Adrienne Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Having just changed from a sump to a cannister in my big tank (I did transfer heaps of media over) I am having the usual issues with nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, pH etc. Now I've got myself confused. Where should my levels be and which is the most dangerous. Yesterday pH 6 today 7.8 Yesterday nitrate 0 today 5 Yesterday ammonia .75 today .75 Yesterday nitrite .5 today 0 The two days before that there were also swings. Doing 30 - 50% waterchanges each day. Trouble with this is the pH is rising. Advice much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Maybe do your waterchanges with Peat Filtered water to keep the ph down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 would you like to elaborate on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Not too sure how you would do this,Maybe run a internall filter with some peat in it in a bucket/tank of water for waterchanges ,it would help keep the Ph at level that the discus would like. Ive never done this before but i think it may work :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 To answer the other part of your question; Ammonia is the most dangerous to your fish, followed by nitrite and then nitrate. You can export nitrate by water changes / planting etc but the ammonia and nitrite is an indication that the filter is not coping with the biolode at the moment. Feed sparingly until its fixed and then increase back to normal gradually (without starving the fish of course). Make sure your water has had water ager added to get rid of chlorine cos at that amount of change daily its likely to affect the fish. (IMHO) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Adrienne, don't worry about the Nitrate and PH swing for the time being. As for the ammonia and nitrite, the reading is ok being so low. Just give the new filter some time to kick in. Being such a big tank there should be enough bacterial on the surface area of the glass, plants, gravel and whatever you have in the tank. No need to panic and start adding all sort of stuff into the tank. It will do more harm than good. Patience is the key to good fish keeping. ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 No need to panic and start adding all sort of stuff into the tank. It will do more harm than good. Patience is the key to good fish keeping. ron I presume you are not including water ager added to the tap water prior to adding it to the tank ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Water ager is needed for tap water. I always add water conditioner when doing waterchange eventhough I age my water overnight. Better safe than sorry. ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 absolutely Ron - just wanted to bring that point out because at 30-50% daily changes, if the water was straight from the tap to the tank without ager it would cause chlorine issues ay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Aquatopia- You dont use water conditioner do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 If Im putting a large quantity of tap water straight into the tank, yes of course i do. why ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Theres no Chlorine in CHCH water supply :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 How would you explain the chlorine reading I get then ? Im on the Port Hills so its possible I get a different supply to down in the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 It is possible, But most of CHCH dont have Chlorine in Their Water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Well its cheap enough, and given I get readings I think that its worth that small cost to cover myself (That is WHEN I have fish as the tank is empty at the moment, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Ive got a couble bottles of it here, but i would rather not add it to my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 i guess its a matter of choice. having seen the affects of chlorinated water on fish when I was more of a novice I would prefer to use it in the presence of chlorine. Having said that - i tend to draw the water off 24 hours before its required when doing routine water changes. however, the situation in this thread is more exceptional as they are doing huge daily changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 I add water conditioner - aqua plus - to this tank and use warm water for the changes. Discusguru (Ron) already knows this. Its the only tank out of the 17 tanks I have that I do this with though. All my other fish get water straight out of the hose. This tank is my pride and joy and Ron has guided me through since I purchased my first fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 beautiful fish adodge, what size are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Not sure - around the 10cm mark I think, from behind the eye to the base of the tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cichfanatic Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Well ‘’that is a superb tank adodge. Everything in there looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 thanks for the advice and the positive comments peoples. The plants have finally started to grow - probably something to do with the fact that I finally realised after reading through this site that flourish excel alone will not make plants grow and added some fertiliser balls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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