okay heres my readings

[danski]

well i checked and double checked these since im new to the whole water testing but i think i figured it out(duhh directions on bottles heres what i got lemme know if these are okay or not please.thanks
after a 15% water change yesterday evening bout 24hrs

ammonia 0ppm

nitrate 5.0ppm

nitrite 0ppm

ph 7.1ppm

 

[phishluvr]

is it fresh or salt water and what fish are in it?

 

[danski]

sorry. ( told you i was new ) i have 3 danios which are going back today due to overstocking
6 neon or cardinal tetras the ones that are red and blue striped
2 glowlight tetras
2 kuhli loaches
1 albino cory
18 gallon freshwater.
thanks

 

[guppygirl]

Those all seem acceptable. If you want to lower your nitrates more, just do some simple water changes.

 

[danski]

yyyyeah okay thank you..

 

[danski]

anyone wanna reply? i dont wanna take the danios back if i dont have to. im getting ready to net and bag them now. thanks

 

[MegTheFish]

I would take the danios back if I were you, they like TONS of swimming space because they are very active fish, and a 18 gallon doesn't really give them the room they need. You can, though, add a couple more albino cories. They like to be in groups.

 

[phishluvr]

Your parameters are fine, except the pH seems high for the fish you have. I've found tetras and khulis prefer lower pH, although some would say neutral 7.0 is good for most tropicals. What decoration do you have in the tank? What's the pH of your tap water?

here's a good article on pH: http/www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_adjusting_pH.php

Adding some real plants would bring it down. (you don't have to mess with substrates or extra equipment if you put in an anubia on a piece of wood and add a grow-type light)








(edited to add link)

 

[danski]

okay thanks guys i am taking the danios back and lookin at say 2 corys. i have a fake driftwood log which my anubias and java are anchored to right now and a fake river rock decoration that is like a cave for my kuhlis.

 

[daudy_dojo]

sounds exciting i love all those fish that you have yea you may want to add afew cories like Meg said

 

[rdd1952]

Your parameters are fine, except the pH seems high for the fish you have. Tetras and khulis prefer 6.5-6.8, although some would say neutral 7.0 is good for most tropicals. What decoration do you have in the tank? What's the pH of your tap water?

The pH should be fine as long as it is stable. Sure, a 6.5 or so may be perfect for some of the fish but there's no need to try to alter the 7.1.

Adding some real plants would bring it down. (you don't have to mess with substrates or extra equipment if you put in an anubia on a piece of wood and add a grow-type light)

Also, adding live plants will most likely raise the pH if anything. Live plants give off oxygen which will raise pH. Any introduction of CO2 for live plants will lower it though. The anubia won't have much affect as it is a slow growing plant but drift wood definitely will lower the pH. Before you do anything to try to change it though, test the KH (buffering capacity) of your water. If it's low (5 or below), your pH may get too unstable with the addition of anything like driftwood or CO2.

I think the overstocking issue is with maturity size. Best to return the little guys sooner than later.

Correct that the stocking is for adult fish so I don't think you'rereally overstocked with the danios but they do need more swimming room as previously mentioned. Since corys and tetras are schooling fish, I would also return either the glowlight tetras or the cory and get at least 2 more (to get to 4 or more) of the one you keep so that you've got a small school.

 

[phishluvr]

Also, adding live plants will most likely raise the pH if anything. Live plants give off oxygen which will raise pH. Any introduction of CO2 for live plants will lower it though.

true ) but the plants also absorb nutrients like ammonium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, etc that if is present at higher levels than the negative ions in a tank, cause plants to excrete hydrogen ions, which lower the pH.

if not, then I have some seriously low pH levels...my stable pH is always around 6.4 (I don't use CO2)

 

[danski]

okay everyone thanks for all the advice ive really come to like this forum since ive started fish keeping recently. there sooo much knowledge here .seems like i can get lost in all the reading i do here. well i now have 2 albino corys in my tank minus three danios.i was thinking of another cory but im really afraid to overstock since i know how crucial that is..

 

[guppygirl]

*danski, this is not directed at you, I'm not being mean, just making a point.
One thing that really annoys me is newbies that are so over-worried about fish inches and overstocking their tanks. For one thing, the fish inches only seem to work for a couple kinds of fish. And sometimes that doesn't even work!! But I think that after you consider the temperments and habits of different fish, you can have a reasonable amount in a tank, as long as you keep up maintenance.
Like I'm sure you could have kept your danios if it had been a 18 long tank. And I wouldn't stress your stocking levels so much, just keep up your water changes and filter maintenance, and keep an eye on your fish together, eating and just swimming around.
Different fish have different stocking needs, different companion needs, etc etc.
Sorry if this is confusing, I was just sharing a thought.

You know, phishluvr, I had a stable pH of 6.0 in my 55 for quite some time!

 

[danski]

you know ive learned that over the past couple of months ,and inside i feel exactly the same way. i have a feeling i can do a little more than the norm as long as i do exactly as you described with the maintenance and general upkeep. thanks for your insight on that because i was worried that with my stocking levels i would have a hard time in my little 18 gal tall (basically a double stacked 10) had i really read up before hand i would have got a 20 long which is very nice lookin but of course thats even before i new that fish really rather swim side to side. hmmm maybe i will add that other cory..i shall see how this pans out..thanks to all