Im lost...

[Vio]

Ok, a lot happened since i got my 10 black neons tetras (1 died )
But now i want to know which road to go...
I have low gh, (inferior to 3, will buy a liquid test to be sure as i begin to not trust strips),
Kh seems to be ok, around 6 (but same, not sure), and ph is higher than 7.6 (i have the liquid test low range, will got the high range to check).
In the tank, there is air stone, fluorite substrate, crushed oysters shells (dont ask me why, but i though that will help, now im thinking of removing it...change the full substrate), driftwood and live plants.
So thats the aquarium.
I tested the water from drinking tape, gh and kh low, ph high.
I tested the bore water, gh and kh low, ph 6.4

If i do a water change of 30% weekly which water should i use : tap or bore?
Knowing that the actual tank water is from bore.

I think i need to get a water conditionner to remove heavy metals and/or chlorine anyways.

And should i get equilibrium seachem for adding good minerals?
Or should i just be happy with my parameters?
Im scared that to add any of the waters as it is, the difference in numbers will do damages.

I read so much stuffs, i dont know anymore.
Thank you if you read all that

 

[Andy Sager]

The first thing you need to do is get accurate numbers of your Ph, Kh and GH. Kh is just the buffering ability to help maintain a stable Ph. Ph wants to go acidic due to all the chemical processes that are naturally going on in the tank. The Kh helps keep the Ph from falling. The Oyster shells are calcium as well so they too will help keep the Ph from falling. As the Ph starts to fall, the shells are literally melting away to release the calcium to raise the Ph. So just because you used the bore water to start the tank does not mean that the water now is the same chemically due to the oyster shells.
If the Ph is above 7.0 and the fish are acting " normal", I'd use your drinking water but depending on how high it's Ph is, you may need to change smaller volumes of water more frequently rather than one larger one less often. If the Ph is below 7.0 and the fish are acting " normal", I'd use the Bore water. That said, if the Kh is low, you will need to do more frequent water changes to keep the Ph from falling too low OR add either more oyster shell or crushed coral or pieces of limestone which will help keep the Ph from falling. These are the natural ways of raising Kh. There are chemicals and other products available that can do the same thing but I don't know if they are available where you are. This is why I suggest going the natural route.

There is another thing to consider and that is if the Ph falls below 6.5, nitrifying bacteria growth slows down. If it falls below 6.0, nitrification stops. So if you continue to use the bore water after changing your substrate or remove the oyster shells or other KH additives, you will need to use other ways or more frequent water changes to keep the water clean since your bacteria bed won't be doing that.

So, as with most things aquatic, the answer to your question is " It depends. "

Hope this helps.

 

[Vio]

Oh your explanations are super clear !!!! Thank you so much.

Ok i will measure and see from there what needs to be done.

 

[Andy Sager]

Oh your explanations are super clear !!!! Thank you so much.

Ok i will measure and see from there what needs to be done.

 

[ShyWildPetExper]

Hey!

Sounds like you've got a lot going on with your tank water. Checking with a liquid test is a good call for accuracy. If your tap water has high pH, using bore water might provide more stable conditions for your black neon tetras.

Considering your low GH, using a water conditioner for heavy metals and chlorine is a good idea. Seachem Equilibrium could help balance minerals, especially if your tap or bore water lacks essential elements. Just make sure to acclimate your fish slowly to any changes in water parameters to avoid stress.

Removing the oyster shells might be worth a shot, especially if you're thinking of changing the substrate. It's a bit of trial and error, but observing how your tetras respond will guide your decisions. Best of luck, and feel free to ask if you have more questions!

 

[Vio]

So i finally got to measure "accurately" almost all (i got disturb)
Aquarium ph 7.8, gh 7-8, kh 5-6, ammonia 9, nitrates 20-40
Bore water ph 6.4, gh ? , kh 4, ammonia 0, nitrates ?
Tap water ph 7.8, gh 5-6, kh 3, ammonia 0, nitrates 10-20

But i think i have to measure the waters also with airstone and sitting for 24h?

Fish seems ok at 7.8

Should i measure the ph daily in the tank for how long to be sure ph is stable?

Gosh i thought i would have to only check nitrates to organize my WC schedule,
Now with ph, its more complicated ��

 

[Aiken Drum]

If the ammonia is 9 in your aquarium, im surprised anything is still alive.

You need to do some water changes to get that down to no higher than 0.5ppm. If the 9ppm is accurate that would take 4 or 5 50% water changes. Do them back to back as soon as you are able.

Do you know your nitrite levels?

I would use the tap water for now, as its the closest to whats in your aquarium.

Yes, to test tap water for pH, you need to let it sit for 12/ 24 hours to allow the CO2 in the water to equalise with CO2 in the atmosphere. This will be your true pH level.

 

[Andy Sager]

So i finally got to measure "accurately" almost all (i got disturb)
Aquarium ph 7.8, gh 7-8, kh 5-6, ammonia 9, nitrates 20-40
Bore water ph 6.4, gh ? , kh 4, ammonia 0, nitrates ?
Tap water ph 7.8, gh 5-6, kh 3, ammonia 0, nitrates 10-20

But i think i have to measure the waters also with airstone and sitting for 24h?

Fish seems ok at 7.8

Should i measure the ph daily in the tank for how long to be sure ph is stable?

