I have well water and test it ever couple months and never add conditioner anymore. The water is hard but good in the other departments
water changes
- Thread starter smokeythebair
- Start date
wow just tested my water is that bad if my ph is 6.0??? i was told you want drinking water to be atleast a ph of 7
It doesn't matter how many filters you add, though, the nitrates are still the last link in the chain and no bacteria in your 55 will be able to metabolize them (I highly doubt you have some kind of set up that allows you to create anaerobic conditions necessary to metabolize nitrate). You're just gonna have to up your water changes.
6 is the bottom end for drinking water and may need a neutralizer. You may have a substantial amount of metals in your water if it's that low. You may want to look into it further. You should buy a bottle of Prime for your tank. Pretty cheap and it goes a really long way. But you should check for metals if it's your drinking supply as well. Better be safe than sorry.
And if you add plants, just remember that most aquatic plants prefer ammonia to nitrates, so you'll probably starve your BB of ammonia and nitrites, and if your plants ever die you're gonna have a major ammonia spike. Select plants that prefer nitrate (land plants usually do, if you can set up some sort of hydroponics thing).
More about plants preferring ammonia, and which plants prefer nitrate, here: http://www.aquabotanic.com/plants_and_biological_filtration.htm
More about plants preferring ammonia, and which plants prefer nitrate, here: http://www.aquabotanic.com/plants_and_biological_filtration.htm
If you let nitrates build up it may take as many as 4-5 25% water changes over the next week to get back to manageable levels.
I did not see where anyone had stated this yet.
I did not see where anyone had stated this yet.
I have goldfish, and sometimes I have to do daily 50% water changes, due to nitrAtes creeping up. Watch your nitrates, and you should be fine.
smokeythebair;4743063; said:
Your fish will adapt to what ever pH your water is. It is far more important to have a stable pH than it is to have a pH of any particular value. Some fish will only breed in waters with a specific pH, so if you are breeding a species that is sensitive, you may need to modify your pH, but for just keeping fish healthy and happy, leave the pH alone as long as it is stable.
KH measures the buffering capacity of the water. If your KH is high, your pH can't change. If its low, your pH might be prone to swinging. Getting your KH tested will tell you if you need to worry about your pH or not.
As for filters....1 filter or 50, it will not change your nitrates. The bioload in your tank dictates the amount of nitrates getting produced. The ONLY way to lower them is to change the water.
I do 25% water changes every other week and clean the mechanical filtration once a month.
I know there are plenty of people with much more aggressive WC schedules, and there are plenty of positives to doing so. I have thought of changing mine to weekly.
That 90% changes for Discuss is CRAZY....but I know they are finicky fish.
I know there are plenty of people with much more aggressive WC schedules, and there are plenty of positives to doing so. I have thought of changing mine to weekly.
That 90% changes for Discuss is CRAZY....but I know they are finicky fish.
Brian_Indiana;4744760; said:
My wife's father he do breeding discus, have 2 tank. 1 tank a lots of plants and other tank nothing plants.
that tank a lots plants hard to breeding but water change each weekly or twice. no problem.
other tank nothing plants. water change each week when there is a begin breeding start water change each daily.
I do my tank water change each weekly 10-20%. if you do have a lots fish in small tank and do more water change.
Plants and carbon can help Nitrates down.
