LoveArowanas Posted August 14, 2010 Report Share Posted August 14, 2010 Hi all Newb doing their 1st ever water test, I have a 180L JUWEL with about 45-50 inhabitants mainly tetras and rasboros, and a few of Blue Rams/Kribensis/Clown Loaches/Kuhli Loaches/Madagascars, I work from home so do many water changes normally 30% and about 3 a week. Tank is about 6 month old Just did my 1st water test myself, have previously been getting then done at the LFS. Results were ammonia, nitrate and Nitrite 0ppm hardness 107 (from tap) PH 6.4 Tank has been a little cloudy lately and now has a slightly green tinge although there is no build up of algea on the glass. I have lost a couple of fish in the last week. A green eyed Rasboro and a HeadnTail light I know that PH reading is on the low side, whats the best way to fix? Buy some "PH up"? Waterchanges? Other suggestions? cheers muchly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveArowanas Posted August 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2010 Thought I posted this in beginners forum oops :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted August 14, 2010 Report Share Posted August 14, 2010 Shifted for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 14, 2010 Report Share Posted August 14, 2010 If fish are happy then leave the pH alone. Better to have a low or high stable pH than to add chemicals and have it swing. Chemicals only work for a short time anyway (depending on the reason the pH is too low) and it will quickly go back to what it was - hence the swing. There should be some nitrAte showing in a cycled tank 6 months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 14, 2010 Report Share Posted August 14, 2010 Thought I posted this in beginners forum oops :oops: Posting in the wrong forum, common noob mistake... I'd say just keep up what you're doing. Maybe even cut back on the water changes a bit if you want, sounds like you're doing more than enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveArowanas Posted August 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 I just tested the nitrate again, it does show a slightly heavier yellow than on the test sheet. So its prob like 2ppm or something Wont bother trying to adjust the PH with chemicals then. I'll scale back my water changes to 30% twice a week and 50% in the fortnightly/3 week clean outs, when I remove my big schist and scrub them. If thats whats Im supposed to be doing. :-? Water changes perplex me a little. I read someplace "you cant do too many water changes" and I work from home so almost daily small water changes wouldnt be a problem for me Im tempted to do bigger water changes cos of the current mistyness of my tank but will hold back. It actually looks ok with the lights on its just daytime that it irks me. Am I to assume occasional misty tanks are just a part of owning them? I seem to get one for a few weeks every 3 months or so. I solved the last one by removing 50% daily until it was gone. Along with a couple of fish :oops: Regarding my attrition rate, given that I have 50 odd fish...... is finding one little fuzzy disaster about once a week about right? All my bigger fish seems fine its just the little guys that cop it. I suspect beat downs... despite my lecturering them on the meaning of the word "community" Other than that I think the tank is doing fine and the colours in my fish are better than those at the LFS. IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Slightly green tinge could be too much light. Is it getting natural light on it? As long as it stays 'slightly' its fine but if you wake up and its so green you can't see the fish you will need to block the light out for a couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveArowanas Posted August 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 You could be right about that. The position of my tank is pretty stupid sounding tbh. Its in my sunroom : -P However...I have a large black dropcloth that I put on before I go to bed and I dont remove it until about 3pm when the sun is over the roof and there is no direct sunlight hitting the tank pretty much ever. Does non-direct natural light also tend to have a negative effect? I really dont wanna move it cos my sunroom doubles as my office and I love having my fish near when I work (I often work nights) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 You could be right about that. The position of my tank is pretty stupid sounding tbh. Its in my sunroom : -P However...I have a large black dropcloth that I put on before I go to bed and I dont remove it until about 3pm when the sun is over the roof and there is no direct sunlight hitting the tank pretty much ever. Does non-direct natural light also tend to have a negative effect? I really dont wanna move it cos my sunroom doubles as my office and I love having my fish near when I work (I often work nights) Sunlight itself doesn't cause a problem. It's the intensity along with high nutrient levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 I have my tanks in a shed with a small room behind (the small room is about the size of 4 washing machines). The small room receives high light and the sun shines through the window if its out. If the door between the two rooms is not kept shut the ends of the tank receive high light during the sunny days although the sun is not on them. Without hesitation after a couple of days I get a green algae bloom in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveArowanas Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Ok. Thanks a lot. Seems I have been underestimating the effect of non-direct sunlight. I will try leaving the drop cloth on until 5 or so when its getting dark. That wont really make sense for summer time though, so I guesss I may have to move the tank. drat Found my big Madagasgar and one tetra dead yesterday, and the female Madagasgar is off her food worried about her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 One thing to think about is your feeding, how much and how often? When you started the tank did you slowly add fish or did they pretty much all go in at the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveArowanas Posted August 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 I feed once a day and as much as they can eat in about 2-3 mins. Added pretty slowly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveArowanas Posted August 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Lost the female Madagascar today *grumble* . I thought I had lost a Clown Loach as well but it turned out to be just mimicking the Madagascar, Clowns are weird :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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