What are your Ammonia and Nitrites REALLY Like....

[rain-]

<- Goddess

I do have one problem though. Not enough nitrate. I should feed my fish more or ad potassium nitrate. It should be 10-15 mg/l so my plants would thrive more, but it's only 0-5 mg/l now.

*lots of whining*

 

[fishy frenzy]

Ehhhhh, mine are usually a tad bit high (like .25 or .50)

 

[Nidge]

Mine are spot on too, never had a problem

 

[CFC]

Ammonia and nitrite are always 0 in all my tanks, i am a great believer in that you can never have too much filtration and every tank has at least twice the filtration it should require.

Nitrates are a different story, since the tapwater here comes out at between 50 and 70 ppm (it is highest in the summer months) and most of my fish are carnivors my nitrates in my unplanted tanks are always at least 60ppm . I keep up the regular water changes (i change approximately 75% of the volume of my main tank weekly!) and other than a little algea i dont get problems.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Unfortunately, I've only tested my water once, ever. I have never lost too many fish and all diseases have been treated or prevented. I just don't have the funds for a kit and don't go to an lfs very often so can't get results from there.

"I don't know" should really be an option, unfortunately.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

<- Goddess

I do have one problem though. Not enough nitrate. I should feed my fish more or ad potassium nitrate. It should be 10-15 mg/l so my plants would thrive more, but it's only 0-5 mg/l now.

*lots of whining*

Do you not have a low NitrAte reading because the plants are using it up?

Hope my newly planted tank will be ok with my low nitrAte readings.

Although, could I could always take water from a tank with higher nitrAtes and put it in the planted tank (perhaps mid-week) and then do a water change as normal at the weekend.

Hmmmmmm, what do you reckon?

 

[silver]

That's an interesting idea Cheese

RAIN, that is unbelievable.......!!! Woah!!!!

My nitrates are at 20 out of the tap.....maybe 18, but closer to 20.
My 30US gallon tank is at 60 for nitrates and my 20US gallons is at 30 for nitrates......
Guess that means more water changes for my 30 gallon )
HEY....at least I can admit it

My 55 is another story..........it's at about 55 on nitrates.......But it's the one with those horrid readings..........all the fish seem to be okay and living through it. If I could move some into my 30 gallon I would, but that would just be WAY too many fish in there so I can't really Plus, my large SD would FREAK OUT in there. Sooooooo NOT enough room, it would probably kill him But then again, the normal readings of the 30 gallon may be like a breath of fresh air
But the parameters are slowly coming down as more new beneficial bacteria forms....
My readings as of right now are
Ammonia 2ppm
Nitrite 5ppm
Nitrate 55
Hey, better than yesterday and the day before and the day after I threw out half of my gravel (where's the smiley that's hitting himself in the head )

Great replys guys.......I'm really diggin'it!

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I didn't vote because I've never had a test kit. Heck if you gave me one I probably wouldn't even know what to do with it

I've had really soft water fish like rams and hard water fish like auratus and everything in between and I've never done anything to my water except dechlorinate it.... I think I'm lucky :knock on wood:

ditto