Nitrates

[sarah40011]

So my master test kit came thru and ive been happily testing away. my PH is 7.6, my ammonia 0.25, nitrite 0, nitrate 20. ive been doing regular water changes and treating my fish for whitespot. i think i was over feeding and only had test strips. water is much better now and fish seem much more perky. So is my ammonia still high? it should be 0? ive got some stress zyme would that help? ive acually put in some bioclean is that the same kind of thing? my nitrates are high aswell, i tested some of my water right from the tap and that came out as 20 too. is there something i can treat the water with before i put it in the tank? its a 30 gallon tank with wood and plants (quite a lot of plants altho they do have free swimming area at the front) stock are tetras, corys, plecos and 1 molly.

 

[elisew]

Well done on getting yourself a liquid test kit

Nitrates at 20 is fine, mine straight from the tap is 40 The nitrites and ammonia should always be at 0. Have you tested the water straight from the tap for ammonia?

When you say you do regular water changes, how much do you change and how often? When was your last water change done?

You only need to be adding a dechlorinator to your water such as Seachem Prime, nothing else unless treating for illness

 

[sarah40011]

weekly changes of 20 to 30. i think an overfeeding problem stuffed them up recently and they have had to have meds so ive been doing bigger (about 50 60 %) changes between meds doses. i think im winning. my last water change was thursday (50 / 60%) and then they had some fungal and fin rot meds. all seem to be mended except 2 (which is great coz they pretty much all went down!)
i feel better about the nitrates then, the test kit recommends one of their products for changing the tap water levels but im getting a bit narked at all this product pushing, last time i went to the fish store i came out £100 down and not really knowing why id bought all these things lol
i will test my tap water for ammonia (i'll do it now) i have a feeling something has died in there i havnt seen my black loaches for weeks (where they usually hide i put my hand in the gravel and black gunky stuff came up ...) could that be causing it? i think a gravel vac is on the cards too...

 

[sarah40011]

good call, the ammonia reading i got from the tank appears to be the same as ive got from the tap. so do my fish just have to live with this then? its kind of inbetween to 0 and the 0.25