oscar nitrate production

[ehh]

Honestly, I don't know what my nitrates are out of the tap.
But I'll tell you my story.

Last time I checked nitrates they were really high. So I did a million changes over the course of a week and brought it close to zero.

I started experimenting with it and saw that I did the most damage with large water changes once a week or two smaller water changes back to back. So now I do 15 to 20 gallons on Saturday and on Sunday. Last I checked my nitrates were around 10-20ppm.

But that was around 6 months ago. But since then he hasn't really grown. And since I switched him to paradigm there is way less waste in the tank

But now I'm going to test it on Friday and Monday and see what I'm doing is still working.

 

[convict360]

Ah I see, im not quite up to speed on the effects of ph and the variables it can cause, something I may look into... Always amazes me how aquanero can tell people what meds with work at particular temps and hardness. You give some great info on here dude and your easy to speak to, some people can be quite arrogant to people learning, even learning now 10yrs into the hobbie!-)

I can agree with this! I still ask basic questions too lol, as even if I know the answer; sometimes I need that bit of reassurance to go ahead with changes, re-stocking etc.

My Oscar in 90 gallon is 5-6 inches just now, and gets 35% a week, or roughly 122.5 litre changes. I think learning from this thread, I'm going to buy a kit and start testing weekly, right before my sunday water changes, I'll start this next week after my holiday; and hopefully keep you up to speed Justin, and others!

 

[justarn]

cool good stuff guys, look forward to the results, read my other thread for all the math tho, if you miss one change it all screws of and takes ages to settle again to that quoted figure, as with starting a new tank it will build over about ten weeks until it reaches that quoted figure.

of course these figure are all rough and assuming we are doing pristine filter and substrate maintenance.

 

[justarn]

So in reality stocking tanks in the UK should be kept much lower considering tap nitrate and the in ability to keep nitrates low....