AngelErinn
Aquarium Advice Newbie
The guy at aquarium store said 2 most important things to constantly check are ammonia levels and either nitrite or nitrate levels?
Guessing nitrite?!
Guessing nitrite?!
Nitrites -OR- Nitrates?
- Thread starter AngelErinn
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Upstate TBarbs
Aquarium Advice Activist
All three, actually. But while you want Ammonia and NitrIte to be 0 PPM, since they are the most lethal, Nitr8 can be at 25 PPM and your tank will be ok. I think 50 PPM is considered bad for Nitr8? Whatever it is, I do water changes before the test tube fluid goes red.
Angellove78
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ammonia turns to nitrite. If either one gets too high it's time for water changes.
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
- Messages
- 5,011
Water Chemistry
Hello Ang...
If your tank is established and has been running for a few months, you simply need to remove and replace most of the tank water every few days to maintain good water conditions. Tanks up to 30 gallons need a couple of large water changes a week. Larger tanks will do best with at least 50 percent changed weekly. More is always better. If you can commit to this level of water keeping, you won't need to test the water, you'll know the chemistry is always clean and steady for whatever you have living in the tank.
B
Hello Ang...
If your tank is established and has been running for a few months, you simply need to remove and replace most of the tank water every few days to maintain good water conditions. Tanks up to 30 gallons need a couple of large water changes a week. Larger tanks will do best with at least 50 percent changed weekly. More is always better. If you can commit to this level of water keeping, you won't need to test the water, you'll know the chemistry is always clean and steady for whatever you have living in the tank.
B
Toad
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2013
- Messages
- 1,217
The thing is to find your balance. If you get ammonia/nitrite readings on monday but not on sunday, do water changes on sundays before they go up. If you're lightly stocked you can usually go longer between changes, but every tank is different. It all depends on your stock, filtration, whether it's planted or not and even your water source.
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
A 50% weekly water change is an appropriate water change schedule for an appropriately stocked tank barring certain fish species such as discus.
Yes, you can get away with not testing your water if you change it frequently. But you are risking an unseen problem in the aquarium. It's best practice to test frequently, but people tend to get lazy at times.
Yes, you can get away with not testing your water if you change it frequently. But you are risking an unseen problem in the aquarium. It's best practice to test frequently, but people tend to get lazy at times.
