How to measure the water quality in fish tank?

[Caspian_Tyger]

The table in post #17 gives the hardness - 5.18 degrees Clarke. This unit is not used in fish keeping, but it is in the calculator on here, and it converts to 4.1 dH and 74 ppm. This is soft water, verging on very soft. (Ignore what water companies say for hardness, they always make it sound harder than we as fish keepers we call the numbers)
Mollies will not do well in this water, they are likely to develop a condition called the shimmies. Ideally mollies need a GH around 250 ppm or higher. They are also big fish and a 60 litre tank is a bit on the small side for them.

Ok, unfuortuantely this is the tank I have, so perhaps in the future I can relocate them to a larger tank if I get one. I also have a 25 litre tank doing nothing.... woudl it make sense to move them into there?

How can I manipulate the GH in the water?

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

I wouldn't advise manipulating your water unless you have advanced fish keeping knowledge. It sounds like your tank is uncycled so that is more important right now then chasing a pH/gH value. I would suggest researching fish-in cycling and rehoming the mollies.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

I wouldn't advise manipulating your water unless you have advanced fish keeping knowledge. It sounds like your tank is uncycled so that is more important right now then chasing a pH/gH value. I would suggest researching fish-in cycling and rehoming the mollies.

I put the filter from my old tank (which i had for 8 months) into the new tank. So hopefully this wont be as bad as you guys think.

How do you re-home a fish?

 

[Rocky998]

I put the filter from my old tank (which i had for 8 months) into the new tank. So hopefully this wont be as bad as you guys think.

How do you re-home a fish?

You can find someone who can properly care for them or sell/donate them to your local fish store...

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

I put the filter from my old tank (which i had for 8 months) into the new tank. So hopefully this wont be as bad as you guys think.

How do you re-home a fish?

I missed that part, I just read that you moved your old water which won't cycle a tank. Did you keep your old filter media too? Or just moved the filter over and put in new media?

You can rehome by bringing them back to the store or advertising online.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

I missed that part, I just read that you moved your old water which won't cycle a tank. Did you keep your old filter media too? Or just moved the filter over and put in new media?

You can rehome by bringing them back to the store or advertising online.

Yeh I kept the old media in the filter, I also moved a plant and moss ball across from the old tank to the new tank.

 

[Rocky998]

Yeh I kept the old media in the filter, I also moved a plant and moss ball across from the old tank to the new tank.

That should five you a nice boost in BB

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

That should five you a nice boost in BB

Once my tetsing kit comes i'll start checking for Ammonia and Nitrates and do water changes as appropriate until the tank evens out. No sweat.

 

[Rocky998]

Once my tetsing kit comes i'll start checking for Ammonia and Nitrates and do water changes as appropriate until the tank evens out. No sweat.

Sounds good! Make sure you also test for Nitrites. Those can be deadly.

 

[GaryE]

The water readings are remarkably like what I have here. You can use the API kit to learn with, but with that conductivity, you are apt to have acidic water, with a pH below 7. To me, that's ideal, and you'll have less toxic ammonium to contend with, not the dreaded ammonia hardwater aquarists suffer with. With regular weekly 25-30% water changes, you will be able to run things rather easily.
The API kit is okay, but I consider GH and KH as important as reading the nitrogen cycle. pH too as it tells you what you're dealing with.

Sailfins will do poorly in that water, and as much as I love them, I'd rehome them. Any Amazon or African RAINFOREST (caps because there are other ecologies) fish should thrive in that tap.

Water in the USA tends to be harder than yours, and aquarists there have different issues to contend with. Ammonia is deadly in higher pH, harder water. Ammonium isn't to be ignored, but regular water changes will handle it. You have to be a bit disciplined and establish a routine. You'll be doing weekly water changes even after it all evens out - that's a big part of keeping healthy fish.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

The water readings are remarkably like what I have here. You can use the API kit to learn with, but with that conductivity, you are apt to have acidic water, with a pH below 7. To me, that's ideal, and you'll have less toxic ammonium to contend with, not the dreaded ammonia hardwater aquarists suffer with. With regular weekly 25-30% water changes, you will be able to run things rather easily.
The API kit is okay, but I consider GH and KH as important as reading the nitrogen cycle. pH too as it tells you what you're dealing with.

Sailfins will do poorly in that water, and as much as I love them, I'd rehome them. Any Amazon or African RAINFOREST (caps because there are other ecologies) fish should thrive in that tap.

Water in the USA tends to be harder than yours, and aquarists there have different issues to contend with. Ammonia is deadly in higher pH, harder water. Ammonium isn't to be ignored, but regular water changes will handle it. You have to be a bit disciplined and establish a routine. You'll be doing weekly water changes even after it all evens out - that's a big part of keeping healthy fish.

Thanks for the advise.

I used to do a 70% water change every week, but I have now changed to 30% weekly.

I will continue on that regimen. The fish seem to be doing well... I ahd my old tank in much worst states than how I keeep my fish now... so hopefully all should be good.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

I went and did some research and found out exactly which fish I have:
2 x amano shrimp
1 x otociinclus
2 x peppered corydoras
1 x albino corydoras
3 x assorted platy
4 x Endler Guppy
2 x sailfin molly
6 x black phantom

in a 60L Biord tank.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

Date	Ammonia NH3/NH4	Nitrite NO2	PH Level	Nitrate NO3
04/07/22	0 ppm	0 ppm	6.4	10-20ppm

I did my first ever water test with my API Master test Kit.

Everything looks surprisingly good, except the pH is quite low.

thouhgts?

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

 

[Rocky998]

The PH is really good for all your fish except for the guppies...
Your test results look really good