Water Parameters

J

jdheff1982

No you're not! I'm Sparticus!
Aug 17, 2002
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Wichita, KS
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I did a full scale water test this morning and this is what I came up with:

PH = 6.0 - 6.4
Ammonia = 0 - 0.5ppm
Nitrite = 0ppm
Nitrate = 5ppm
KH = 1 dKH (17.9ppm)
GH = 12 dGH (214.8ppm)

I keep angels, tetras, and cories in this tank. The PH, KH, and GH kinda bother me. Doesn't the PH and KH need to be higher than that??? I have a sandy substrate. Any recommendations??? Thanks!
 
The pH and KH are actually fine for these fish, but unusual given the GH.

Could you do pH, KH and GH of your tapwater? I'd be interested.
 
Ya, give me a minute....

PH = 7.0
KH = 5 dKH
GH = 3 dGH

I'm gonna do GH again for tank.

I got 1 dGH for tank this time. I don't think I saw the yellow tint the first time. The book says bright yellow, so I thought the water would be a solid color. Yet, it's clear with a yellow tint to it.
 
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How often do you change your water? And when you do, how much do you change (rough %)?

How big is your tank?

Test pH after leaving water out for a few hours in a shallow bowl, that will be the CO2 equilibrium pH.
 
My water changes since Sunday have been almost everyday (Look for Ich Breakout Thread). I have a 37 gallon tank. I roughly change 25% at a time.
 
Here is day 2:

Ammonia: 2.0 - 3.0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitriate: 10ppm

I cleaned the filters yesterday morning, so I can kinda expect a small cycle; why am I not seeing any nitrites????? This bugs me!! The only real signs that I am seeing with the fish is that the angles are showing a white film on the eyes. It is not as bad as it used to be, but is still there. I'm gonna take a sample of my water to the my LFS later today to see if the get what i am getting.

Also, will higher than normal heat casue bacteria to die??? I have kept the temps up in the lower 80's since Ich broke out Sunday. I have kept the temps up as a precaution.

Thanks!
 
How are you cleaning your filters?! You should not be getting ammonia anywhere near that high in an established tank. If you've killed off your nitrifiers (or the bulk of them), that would explain the lack of NO2.

As for temp, no, it's fine. The bacteria won't be harmed by temps. in the low 80s. They'd probably be quite happy in temperatures well surpassing fish comfort levels.
 
Basically all I did was with my Filstar, I dumped the water, washed the inside out ( w/o baskets in it). I pulled the media from the baskets and washed any loose debirs from them. I don;t remember exactly, but I think I washed the biostars too. Now that I think about it I thnk I did in both filters. Well, that's where I scfrewed up. I'll have to keep up the water changes then until everything is established again.

The fish seem to be a lot better than last Sunday. It really frustates me that this was all caused by one fish.

Update on Water Params:
Ammonia: 0.5 - 1.0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm

Tank is getting that cycle look to it (bacteria bloom). Not as bad as if it was a new tank.
 
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