Nitrates

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Nostromo

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 26, 2017
Messages
46
Location
Lexinton S.C
What is the safe level of nitrates in a aquarium for 2 Bolivian Rams, mine are between 5 and 10pmm. They are the only fish in a 55 gallon tank as I just got them last Friday. I use the API Master Test Kit. I need to know what is safe and what is not, so when it reaches a certain level then I know to do a water change thanks
 
What is the safe level of nitrates in a aquarium for 2 Bolivian Rams, mine are between 5 and 10pmm. They are the only fish in a 55 gallon tank as I just got them last Friday. I use the API Master Test Kit. I need to know what is safe and what is not, so when it reaches a certain level then I know to do a water change thanks

Hello Nos...

Nitrates are the end of the nitrogen cycle, so they aren't toxic to fish unless they become extremely high and remain high for several days. If you have nitrates in the 50 ppm range, that's cause for concern. But, if you change most of the tank water weekly, your fish will be fine.

If you keep a basic tank, water that runs through a filtering system for several days, loses some minerals the fish need. Old water also loses the ability to hold oxygen, So, even if you have just a few fish, the water still needs to be changed out to maintain a healthy water chemistry.

B
 
Well I only got my Bolivian Rams last Friday, so this Friday I am going to do a water change plus gravel vac, I just hope my nitrates don't get up to 50pmm between then.
 
With the API liquid test kit, Yellow is great, Orange is ok, Orangy-red you'd better plan on a water change, more red than orange (Over 40 PPM) it's a good idea to change.
 
Nostromo
Conducting a big WC / gravel vac once a week is typical, but IMO two WC's a week is better. Regarding my 120 gal. I'll change about 50% of the water on Saturday, then on Wednesday I'll change 20%. My fish rarely get sick, are very colorful and long lived.
This routine will put you more in line with the advice provided by BBradbury.
I've been keeping fish for many years, but if I needed advice regarding water management I'd contact BBradbury. Be sure to review B's advice.
 
Thanks V...

As you know, this hobby is solely about keeping the tank water as nitrogen free as possible. This is done simply by removing most of the tank water and replacing it often, before the dissolved fish and plant wastes build up to toxic levels. If you can follow an aggressive water change routine, your fish will be guaranteed a healthy environment.

Have a restful holiday,

B
 
By and large the acceptable parameters are as follows for typical fish

Ammonia : 0ppm
Nitrite : 0ppm
Nitrate : 40ppm

Once these are above these ranges it's best to do a 50% water change. Typically, most fish hobbyists get away with a weekly 50% water change and don't bother to test the water, however it's much better to test more frequently.

For pH it's most important to keep it stable. It will typically fluctuate during the day, but as long as it's not a large change the fish will be fine. Stability is key with ph.

Ammonia will be detectable in a cycling tank, but as long as you keep it no higher than 0.25ppm your fish will be perfectly fine. Just do a 50% water change when it hits 0.5ppm.

These numbers change when keeping harder to manage fish such as discus or wild fish, so refer to species specific guidelines in those instances.

Lastly, age of water has nothing to do with it's ability to hold oxygen.
 
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