Help With Correct Water Parameters Please!

[annaw123]

i've just tested the paramaters of my aquarium, and would like to know what the best possible results should be for ...
Nitrite, Nitrate, General Hardness, Carbonate Hardness, pH and Chlorine please!
thankyou!

 

[The Taffy Apple]

i've just tested the paramaters of my aquarium, and would like to know what the best possible results should be for ...
Nitrite, Nitrate, General Hardness, Carbonate Hardness, pH and Chlorine please!
thankyou!

To completely benefit from the knowledge of the users on here, you'll probably find it easier to include a little further information...

What tank do you have? Has it cycled? Do you have fish in it?

I am a complete novice to this hobby, but i soon found out that including a little extra information got me the results and opinions that the enthusiasts on here brilliantly possess...

Hope this helps...
Terry.

 

[Skins]

i've just tested the paramaters of my aquarium, and would like to know what the best possible results should be for ...
Nitrite, Nitrate, General Hardness, Carbonate Hardness, pH and Chlorine please!
thankyou!

Could you please post your water parameters.

Keith.

 

[Rynofasho]

Not sure about the hardness, however in a cycled tank, NitrIte should be 0ppm, Nitrate is safe even up to 80ppm, Ammonia (the most important which you left off) should be 0ppm, pH is subjective and depending on your species is ok anywhere from 6.5 - 8.5, and chlorine should be 0 as well.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Hey there. Welcome along & I hope we can help.

There is no "ideal" water perameters, as we all have different tapwater so all our parameters vary.

Please post a little bit more information so we can point you in the right direction.

How long have you had the tank?

What size tank is it?

What kind of filter does it have?

What tempreture is the water at the moment?

What are your tapwater test results?

What are your aquarium water test results?

Does it have live plants in it?

With the information above, our experts can pretty much tell you all you need to know.


cheers

Tom

 

[OldMan47]

Water in any tank for fish needs to be maintained free of nitrites, ammonia and chlorine. Other parameters, among those you have listed, depend a great deal on the fish you intend to keep. I keep mostly Mexican and Central American livebearers so my water needs to be rather hard and is best with a pH between 7.0 and 8.0. If you want to keep South American fish like the ones in the Amazon basin, you will want water that is very soft and has a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0.

Your test question triggers another question for me. It reflects the kind of parameters we often see from people using 6 in 1 test strips. Test strips, by their very nature, do not provide the accuracy that we like to see when testing the water in a new tank. They also tend to cost far too much to use since you get x number of strips and then must buy a new kit. The liquid reagent type test kits often cost a bit more up front but they test for the right things and give far more tests per kit than the strips do. That makes them cheaper to use in the long run.

Much of what others have already asked points to really wanting to know if you have a cycled tank. Please read through the article on fishless cycling that you can reach by following the link in my signature. It will tell you the basics of establishing a filter that does more than simply remove dirt particles from your water. The real benefit of a filter is to process the ammonia that fish produce into less harmful products, not remove flecks of particulate.