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[lovemyguppies]

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

Just an update...I have decreased feeding to once a day. Everything that I read about the fish I have says that is ok for them. Nitrates are the same. Fish are looking very well!

Question: it seems as though my nitrates have somewhat leveled off. Should I continue trying to get them down? I am planning on doing a 30% wc tomorrow, and that should help a bit. I can't believe the difference in my fish! I was at 160ppm to start, and now at 40ppm...they are much happier! Ammonia is still at 0...

Ideally nitrates should be below 20 ppm, but 40ppm isn't that bad. I would work on getting nitrates below 20ppm and maintaining that, and the only way to do that is with water changes.

[Ian086]

Originally Posted by lovemyguppies

Ideally nitrates should be below 20 ppm, but 40ppm isn't that bad. I would work on getting nitrates below 20ppm and maintaining that, and the only way to do that is with water changes.

Try feeding every other day for a week or so. This will create less waste and should in turn help with the Nitrates. My rule is not to let the food touch the substrate. I don't know how your feeding, but I put tiny bits in, let them eat it, add some more, repeat until they stop eating it. Sorry if that sounds obvious but I used to just put what they eat, all in, in one go..
If you want to reduce the Nitrates even further, consider planting the tank. Low light, easy care plants. Watersprite and Wisteria amongst others are great at soaking up Nitrates. They grow like weeds and Watersprite and Wisteria(I think) can be left floating. As I said, they grow very quickly, need no Ferts/Co2 and can survive with low/medium light. You can trim them and use the trimmings in other tanks, if you have any....

[Ian086]

Sorry, meant to add. Test the water after the week and see if the Nitrates change. With them being at 40ppm, you have time to fine tune things and experiment with different options....
Also as was mentioned way back in the thread, 50% is very common and completely safe....

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

Try feeding every other day for a week or so. This will create less waste and should in turn help with the Nitrates. My rule is not to let the food touch the substrate. I don't know how your feeding, but I put tiny bits in, let them eat it, add some more, repeat until they stop eating it. Sorry if that sounds obvious but I used to just put what they eat, all in, in one go..
If you want to reduce the Nitrates even further, consider planting the tank. Low light, easy care plants. Watersprite and Wisteria amongst others are great at soaking up Nitrates. They grow like weeds and Watersprite and Wisteria(I think) can be left floating. As I said, they grow very quickly, need no Ferts/Co2 and can survive with low/medium light. You can trim them and use the trimmings in other tanks, if you have any....

I just put all the food in at once. They eat it as soon as its put in! They are pigs! I have some plants in the aquarium, but I can't remember exactly what. I would have to order the other plants, because we don't have a fish store that sells them around here. I can see if I can order some on Friday when my hubby gets paid again.. I only have like $1.80 in PayPal at the moment.

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

Sorry, meant to add. Test the water after the week and see if the Nitrates change. With them being at 40ppm, you have time to fine tune things and experiment with different options....
Also as was mentioned way back in the thread, 50% is very common and completely safe....

I am going to do a 30-50% wc today. I will test a few hours after that. I will post pics of the results again... Thank you for your help!!!!

[Ian086]

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

I am going to do a 30-50% wc today. I will test a few hours after that. I will post pics of the results again... Thank you for your help!!!!

If those plants are stem plants, they will help but not suck up the Nitrates as quickly as the Watersprite or Wisteria. Faster growing plants use up more Nitrates than slower growing plants. Both Watersprite and Wisteria are very cheap and you only need a small bit, as it will grow really quickly.
Good luck with it and keep us updated.....

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

If those plants are stem plants, they will help but not suck up the Nitrates as quickly as the Watersprite or Wisteria. Faster growing plants use up more Nitrates than slower growing plants. Both Watersprite and Wisteria are very cheap and you only need a small bit, as it will grow really quickly.
Good luck with it and keep us updated.....

They are stem plants. They grow incredibly slowly!

[FishyKisses]

I pulled some up and threw them in a breeding net to show you...

[Ian086]

With respect, they don't look at their best. This is just my opinion but I would consider removing them or adding the Sprite and/or Wisteria with them. You could leave them in and just float the Sprite/Wisteria.....

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

With respect, they don't look at their best. This is just my opinion but I would consider removing them or adding the Sprite and/or Wisteria with them. You could leave them in and just float the Sprite/Wisteria.....