Gosh i thought i would have to only check nitrates to organize my WC schedule,
Now with ph, its more complicated ��

It's a little surprising to see ammonia that high with no effects on the fish so I would definitely retest to confirm that reading in the tank. That you have a higher nitrate reading in the tank than your tap water would mean you have an active biological filter which makes your ammonia reading again suspect.

Yes, you get a more accurate Ph reading after letting the the water " gas off" for 12-24 hours as Aiken explained. Ph will fluctuate in aquariums based on plant life and the aquatic life in it but for the most part you should not see major changes in PH levels so don't be concerned if you see minor fluctuations in your readings ( i.e. +/- .4 ).

Water changes: we change water in aquariums for more reasons than nitrate levels. Replenish Kh, dilute nitrates, remove other organics, dissolve/reduce mineral levels from evaporation, replenish vitamins, etc. So you see, creating a consistent water change schedule is more important than changing only for one value such as nitrate or Ph level. The more fish you have in the aquarium, the more frequently you should do water changes. At least once a week.

 

[Vio]

Lol yes ammonia 9 will be bad. Sorry late messaging and didnt see the typo mistake!
Ammonia is at 0.

Yes its quite funny how you begin with i want some fishes to look after, it's pretty and cute, to i m diving into biology and chemistry to keep them alive!
Super interesting journey tho!

Yesterday when i got some guppies from the petshop, a family wanted to buy some for their aquarium. They did not know about cycling, etc. Fortunately the lady gzve them a lot of infos and didnt sell them the fishes!

 

[Vio]

Water changes: we change water in aquariums for more reasons than nitrate levels. Replenish Kh, dilute nitrates, remove other organics, dissolve/reduce mineral levels from evaporation, replenish vitamins, etc. So you see, creating a consistent water change schedule is more important than changing only for one value such as nitrate or Ph level. The more fish you have in the aquarium, the more frequently you should do water changes. At least once a week.

Im planning once a week 30% but im going to see the bioload over the month.
If i need more often.
For the fishes i have at the moment :
9 black neons, 6 guppies, and some growing aquatic plants
Do i need to add minerals, vitamins?

Im going to use my tap water with prime seachem.
And for kh, the oyster shells in substrate seems to work well.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Id look at an all in one plant fertiliser like seachem flourish for the plants.

 

[Vio]

Oh yeah i use that since 5 days

 

[Andy Sager]

Im planning once a week 30% but im going to see the bioload over the month.
If i need more often.
For the fishes i have at the moment :
9 black neons, 6 guppies, and some growing aquatic plants
Do i need to add minerals, vitamins?

Im going to use my tap water with prime seachem.
And for kh, the oyster shells in substrate seems to work well.

A good diet can add the vitamins and minerals the fish need. If you give the fish a varied high quality diet, that can take care of that issue. There are a number of good foods on the market.

 

[Vio]

Awesome. I give them Omega One flakes, and sometimes brine shrimp soaked in garlic infusion, or bloodworm
I think i overfeed at the beginning but im changing that now.

I measure ph water tap after letting it sit overnight in a glass, and its down at 7.4 (high ph test) -7.6 (low ph test).

 

[Vio]

Attached some pics

 

[Andy Sager]

Awesome. I give them Omega One flakes, and sometimes brine shrimp soaked in garlic infusion, or bloodworm
I think i overfeed at the beginning but im changing that now.

I measure ph water tap after letting it sit overnight in a glass, and its down at 7.4 (high ph test) -7.6 (low ph test).

I like the Omega One flakes but you should be feeding the brine shrimp and bloodworms at least every other day if not every day. Fish do much better with more than one feeding a day so just reduce the amount of food per feeding but feed more often. Think of it as a pizza with multiple slices. If you fed once a day, it would be a whole pizza. If you fed twice a day, you feed 1/2 pizza at each feeding. Three times a day, 1/3rd pizza at each feeding. At the end of the day, you still only fed 1 whole pizza but the fish now have a better variety and there is less food that may go uneaten and be sucked up into the filter. If it's available where you are, there is spiralina infused brine shrimp that would work with getting more vegetable matter into the fish for better digestion. Both the spiralina and the brine shrimp help keep the fish poo flowing. You can also add other varieties of flake or pelleted foods. If it's available where you are, Dr Bassleer makes a good variety of foods for specific fish or general health.
As for the Ph, split the difference and call it 7.5. In other words, use the tap water as it's more closely chemically to the aquarium water.


On a side note, regarding "Yes its quite funny how you begin with i want some fishes to look after, it's pretty and cute, to i m diving into biology and chemistry to keep them alive! Super interesting journey tho! ", Yes, keeping fish is a lesson in biology and ecology and if you breed fish, genetics as well. It's never been a "I just want a fish I can look at when I feel like it." situation. ( Or in the case of the 1980s, a nice piece of furniture with a few fish in there to look at situation. That was a rough time in the fish business ) The good thing is when you understand all that's going on, you can also see it in other areas like gardening, food production, pet care for pets other than fish and the environment around you. You see how stress hurts the fish and if you think about it, it also hurts us humans as well. You see the difference in fish that are fed quality foods vs fish that are fed garbage foods and realize, that is the same for people as well. Yes you learn a lot through fish keeping.