new water testr results after pwc

[eco23]

My bad I forgot to put the.filter its a canister fluval 404 that runs like a champ, I use ro due that I bought it for my reef n since I have it ive been using it for all my tanks and I dont mix it our tap water its hard or ive been told

A canister can become a monster source of nitrAtes if it's not cleaned often. I would give the hoses and insides of the filter (not counting the media) a thorough scrubbing. You can clean it in the bath tub with an algae sponge and tap water if you'd like. A ton of debris builds up in the hoses as well, so try to find a good brush which will let you scrub it out. I can almost guarantee the canister is where the nitrAtes are coming from.

Are you mixing the RO water with any additives to restore the minerals that are stripped? I know in SW the salt you buy already contains that stuff...but you've got to have a special additive like Seachem Replenish or Kent's R/O Right for freshwater. Pure RO water isn't usable without it.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Oh ok i didnt know about the ro thing, also I ckean the hoses pretty good wit the filter once a month

 

[eco23]

Oh ok i didnt know about the ro thing, also I ckean the hoses pretty good wit the filter once a month

Yeah, it's important. Pure RO water contains none of the minerals, buffers, electrolytes, etc...that the fish and bacteria require. It's also a ticking time bomb for pH crashes. It's definitely something that needs to be remedied.

Since they've been in pure RO water, you need to change them back over slowly. If you do a large water change with a different water source you'll shock them...and it might be bye-bye fishies. Personally I'd do very, very small water changes with tap water over the course of time until you've adjusted them to the proper conditions. I can't tell you the best time frame, but personally I'd do like 5% water changes every day until they are switched over.

What type of Cichlids do you have? Many absolutely adore hard water, and your tap water should be the perfect source for them. Even if they're not the species that require hard water...virtually all fish can be acclimated to different water parameters. It would have to be a pretty extreme case for your tap water to not be usable. What's the pH of your tap water?

Again though...change them over slowly. Switching too quickly from pure RO to hard tap water = a tank full of dead fish.

 

[abrahamavelar]

I dont have cichlids anymore they were african. Wat about if I do a regular 50% pwc and per each 10 gallons of ro water I add 2 or less of tap

 

[eco23]

I dont have cichlids anymore they were african. Wat about if I do a regular 50% pwc and per each 10 gallons of ro water I add 2 or less of tap

I'd personally recommend the small, daily pwc's. It will basically be like a slow acclimation from when you bring them home from the store. If the tank was in my house I'd do a 5-10% max pwc every day. You can do a mixture...but it's just easier to do smaller ones more often with tap water IMO.

I'm sure you've heard of things like pH shock when people don't acclimate their fish properly to a new tank...this is like the epitome of difference here...and the transition has to be slow...but it's a transition that definitely needs to be made.

You're nitrAtes aren't high enough to be a real concern. Let's get them on a proper water source and we'll worry about it after.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Oh ok im going to try that thx for ur help =)

 

[abrahamavelar]

well got home and found my dad finishing a pwc so im doing the tests to see wats up!!!!! and this are the results

ph 7.6
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate some where between 20 and ten

so tomorrow im gonna do another 50 pwc and see if it work!!!!

 

[eco23]

well got home and found my dad finishing a pwc so im doing the tests to see wats up!!!!! and this are the results

ph 7.6
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate some where between 20 and ten

so tomorrow im gonna do another 50 pwc and see if it work!!!!

Dude...what happened to the small, daily pwc idea? What water source are you using for the pwc's? I'm not joking when I say switching them too quickly from pure RO water to hard taper water is a major risk.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Dude...what happened to the small, daily pwc idea? What water source are you using for the pwc's? I'm not joking when I say switching them too quickly from pure RO water to hard taper water is a major risk.

i was planning on doing it but my dad did the pwc i came home and he was filling the tank and he used ro i left last night and when i walked in at noonish he was already filling the tank

 

[abrahamavelar]

+*and ya we had an argument about it also the ph from the tap its 8.2

 

[eco23]

+*and ya we had an argument about it also the ph from the tap its 8.2

Cool. You're just going to need to explain to him that pure RO water is not usable in aquariums. The process absolutely strips the water, and fish cannot survive without the minerals and other things in the water.

The RO water either needs to be reconstituted with a mineral additive, or slowly transitioned to tap water. 8.2 is perfectly acceptable...but it's all the more reason the fish have to be transitioned over slowly.

If your dad doesn't understand the importance of not using only pure RO water...have him hop on google and look it up himself. Every knowledgible site on the Internet will tell him that pure RO water is unable in home aquaria unless it is mixed with tap water or has minerals added back in. Using the tap water (again, slowly transitioning over) is the easiest course of action.

Trust me and / or do a bit of research online. Pure, un-reconstituted reverse osmosis purified water can not and should not be used in an aquarium.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Cool.
Trust me and / or do a bit of research online. Pure, un-reconstituted reverse osmosis purified water can not and should not be used in an aquarium.

oh i trust you i actually was thinking about doin the pwc while i was driving home and found him doing that and yes we talked but you know older guys think they know everythin atleast im glad nitrates are starting to go down i was getting annoyed and i was even thinking that the nitrates werent gonna go down wit out any chemical warfare but atleast im getting them down

 

[eco23]

oh i trust you i actually was thinking about doin the pwc while i was driving home and found him doing that and yes we talked but you know older guys think they know everythin atleast im glad nitrates are starting to go down i was getting annoyed and i was even thinking that the nitrates werent gonna go down wit out any chemical warfare but atleast im getting them down

Good deal. Just remember...transitioning them away from the pure RO water is far and away priority #1. Keeping nitrAtes down is a very distant #2. Your nitrAtes are fine where they are, and by doing the small water changes every day you'll bring them down even lower.

Here's an article about using pure RO water in an aquarium...you should show it to your Dad-
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/purewatr.htm

 

[abrahamavelar]

thanks!!!!!! he is actually sittin next to me reading as i type