discus tank water parameters what is going on with my tank.

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fishyjoe26

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 13, 2008
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plano texas
nitrate 5.0
nitrite 0.0
high ph 7.2-7.4
low ph 6.4-6.6
ammonia____orangeish-yellow 0.0-0.25 (but why would it be 0.0 if the tank is cycled, could it be because I did a water change sunday night, and for discus you got to give them clean warm water.so I change once a weekend,and that water change is cyling?) //and now that I've lefted the water and solution in the test tubes over night with the caps on the nitrite test tube has changed and is blueish purple. the nitrite test tube is now .25 this is testing with a liquid api masters test kit.:nilly::confused: I've also heard that people with a api test kit have to shake up the solution bottles really really good which I didn't do.
so did I get I need to re-test?


ok now I retested it.
nitrate 60-80.
nitrite 0.0
high ph 7.2-7.4
low ph 6.4-6.6
ammonia 0.0
 
You will need to do another test this morning and make sure you shake the solutions very good for the 5 seconds that it states. For your nitrate you need to shake for 1 minute. After shaking the solutions in the tubes for their proper time let them sit for 5 minutes and then get your reading. If they sit too long you won't get a proper reading.

Let me edit what I just stated. I always shake the bottles of solution before adding the drops to the test tube. For the nitrate solution you have to shake the second bottle of solution for 30 seconds before adding it to the test tube. You also need to invert the tube after adding the first solution to the tube. Then shake the tube for the 1 minute, let sit for 5 mins and get your reading. Hope this helps.
 
thanks read above I shaked all the bottles for one min. and then shaked the test test tubes for 1 min, then let them sit. here are the readings.

ok now I retested it.
nitrate 60-80.
nitrite 0.0
high ph 7.2-7.4
low ph 6.4-6.6
ammonia 0.0

so according to those reading I should do a water change, 25% procent- maybe 50%procent?
 
Ok, I might have confused you. I shake my bottles of solution for apx 5 seconds, add the proper drops into the test tubes, and then shake the tubes for 5 seconds. For the nitrate test you have to shake your first solution for apx 5 secs, add the drops to the tube, invert the tube, shake the second solution for 30 secs, add the drops to the tube, shake the tube for 1 min., then let it sit for 5 mins to get your reading. Your reading are probably still correct even though you shook them for a minute. I would definately do a water change with the nitrates reading that high. I prefer large water changes but I don't have discus.
 
ok thanks so, I guess I'll go post this in the discus section and see what they say.
 
yeah I think it's because of all the beef-heart and blood worms. I'll do a 50% procent change.
 
Dude,

Hwo do you have high PH reading and Low PH reading ? Ph is Ph..

How often are you doing water changes now ? what's your temp ?

stan
 
wow thats a lot of nitrate

test your tap water to know what you are starting with

but yes... you need to do some water changes... since discus are pretty delicate you may want to do several small water changes insted of one big one (4-5 10% vs 1 30%)
 
flamenco-t;3077446; said:
Dude,

Hwo do you have high PH reading and Low PH reading ? Ph is Ph..

How often are you doing water changes now ? what's your temp ?

stan
Click to expand...


stan the hell if I know, I got a api masters test kit, I tested the ammonia,
then I tested the ph with the low liquid, then I put some water in another test tube and dropped the high ph liquid in that, then another tube and did the nitrite, then another tube and did the nitrate where the :nilly:discus people to help.
 
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