They looked a lot worse when I got them in the mail. I have had them about 6 months now. Most of the brown is the roots. They are just now putting up new growth. I have to wait until I can order some sprite and wisteria. Hopefully, this coming Friday.

[FishyKisses]

Do you have both kind of plant? If you do, would you be willing to part with some of each, and for how much?

[Ian086]

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

They looked a lot worse when I got them in the mail. I have had them about 6 months now. Most of the brown is the roots. They are just now putting up new growth. I have to wait until I can order some sprite and wisteria. Hopefully, this coming Friday.

Well hold onto them then. If they're recovering, that's a good sign.

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

Do you have both kind of plant? If you do, would you be willing to part with some of each, and for how much?

I have Sprite but I live in Ireland!!. It would be probably dead by the time it reaches you. I would send you some free of charge if I lived anywhere closer to you. The postage from here would be dearer than you getting it locally.. Put something in the Discussions/Classified section. I'm sure someone will help you out no problem. As it grows like weeds, many people trim it and end up dumping the trimmings. I'm sure someone will gladly send you . If I could I would, with pleasure....

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

Well hold onto them then. If they're recovering, that's a good sign.

I have Sprite but I live in Ireland!!. It would be probably dead by the time it reaches you. I would send you some free of charge if I lived anywhere closer to you. The postage from here would be dearer than you getting it locally.. Put something in the Discussions/Classified section. I'm sure someone will help you out no problem. As it grows like weeds, many people trim it and end up dumping the trimmings. I'm sure someone will gladly send you . If I could I would, with pleasure....

Yes, I'm sure it would be dead when it arrived! Lol, my husband and I are wanting to go to Ireland on our tenth wedding anniversary...beautiful country!

I bought those plants, along with a few Marimo moss balls, and a rock covered in some kind of moss. The Marimo, and moss rock have not grown at all, but are still beautiful. I almost have up on these plants, until I noticed babies on the ends of the leaves.

I just did a 50% water change about 30 min ago. I will test in another hour...I also used prime when I refilled my tank, and made sure to vacuum really well(love this water changer!)

[FishyKisses]

Oh, and I also added some snails last week. I figured they would help clean the gravel.

[Ian086]

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

Yes, I'm sure it would be dead when it arrived! Lol, my husband and I are wanting to go to Ireland on our tenth wedding anniversary...beautiful country!

I bought those plants, along with a few Marimo moss balls, and a rock covered in some kind of moss. The Marimo, and moss rock have not grown at all, but are still beautiful. I almost have up on these plants, until I noticed babies on the ends of the leaves.

I just did a 50% water change about 30 min ago. I will test in another hour...I also used prime when I refilled my tank, and made sure to vacuum really well(love this water changer!)

Thanks, yeah it is a pretty nice country, apart from the weather and the recession!!!. The West of Ireland is beautiful, Kerry/Cork/Galway..
Is your changer like the Aqueon/Python ones??

[Ian086]

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

Oh, and I also added some snails last week. I figured they would help clean the gravel.

Have you ever considered switching from gravel to sand....

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

Thanks, yeah it is a pretty nice country, apart from the weather and the recession!!!. The West of Ireland is beautiful, Kerry/Cork/Galway..
Is your changer like the Aqueon/Python ones??

Yes, it's the Walmart version of a python. It works amazingly well!

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

Have you ever considered switching from gravel to sand....

I have been thinking a lot about switching to sand. I am just worried it will make water changes harder!

[Ian086]

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

Yes, it's the Walmart version of a python. It works amazingly well!

Yeah, i'm ordering mine(Aqueon) tonight. I have to order it from the good old US of A!!!!

Originally Posted by FishyKisses

I have been thinking a lot about switching to sand. I am just worried it will make water changes harder!

The opposite if fact. I find water changers so much easier with sand. No more gravel vacing. Just hover the vac over the sand and everything gets picked up. IMO it looks better and doesn't hide all the dirt....

[FishyKisses]

Originally Posted by Ian086

Yeah, i'm ordering mine(Aqueon) tonight. I have to order it from the good old US of A!!!!

The opposite if fact. I find water changers so much easier with sand. No more gravel vacing. Just hover the vac over the sand and everything gets picked up. IMO it looks better and doesn't hide all the dirt....

You will love the water changer! What use to take me an hour, now takes 10 minutes! Love it!

I agree that sand looks better. How would I go about changing over to sand? How much would I need for a 30 gallon?