New set-up update

[Reel McKoi[_10_]]

I expeced to lose a few fish and have. One platy, one cory and two neons
went to that big aquarium in the sky. All the others are thriving and
eating just fine. So so far, so good. :-)
--

RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Reel McKoi[_10_]]

"Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D." > wrote in
message ...
> How are your nitrates doing?
============================
I'm getting some really strage readings. I'm starting to think it's the
aquarium fertalizer tabs I'm using. I don't know what effect they're having
on the water values. Plus, I have no idea how accurate this test (strips)
kit is:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 160
Nitrite: 1.0
PH 6.2

The second kit (liquid) says the PH is 7.2. That's quite a difference.

It's crazy but the fish, after the original few died, are thriving.

I can't see how the Nitrate can be so high with all the plants in this tank.
It's loaded with a mix of plants.
--
RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Reel McKoi[_10_]]

"Tynk" > wrote in message
ups.com...

Yes, good question. = )
Sorry for the losses, RM.
=============================
It was either a new test kit his week or 2 clown loaches. I chose the
loaches. Tomorrow I'll do another water change on this tank and skip the
fertilizer plant-tabs. It's got to be those tabs since this is a well
established tank with a load of plants.

I couldn't pass up these clown loaches. They look so healthy and are so
nicely colored. :-) I also bought a rubber-lip pleco. The tag says he only
gets 5" long and eats algae and veggies. They also replaced the red-way
platy.
--
RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Gill Passman]

Reel McKoi wrote:

> ============================
> I'm getting some really strage readings. I'm starting to think it's the
> aquarium fertalizer tabs I'm using. I don't know what effect they're
> having on the water values. Plus, I have no idea how accurate this test
> (strips) kit is:
>
> Ammonia: 0
> Nitrate: 160
> Nitrite: 1.0
> PH 6.2
>
> The second kit (liquid) says the PH is 7.2. That's quite a difference.
>
> It's crazy but the fish, after the original few died, are thriving.
>
> I can't see how the Nitrate can be so high with all the plants in this
> tank. It's loaded with a mix of plants.

What are the nitrate readings from your tap water? It could be that you
are adding nitrates with the water changes.......

Seeing as you have said your water is quite hard in the past I would
think that the 7.2 is probably closer......unless there is something in
your tank that is lowering the pH.....a good test is to test a sample of
tap water immediately and then 24 hours later - this will give you a
possible indication as to what is happening......my tap water has a much
higher pH after sitting for 24 hours than it does when run directly from
the tap - but my water is liquid rock.....

I'm not suprised that your remaining fish are thriving.....unless it was
a disease which would eventually carry off all of them, the fish that
have survived are those that were strong enough to acclimatize to the
different water parameters....but I wouldn't be happy with the nitrite
reading - you need zero on that one....and the nitrates should be lower

Your nitrates are still a bit high.....what are you adding as plant
fertilizer? It could be nitrates in your tap water or it could be what
you are adding in for the plants.....again, fish can gradually get used
to high nitrates even if not the best for them but a sudden rise (like
if you buy new fish) could well account for the deaths....

Gill

[Reel McKoi[_10_]]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
...
> Reel McKoi wrote:
>
>> ============================
>> I'm getting some really strage readings. I'm starting to think it's the
>> aquarium fertalizer tabs I'm using. I don't know what effect they're
>> having on the water values. Plus, I have no idea how accurate this test
>> (strips) kit is:
>>
>> Ammonia: 0
>> Nitrate: 160
>> Nitrite: 1.0
>> PH 6.2
>>
>> The second kit (liquid) says the PH is 7.2. That's quite a difference.
>>
>> It's crazy but the fish, after the original few died, are thriving.
>>
>> I can't see how the Nitrate can be so high with all the plants in this
>> tank. It's loaded with a mix of plants.
=====================================
> What are the nitrate readings from your tap water? It could be that you
> are adding nitrates with the water changes.......

I'm getting 20 right from the tap, yet when I spoke to the water company
some time back they claim it should be, and always is, zero. It's water
from a very deep aquafer and then filtered to remove things like nitrates.
So unless I buy special filtering to remove nitrates I'm stuck with at least
20 (according to this test kit).

>
> Seeing as you have said your water is quite hard in the past I would think
> that the 7.2 is probably closer......unless there is something in your
> tank that is lowering the pH.....a good test is to test a sample of tap
> water immediately and then 24 hours later - this will give you a possible
> indication as to what is happening......my tap water has a much higher pH
> after sitting for 24 hours than it does when run directly from the tap -
> but my water is liquid rock....

From experience, mine does also. They add carbon dioxide (if I remember
right) to lower the PH to prevent pipe mineral corrosion. In 24 hours it
usually goes up to 7.6 to 7.8.


> I'm not suprised that your remaining fish are thriving.....unless it was a
> disease which would eventually carry off all of them, the fish that have
> survived are those that were strong enough to acclimatize to the different
> water parameters....but I wouldn't be happy with the nitrite reading - you
> need zero on that one....and the nitrates should be lower

I'm not happy with it at all. Nitrites should be at zero as they always are
in this tank. That was a real surprise.

> Your nitrates are still a bit high.....what are you adding as plant
> fertilizer? It could be nitrates in your tap water or it could be what you
> are adding in for the plants.....

It's probably both but there these fish are so small and the GF and pleco I
removed were large - no problems then! These tabs are by Tetra. I stopped
using the Miracle Grow when I did the major cleaning and massive water
change before buying the new fish. But even with the MG it was never that
high. It stayed around 20 to 40, and 0 nitrites.

again, fish can gradually get used
> to high nitrates even if not the best for them but a sudden rise (like if
> you buy new fish) could well account for the deaths....

This is true.
--

RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Reel McKoi[_10_]]

"Tynk" > wrote in message
ups.com...
LOL....
I would have gotten the Clowns too! = )~

I couldn't resist. It's not everyday that I find such nice healthy looking
ones. One look and I was a goner. :-))

It's really cool that your town refuses to use chloramines....Did they
just know it's worse for us humans than chlorine (which is bad
enough), and refuse to use it, or did something happen?

I can't remember the reasons he had but assured me they would not switch.
He also said they know who has ponds and would warn us should that ever
change for some reason. It's a small water company serving a small rural
area.

J/C
I've had Rubberlipped Plecos before. I think they are SO cute.

They are! He has a funny little face and is only an inch long. He's a soft
light brown color. I hope he gets along with the clown plecos which I
seldom see. Those pretty little plecos never come out of hiding.

Everytime any of them were hanging out on the glass I coulnd't help
but chuckle at their big lips.
Oh my, and every time they were rasping on the glass I would get a
silly bass tune in my head.
So cute.


--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Reel McKoi[_10_]]

"Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D." > wrote in
message ...
> Plants honestly don't really soke up the nitrates as much as some say.
> It's been my experience you're lucky to get a decrease of 5ppm (if that)
> in a heavily planted tank. You nitrites are dangerously high at 1ppm
> (google "nitrite poisoning").

All I can do is more water changes. This tank has been cycled for well over
2 years. There were 5 good size fancy goldfish and a pleco in it. There
shouldn't be nitrites in the water. You know the poops these guys take. =
: O

> Your nitrites and nitrates are so high, it's killing your fish at this
> point. Your tank is not cycled.

???

> I'm sorry to say, but the only real effective way is still water changes
> with gravel vacuuming. But please get the nitrites and nitrates down or
> fish will continue to die. :(

We have an appointment in town in 20 minutes. When we get back I'm going to
do a massive water change with gravel vacuuming. We'll see if that helps.
--
RM....
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>