Ph, Nitrates And Nitrates?

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Gurglar

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Just want to know how do you adjust your ph levels and should you adjust them? Can you adjust it by water changes or do you have to add chemicals like the PH up and down ones?

So should you adjust them or leave them the way they are instead of adding chemicals if you have to? Just want to know that because my ph level is like 6.0 which is as low as the chart goes so it could be lower and want to know if I should adjust it?

Also whats the go with nitrates and nitrates they have confused me because its exactly the same word so whats the difference and what level should they be at? Mine are both on zero at the moment so is that all fine? Also how do you adjust them if they get to high i'm guessing just water changes?

I know what ammonia is so I don't need that explained just the nitrates confuse me and wondering what ph level my tank should be at and how to adjust it?

Thanks.
 
It's usually recommended to leave pH alone, but a very low pH usually means soft water, which might mean the pH is also less stable. I'll let somebody else field that question - they might have better advice on what, if anything, to do about that.

Also whats the go with nitrates and nitrates they have confused me because its exactly the same word so whats the difference and what level should they be at? Mine are both on zero at the moment so is that all fine? Also how do you adjust them if they get to high i'm guessing just water changes?

I know what ammonia is so I don't need that explained just the nitrates confuse me and wondering what ph level my tank should be at and how to adjust it?

Actually, one of them is nitrIte. Provided ammonia is also 0, then your readings are ok. It is unusual (though not impossible) to have 0 nitrates in a cycled tank that also has 0 ammonia and nitrIte.

Ammonia is turned into nitrIte by the filter bacteria, and nitrIte into nitrAte. nitrAte is used by live plants (they do prefer ammonia, however), but usually present in some level, and is removed by water changes.
 
It's usually recommended to leave pH alone, but a very low pH usually means soft water, which might mean the pH is also less stable. I'll let somebody else field that question - they might have better advice on what, if anything, to do about that.

Also whats the go with nitrates and nitrates they have confused me because its exactly the same word so whats the difference and what level should they be at? Mine are both on zero at the moment so is that all fine? Also how do you adjust them if they get to high i'm guessing just water changes?

I know what ammonia is so I don't need that explained just the nitrates confuse me and wondering what ph level my tank should be at and how to adjust it?

Actually, one of them is nitrIte. Provided ammonia is also 0, then your readings are ok. It is unusual (though not impossible) to have 0 nitrates in a cycled tank that also has 0 ammonia and nitrIte.

Ammonia is turned into nitrIte by the filter bacteria, and nitrIte into nitrAte. nitrAte is used by live plants (they do prefer ammonia, however), but usually present in some level, and is removed by water changes.

OMG I can't belive I have never picked up on it saying nitrites and nitrates :hyper: My ammonia is abit high but both the nitrites and nitrates are on the zero section.

So whats normal for nitrates and what level is safe in a cycled tank?
 
If you have ammonia but no nitrite, your tank hasn't started to cycle yet. You'll want to review these threads:

http://www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...eady-have-fish/
(Edit: Ok, so just one thread, they were the same link)

Ammonia is a major killer - any amount above 0 is bad, anything over 0.25 is cause for immediate concern. Anything over 0.5 is effectively cause for panic. The same rules apply to nitrite. Nitrite doesn't cause the permanent gill damage that ammonia does, but it does cause suffocation.

Normal nitrAte levels in a cycled tank varies a lot depending on stocking, plants, water change regimen, tap water, etc. In general, less than 40 is considered safe (some highly sensitive fish need it kept below 20). For most fish, it's not toxic except at very high levels, but it also serves as a rough gauge for other things that happen to your water chemistry between water changes, some of which may become dangerous before nitrate itself.
 
If you have ammonia but no nitrite, your tank hasn't started to cycle yet. You'll want to review these threads:

<a href="http://www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...eady-have-fish/" target="_blank">http://www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...eady-have-fish/</a>
(Edit: Ok, so just one thread, they were the same link)

Ammonia is a major killer - any amount above 0 is bad, anything over 0.25 is cause for immediate concern. Anything over 0.5 is effectively cause for panic. The same rules apply to nitrite. Nitrite doesn't cause the permanent gill damage that ammonia does, but it does cause suffocation.

Normal nitrAte levels in a cycled tank varies a lot depending on stocking, plants, water change regimen, tap water, etc. In general, less than 40 is considered safe (some highly sensitive fish need it kept below 20). For most fish, it's not toxic except at very high levels, but it also serves as a rough gauge for other things that happen to your water chemistry between water changes, some of which may become dangerous before nitrate itself.

Crap would it be because i've added more fish I started with 6 tetras then added a few more a couple of days ago so could that have caused my tank to start cycling again?

But to get this straight zero ammonia, zero nitrites and below 20 nitrates is a healthy tank? And pH just leave and the fish should adapt to it I think I read somewhere instead of trying to raise and lower it?

I'll get right on it though.
 
Considering that there's 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate, it's not the new fish, it was the first ones. New fish can cause a mini cycle, where more ammonia is produced than removed, but some of it is still being processed in this case.

How long has the tank been set up? I'm assuming you didn't do a fishless cycle at all, based on the questions your asking (leaving the tank to run for X days doesn't do anything)
 
Considering that there's 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate, it's not the new fish, it was the first ones. New fish can cause a mini cycle, where more ammonia is produced than removed, but some of it is still being processed in this case.

How long has the tank been set up? I'm assuming you didn't do a fishless cycle at all, based on the questions your asking (leaving the tank to run for X days doesn't do anything)

It had a small oscar in it for a couple of months then I gave it to my mate, the tank sat for about a week still running without anything in it so I assumed it would still be cycled after one fish had been in there for a few months. But I guess it doesn't stay cycled because the good bacteria would all die i'm guessing?? I never had a test kit for the entire time the oscar was in there.

I'll try do everything perfectly from now on I done a 25% water change yesterday after you told me then i've just done another one now.
 

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