First Water Test Results

[Grant R]

Hi all,

Carried out my first lot of water tests this evening, with interesting results.
Ammonia - Good, healthy levels. Pretty much. 0.0, in saying that, I think it is slowly creeping to 0.25 .

pH seemed quite high. Around the 8.6 - 9.0 level, so i added a few sprinkles of the ' proper ph 7.0 ' . Could the fact that after I did the first ammonia test, I rinsed the tube with warm water have anything to do with it ??

Same with the nitrite test, looked a bit too pinky for my liking, but I can't help thinking the tests weren't 100% accurate.

I added a bit of ' AmmoLock2 ' to calm some of this, as well as the proper pH 7.0. A I have about the proper pH 7.0 is -

It comes in a powdery form, so what is the best way to add it and how much ? No instructions were listed anywhere !

Many thanks in advance.

[loganj]

According to the bottleof PH 7.0 I have, the dosage is 1 scoop (about 1 tsp) per 10 gallons of water. I always mix it up with some water in a cup to make sure it's all dissolved and them add it slowly to the tank. One way to get a better idea with the water tests is to test some water that you know is pure (R/O or distilled) and compare it to the test with the aquarium water. I know the "color in the tube" tests can be frustrating to read at times for me. Using the pure water will give you a baseline of sorts and it's easier to tell a difference that way than trying to match the color chart. If you're using an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals nitrite test, the color should remain blue for a 0 concentration. Also, unless I am mistaken, the ammo-lock will not affect the test results so you may still show an ammonia concentration after using it. Someone correct me if this is not right.
Logan J

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

most of the time, it's better to let the fish acclimate to whatever water you have, do you have really hard water? using chemicals like that to change it can result in stressful ph swings for the fish, most are better off with a steady level that they have become used to......a ph or 6 is 10 times more acidic than a ph of 7, so a seemingly small change can be rather drastic to the fishees...if you really feel you need to alter it with chemicals, i would suggest mixing it before adding new water, and doing frequent water checks...most of the chemicals only work temporarily, and if you have hard water, it probably has a good buffering ability and may be difficult to alter....monitor your pH very closely until you feel comfortable that it will remain steady...

Hi Grant-
To me, it sounds like your tank is just going through the initial cycling process. Ammonia will rise, Nitrite will rise, and finally nitrate production will begin. In a fully cycled, healthy tank, ammonia and nitrite should never be present at detectable levels, some nitrates are normal and okay (not too high, however). Since your tank is newly established, I wouldn't bother mucking about with chemicals and the like. The best thing you can do is to keep performing regular, partial water changes. The initial ammonia and nitrite spikes can be too much for some fish (and may be what did your platy in). So just keep up with those water changes, and I hope the rest of the fish come through it okay

Aimee

[Grant R]

Thanks for that and the link, helpful.
Hope you're right.

[loganj]

Crazeee is right about the chemicals Grant, they may make an initial change but the water will likely revert to it's original state in a few days. With a pH of 8.6-9.0, you might consider keeping African Cichlids from lakes Malawi or Tanganyika. This is about the pH found in their natural habitat. If you're going to keep fish that are from a neutral or acidic envionment, R/O water might be the best bet to keep them happy. We use the PH 7.0, 6.5, ect... with the R/O water and it does a good job. I doubt it would make a lasting change in very hard water though.
Logan J