Water Testing

[Fluffybiker]

sorry if this is pinned somewhere

finally got a testing kit and these are 1st results

NO3 25
NO2 0
GH >16 od
KH 3 od
Ph 7

a whats what and b is this all hunky dory for a 35ltr with 3 platies and 12-14 baby guppies?

cheers

 

[timmystood]

Could really do with an Ammonia test kit aswell. Unfortunatley, most 'complete' kits, miss out the most important obvious Ammonia test How long has the tank been running?

BTW! Your from Lincoln! YAY! Have you had a chance to check out our new Maidenhead Aquatics @ Lincoln yet? It's at Whisby Garden Centre. I'm in there most weekends! Just ask for Tim!

 

[rdd1952]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say you have 5 in 1 strips. It amazes me that the people that make those things don't have an ammonia test kit on them as that is the first dangerous chemical you face in a cycling tank. The numbers you have posted look to be perfect but you could have an enormously high ammonia level which is a major problem and never know it. Ammonia (fish waste) is transformed into nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. If the tank is brand new, there aren't any bacteria in it yet to start transforming ammonia to nitrite so it keeps building and all the while, the tests show that there aren't any problems.

My suggestion is that you get rid of the strips and buy a liquid master test kit that will test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Liquid kits are much more accurate and much cheaper in the long run. A master kit will cost about $25 and do hundreds of tests while a pack of 25 strips usually costs about $12.

I hope this doesn't come across as sounding mean because it isn't meant to. I just get ticked at the strip manufacturers for not at least making one that tests the things that are most important. Actually you can buy ammonia strips but they should be on the 5 in 1 if they are going to have uch a thing or make it a 6 in 1. You could easily have tanks for the rest of your life without ever knowing what your GH or KH were and not have a single problem. But ammonia is a totally different story.

 

[Fluffybiker]

TBH i'd popped out to get a net to aid in snail removal and the test kit was an impulse buy it is the 5 in 1 strips and was the only
kit i could spot!!

The tanks been running about 7 or 8 weeks now altogather and we are seriously new to this!

my main aim at the mo is not to lose any of the babies (thhat way i might be allowed a second tank if they all come out
pretty! the biube aint big enough for all of them thats for sure!!)

so another kit required (jeex for £6 worth of fish this is getting pricey lol)

Tim I'll have to swing by this weekend, does the shop have any decent fry food?

Cheers Viv

PS nitrite and nitrate which ones no2 and which is no3 ?

 

[kewskills]

TBH i'd popped out to get a net to aid in snail removal and the test kit was an impulse buy it is the 5 in 1 strips and was the only
kit i could spot!!

The tanks been running about 7 or 8 weeks now altogather and we are seriously new to this!

my main aim at the mo is not to lose any of the babies (thhat way i might be allowed a second tank if they all come out
pretty! the biube aint big enough for all of them thats for sure!!)

so another kit required (jeex for £6 worth of fish this is getting pricey lol)

Tim I'll have to swing by this weekend, does the shop have any decent fry food?

Cheers Viv

PS nitrite and nitrate which ones no2 and which is no3 ?

nitite no2
nitrate n03

 

[Miss Wiggle]

as others have said, you need a decent test kit with an ammonia test, for a description of what the different levels are and what they should be check out the 'what's cycling?' link in my sig

 

[timmystood]

I'll point you in the direction of a decent 'all in one' test kit when you come in at the weekend! Will be good to see some forum members in there! I get plenty at the Peterborough branch but none yet at Lincoln!

 

[Fluffybiker]

ta for the link and info but i still cant find whats the safe zone for nitrate?

Cheers

 

[Miss Wiggle]

little question with a big answer that one i'm afraid.

fact is no one knows for definate and lots of people will cite different research and info telling you all sorts of things.

some evidence say's that up to 100ppm is fine, however personally i'd say try and keep below 40ppm

 

[Fluffybiker]

thats brilliant miss wiggle and will do for me

just want to keep everything good for the babies will be really chuffed if they all survive (starting to get marking on some now

 

[timmystood]

I would agree with the wigglester, below 40ppm is the ideal level in my view.

 

[Fluffybiker]

Tim does whisby stock endlers? quite fancy a couple when the guppies are all grown up (any chance of swopping young guppies........ lol)

turns out you're not far from where i work lol

 

[rdd1952]

If you aren't terribly overstocked, don't over feed and do weekly water changes, you should never see nitrate levels over about 20 to maybe 40 ppm unless you have nitrate in your tap water. As mentioned though, anything under 100 is fine for the fish but high nitrate levels can fuel algae growth, especially when coupled with too much light.

 

[timmystood]

Tim does whisby stock endlers? quite fancy a couple when the guppies are all grown up (any chance of swopping young guppies........ lol)

turns out you're not far from where i work lol

We've only been open for 3 and a half months and it takes time to mature a system the size of ours (like 250 tanks)! I don't think we have endlers in at the moment but it is something we will get when the systems mature a litte and if you did want some right now then we could order them in for you! Looking forward to seeing you at the weekend.