what makes you think it's a little high ... and what makes you think there's a magic alkalinity that you must achieve?
i recommend you leave it alone. attempting to adjust water chemistry usually ends up being a daunting unachievable task. your fish will appreciate and adjust to stable water conditions far better then they will to constant changes in water chemistry.
keep it simple. best of luck!
keep it simple. best of luck!
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
Yeah...steady is more important than the actual number. (Within reason of course...if your pH is above 8 or below 6 then you're starting to push it slightly.)
Otherwise you could consider the safe, natural and gradual ways of changing it. But only if the fish need it.
What kinds of fish are living in this tank exactly?
Otherwise you could consider the safe, natural and gradual ways of changing it. But only if the fish need it.
What kinds of fish are living in this tank exactly?
well, i'd question that actually. below six is certainly too low save for a few Apistogramma and Nannochromis types and even then, only if they're wild caught. at the other end of the spectrum, 8.5-8.7 is not at all a problem for a great many fish and those from Lake Tanganyika actually love it.
My Ph is 7.2, Nitrite is around .01, Temp is 76f, I need to retake the ammonia, In the tank I have 4 green tiger barbs, 1 neon gourami, 1 dwarf gourami, 1 Pineapple swordtail, and a bamboo shrimp (made a second aquarium brackish for the red claw crab). the tank is 33 gallons. I questioned the Alkalinity when I tested the water and it appeared darker than the scale would allow me to read.
i'd forget about alkalinity and just enjoy your fish. you'll create a world of problems for yourself if you try to play with your water chemistry.
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
have you recently added any new fish? or changed filter media? or do you have live plants for which you add a nitrogen fertilizer? or perhaps has something died in your tank (plants included)?captaincaveman9 said:
Those are some of my thoughts for how you might have nitrite.