Double Check On Water Conditions....

[-germ-]

Thanks again wiggly-one, if my daily tests stay no nitrite, no ammonia and low nitrate how long before i can move onto weekly testing......

 

[rdd1952]

The ph adjuster doesn't seem to fluctuate at all, maybe i've got a good one?
Testing twice a day, early afternoon with no water change and in the evening after the water change.
Ph is always steady.

The pH is steady only because you are doing daily water changes and you are adding it back so the pH isn't having a chance to move. I suspect that once you are cycled and are doing water changes once a week, you will begin to see the big swings. For a pH that low, I would used crushed coral to raise it. Place it in the filter or simply hang a bag in the tank. Since the crushed coral will be in the tank, the pH will remain much more constant.

There is a plus side to a pH as low as yours though. Ammonia changes to it's non-toxic form ammonium at pH levels below about 6.0. So even though you show a slight ammonia reading, it wouldn't be harmful to the fish in 5.0 pH water. The flip side of that is that the toxicity of ammonia is directly related to pH. As the pH rises, so does the toxicity of ammonia. So a reading of .5 for ammonia in 7.5 pH water is much more harmful than the same .5 reading in 6.5 water.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

if they're stable at 0 ammonia and nitrite then low nitrate you can go onto weekly water changes, test the water maybe every third day or something like that for a good couple of weeks until it's stabilised. then weekly for the first 6 months. then just test if you see a problem

 

[-germ-]

The pH is steady only because you are doing daily water changes and you are adding it back so the pH isn't having a chance to move. I suspect that once you are cycled and are doing water changes once a week, you will begin to see the big swings. For a pH that low, I would used crushed coral to raise it. Place it in the filter or simply hang a bag in the tank. Since the crushed coral will be in the tank, the pH will remain much more constant.

There is a plus side to a pH as low as yours though. Ammonia changes to it's non-toxic form ammonium at pH levels below about 6.0. So even though you show a slight ammonia reading, it wouldn't be harmful to the fish in 5.0 pH water. The flip side of that is that the toxicity of ammonia is directly related to pH. As the pH rises, so does the toxicity of ammonia. So a reading of .5 for ammonia in 7.5 pH water is much more harmful than the same .5 reading in 6.5 water.

Much appreciated rdd very interesting and helpful....

if they're stable at 0 ammonia and nitrite then low nitrate you can go onto weekly water changes, test the water maybe every third day or something like that for a good couple of weeks until it's stabilised. then weekly for the first 6 months. then just test if you see a problem

Cheers (again) Wiggles
Considering changing my nic to ariston, i just go on and on and on and on etc.

Would a Ph beneath 6 be detrimental to a tank with angels and gourami in? I know they should be kept at a higher level but what are the health implications?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

not if properly acclimatised, we've kept both at a pH of 5.5 with no problems, got to be careful it's stable at that level, but it shouldn't really cause them any problems.

 

[rdd1952]

Would a Ph beneath 6 be detrimental to a tank with angels and gourami in? I know they should be kept at a higher level but what are the health implications?

I'm not sure about the gouramis but the angels will love a pH in the upper 5s and low 6s. They like acidic water. I believe discus also like acidic water (but are expensive and are more difficult to keep).

 

[Miss Wiggle]

gourami's are hard as nails basically (except for dwarf's) they'll cope easily with a low pH