Adding more delicate fish

[crapotm]

Okay so I've had my tank running for at least 5 months now, my numbers have become pretty stable. I just did about a 30-40% water change. Initially I had trouble with my numbers but found out I needed to put in a conditioner when adding water. My levels now are ph 8-8.2, ammonia .25ppm, nitrite 0ppm, and nitrate 40-80ppm (the colors for those two are awfully similar and couldn't tell for sure). I currently have a 75 gallon tank with 5 black skirted tetras, 6 zebra danio(one of which I need to try the deshelled peas thing because she's been swimming erratically), and 4 mystery snails who have a couple batches of eggs up on the upper brim of the glass and I'm waiting to see what happens with them.

That being the case, with my levels and everything, do you guys think I would be okay adding more fragile fish such as gourami or something like that at this point?

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[RonColle]

I would do more water changes until ammonia and nitrates are at 0

 

[RonColle]

Just my opinion tho.

 

[crapotm]

Nitrates? I always thought the nitrates weren't a problem unless they were unreasonably high?

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[RonColle]

You want to have the correct ph for what fish you have/want. That can be found on google. The rest you want at 0. It's very easy to do this with water changes. 25%-50% and how frequent depends on how high they get between.

 

[RonColle]

I do 25% water changes every Saturday and all my numbers are 0 at all times!!!

 

[SherLar]

It's difficult to impossible to keep nitrates at 0 ppm, unless you do water changes daily. Your nitrifying bacteria should keep nitrites and ammonia at 0 ppm though, if maintenance is done regularly. Try to keep nitrates at <40 ppm. 80 ppm is a bit too high.
I've never thought of gourami as fragile fish, but IMO, don't add any more fish until you get your water parameters under control.

 

[crapotm]

Okay so I did another water change today of about 33% (25gal). It's been a few hours since I've filled it back up and my numbers are ph 8.0, ammonia <.25ppm (not completely yellow but coming down from the light green for sure), nitrite 0 ppm, and nitrate 40ppm.

Is there a better way to go about getting my nitrates down or will it just be by water changes? And along with that, will dropping the ph affect my levels other than that? All my fish should be in lower ph levels and the gourami I want to get should be lower and I don't want to shock them with something that is too far our of range for them since my fish are already used to it

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[RonColle]

Use an additive that puts in bacteria. Stress-zyme, prime, stability.

 

[coralbandit]

Don't adjust your ph.
To lower you nitrates change more water.
Either more at once or more frequently.
The % you change should be the amount the nutrient is reduced.
So with 40 ppm if you change 25% you will end up with 30 ppm. You removed 25%.
If you changed 50% you would end up with 20ppm.
Many change 50% weekly but you can let your test guide you as to how much to change. 20 ppm is all good. It will grow over the week so starting much higher will not be best.
You don't need an additive^^^ as you already have nitrates..^^^^It will NOT lower them....
Get your trates to 20ppm ,don't worry about your ph,get your gourami[not a dwarf] and drip acclimate him.
Enjoy.