I grabbed a strip test kit earlier today. It tested the following:

PH 7.2
Alkalinity (KH) 80 ppm
Total Hardness (GH) 75
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 20ppm

I must have been overfeeding by your definition, I can see waste at times in
there. I had a hard time deciding how much to feed them, as a lot of places
say "as much as they will eat in 2 minutes". Well, my fish are swimming
piggies and would eat a 5 pound roast in 2 minutes! I'm cutting them back.
I'll also cut down the frozen food and try zapping it as well. They won't
be happy with that, though, they love that stuff.

I also got a new bubble bar today and will replace that tonight, to make
sure it doesn't have anything in it.

I guess the bio-wheel in the Emperor's doesn't keep enough bio-bugs in it?

Devin

wrote in message
...
pond salt test kit by aquarium pharmaceuticals.
alkalinity is measure of buffering and ability to resist swings in pH ...
big swings
will harm GF.
put a pinch of the food in a glass of tank water and check for ammonia.
some food
release it directly into the tank (good for fishless cycling tho)
if you can see GF poop, you are overfeeding. also, rinse filters once a
week whether
they need it or not to get excess food/poop out which is just sitting
there rotting
and fouling the tank.
it is not recommended to feed live or dried or frozen type foods to indoor
tank fish.
however, somebody did a test found zapping food for 30 seconds in
microwave killed
the cooties. Ingrid

"Devin" wrote:
I've thought of picking up a salinity meter,
I have no idea of the alkalinity of the water. I'll look for a test kit
for
it today. I'm going to get two more live plants (already have one in
there)
to replace the silk ones I removed.
FOOD- I forgot to mention the foods I use. I use the Hikari flakes and
the
Marine Labs slow sinking pellets, alternating this as their morning food.
At night I feed them frozen brine shrimp or blood worms, thawed and
rinsed
before being put in the tank. I feed green peas about once a week.
Devin


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