DrZacharyus;964249; said:
Alright I have a newly setup tank with a quick 24hr cycle (anxious) 90 Gal with one AC 110 and a BIOWheel for 60G and a Powerhead with sponge filter for 50G. Substrate is sand with some rocks from my old cichlid aquarium. Just did a 50% water change today and tested the water. The fish in the tank include 1 Fl Gar, 1 Lima Shovelnose, 3 Spec, 1 Pleco and 1 Large Mouth Bass. The Nitrates were at 160PPM according to color, 7.4PH, Mix between 0-.25 for Ammonia and Nitrites are at 2PPM. TIA
Lupin, don't take it in offense when I don't agree with you
It is important to know what your source water parameters are. If you are from Lake County or eastward, there shouldn't be nitrates in your tap water (aquifer water). On the west coast in several of the counties, they have higher nitrates and also have to add ammonia which forms chloramines.
Your ammonia isn't bad. Zero is your goal. At 1ppm, alarms should be going off in the background.
A pH of 7.4 is not bad. Your pH should mirror your tap water since that is what your water changes will come from.
Nitrites of 2 ppm indicate that your system is not cycled. The goal is also zero.
Nitrates should be 20 ppm or less. If you are pumping out of a well and live in dairy country, then you need to get an RO system.
Since you just did a 50% water change and then tested your water, that indicates either things were bad to start with or you have bad tap water.
For right now, you have too many fish in a newly cycled tank. Keep an eye on the water (test daily) and if things get out of hand, buy some plastic totes to spread the fish out.
