First week water results

[Essjay]

You mentioned in another thread that the tank is 300 litres. Routine tank maintenance means changing 50% or more of the tank volume every week. This means at least 150 litres for this tank. There are no chemicals which mean you can do fewer or smaller water changes whatever the product hype may say. Clean water is essential for healthy fish.

 

[Byron]

I think I'll try chemicals (I wanted to keep it natural but don't have the time or resources to be siphoning 200L of water each week

There are no chemicals to negate nitrates in an aquarium. What can help are terrestrial plants rooted in the tank water (some have these growing out of the tank, some out of the hang-on-back filter). This is because terrestrial plants use nitrate, not amonium, and assimilate it via the roots rather than the leaves of aquatic plants. Regardless of this unfortunate aspect, regular substantial water changes are important for fish health. Adding any chemicals is counter to healthy fish.

 

[sharkweek178]

I think I'll try chemicals (I wanted to keep it natural but don't have the time or resources to be siphoning 200L of water each week

Doing water changes isn't just about removing nitrates (although that is vital). Water changes also replenishes depleted trace minerals that fish need, like calcium. There are plenty of other reasons to do water changes and they're all important.

12 Reasons Aquariums Need Water Changes | Kings Of The Aquarium

So why do aquariums need water changes? Here are some of the reasons to change water in your aquarium: • Remove waste and debris • Remove accumulated nitrates in the water • Remove accumulated nitrites and ammonia • Combat evaporation • Replace depleted trace minerals • Deter algae and...

kingsoftheaquarium.com

 

[Characf]

Doing water changes isn't just about removing nitrates (although that is vital). Water changes also replenishes depleted trace minerals that fish need, like calcium. There are plenty of other reasons to do water changes and they're all important.

12 Reasons Aquariums Need Water Changes | Kings Of The Aquarium

So why do aquariums need water changes? Here are some of the reasons to change water in your aquarium: • Remove waste and debris • Remove accumulated nitrates in the water • Remove accumulated nitrites and ammonia • Combat evaporation • Replace depleted trace minerals • Deter algae and...

kingsoftheaquarium.com

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I have bought the API master testing kit and done my first week water tests, I have made a diary of them but is this a normal reading for a new tank? Or is there something I need to change?

Rundown on the tank- plant stratum base layer, but a fairly small quantity, then I've got a thick layer of gravel, with a slate stone and bog wood and a few live plants..

Results for first week

HIGH Ph test
7.5 ppm

Ammonia (extremely high for some reason)
2.0 ppm

Nitrite
0.25 ppm

Nitrate
30 ppm

So I'm a long way of fish atm

I've done another nitrate test on my tap water, and tank water. Tank is still at 30PPM so nothing changing there, and tap water is surprising down to 10PPM which is more manageable. I'm doing a 75% water change today

 

[Essjay]

Can I suggest you go to your water company's website and search for 'water quality report'. You'll probably need to enter your postcode to get to it. That report will include the nitrate level in your tap water, as tested by expensive lab equipment rather than a home tester. If it's less than your tester reading, either the tester is not terribly accurate (none of them are really) or there's something in the tank increasing the nitrate level in there.

 

[Characf]

Can I suggest you go to your water company's website and search for 'water quality report'. You'll probably need to enter your postcode to get to it. That report will include the nitrate level in your tap water, as tested by expensive lab equipment rather than a home tester. If it's less than your tester reading, either the tester is not terribly accurate (none of them are really) or there's something in the tank increasing the nitrate level in there.

I've done that, it's reading at about 17Ppm, so similar to the reading I got earlier. Is 17ppm deadly to fish? If I can keep my ammonia low?

 

[Characf]

I've got a few terrestrial plants on the surface propergating

 

[Essjay]

17 ppm is OK. It's below 20 ppm. Plants will help it stay at that level by taking up ammonia made by the fish before the bacteria have chance to turn it into nitrite then on to nitrate. Plants turn ammonia into protein instead.

I've probably missed it, but are you adding any plant fertiliser to the tank? Some of those contain nitrate which plants don't use, so if you are using one of those it would be better to swap it for one that don't contain nitrate as that will stop it increasing the tank nitrate level.


Any terrestrial plant with roots in the water will also help

 

[Characf]

17 ppm is OK. It's below 20 ppm. Plants will help it stay at that level by taking up ammonia made by the fish before the bacteria have chance to turn it into nitrite then on to nitrate. Plants turn ammonia into protein instead.

I've probably missed it, but are you adding any plant fertiliser to the tank? Some of those contain nitrate which plants don't use, so if you are using one of those it would be better to swap it for one that don't contain nitrate as that will stop it increasing the tank nitrate level.


Any terrestrial plant with roots in the water will also help

Awesome thanks for the help, I'm using the TNC complete for plants. I can't see anywhere on the label saying it contains Nitrate

 

[Essjay]

TNC Complete does contain nitrate - the website says

Contains essential Nitrate & Phosphate

They make another product, TNC Lite which

Does not contain Nitrate or Phosphate.

Lite is the better one unless the tank is intended to be an aquatic garden with a couple of fish.

 

[Characf]

TNC Complete does contain nitrate - the website says


They make another product, TNC Lite which


Lite is the better one unless the tank is intended to be an aquatic garden with a couple of fish.

Should've read this before I bought it, I'll give the house plants the complete and buy another I can't afford for any extra nitrates

 

[Byron]

Is 17ppm deadly to fish? If I can keep my ammonia low?

Nitrates are detrimental to all tropical fish. However, unlike ammonia and nitrite which poison the fish fairly rapidly, nitrate is different. Nitrate in the water certainly impacts fish, some species much more rapidly than others, but the effects are not quite the same. A general weakening of the fish, which weakens the immune system as well, means the fish are much more likely to contract health problems that normally they would be able to fend off. This is not surprising, when we recognize that the natural habitat waters of the fish we maintain in tropical freshwater tanks have zero nitrate or if nitrate is present it is at an extremely low level, less than 1 ppm. A number of sources on cichlids now consider nitrate to be a prime cause of hexamita, or hole in the head disease; cichlids are particularly sensitive to nitrate, as are most soft water fish species from very soft white and blackwater areas.

It is relatively easy to keep nitrates occurring within the aquarium low. Live plants, especially fast growing stem plants, floating plants, etc, take up a vast amount of ammonia. This means there is no nitrite and then no nitrate occurring from the ammonia. This is not to be taken as absolutely zero ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, but the levels will scarcely be detectable using our aquarium test kits, even the top of the line ones. Nitrate entering with fresh water is another thing, as we've discussed.

 

[Characf]

Recent picture, not too happy with my two new vallisneria some of the leaves going yellow (should I take this off or leave them) I feel like I just need to walk away from my tank for a couple of weeks I keep testing water, moving plants etc etc. Got 20 more plants on the way aswell

 

[Characf]

Nitrates are detrimental to all tropical fish. However, unlike ammonia and nitrite which poison the fish fairly rapidly, nitrate is different. Nitrate in the water certainly impacts fish, some species much more rapidly than others, but the effects are not quite the same. A general weakening of the fish, which weakens the immune system as well, means the fish are much more likely to contract health problems that normally they would be able to fend off. This is not surprising, when we recognize that the natural habitat waters of the fish we maintain in tropical freshwater tanks have zero nitrate or if nitrate is present it is at an extremely low level, less than 1 ppm. A number of sources on cichlids now consider nitrate to be a prime cause of hexamita, or hole in the head disease; cichlids are particularly sensitive to nitrate, as are most soft water fish species from very soft white and blackwater areas.

It is relatively easy to keep nitrates occurring within the aquarium low. Live plants, especially fast growing stem plants, floating plants, etc, take up a vast amount of ammonia. This means there is no nitrite and then no nitrate occurring from the ammonia. This is not to be taken as absolutely zero ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, but the levels will scarcely be detectable using our aquarium test kits, even the top of the line ones. Nitrate entering with fresh water is another thing, as we've discussed.

I'm a plumber by trade, and have bought a filter from amazon and I'm hoping to use for ion exchange.. just to experiment if I can remove some of the nitrates.

 

[Byron]

I'm a plumber by trade, and have bought a filter from amazon and I'm hoping to use for ion exchange.. just to experiment if I can remove some of the nitrates.

Let us know how this turns out.