Testing Water Advice

[Zikofski]

okay i have been testing my water every Wednesday and Saturday with doing a around 20/30% water change every Saturday after testing I'm not sure if these values are fine with testing but,

Ammonia is always 0.25
and nitrate and nitrite are all 0? is this a gd thing or bad?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

This is bad. It means that your tank is not cycled. How many fish do you have? How big is the tank? How long has it been running?


A properly cycled filter will have zero ammonia, zero nitrite and nitrate will continually rise. (It is also possible you are getting a false zero for nitrate. What test are you using? API? This test requires excessive shaking of bottle #2 and the test tube. EXTRA HARD, EXTRA LONG shaking!!! Do it for AT LEAST as long as the directions suggest, preferably longer just to be sure the reagents are fully mixed.)

 

[Zikofski]

This is bad. It means that your tank is not cycled. How many fish do you have? How big is the tank? How long has it been running?


A properly cycled filter will have zero ammonia, zero nitrite and nitrate will continually rise. (It is also possible you are getting a false zero for nitrate. What test are you using? API? This test requires excessive shaking of bottle #2 and the test tube. EXTRA HARD, EXTRA LONG shaking!!! Do it for AT LEAST as long as the directions suggest, preferably longer just to be sure the reagents are fully mixed.)

hmm okay, i have 4 angels and 2 torpedo barbs tank has been running for 2 months now just recently got the API master test kit not sure if i shook the bottle enough i shall do that allot more see if the results change ,

also is it best to check after or before feeding would results be different?

tank is only 80L i am awear the tank is to small for fish and have bought a new tank 340L awaiting for it to be built should be ready just after xmas il make sure i cycle this one properly

 

[eaglesaquarium]

it sounds like it should be at least partly cycled by now, so more than likely the test results are not accurate for nitrate.


When getting the new tank, you can safely move ALL the media from the current filter into the new filter for the 340L tank. Then buy new media for the 80L and properly cycle that one. There's no sense in keeping the fish in a tank too small for them for any longer than necessary.


The testing time isn't really a big deal, unless you are overfeeding. Until you get them into a more appropriately sized tank, I'd probably cut the feeding back to 50% of their current level (every other day).

 

[Zikofski]

it sounds like it should be at least partly cycled by now, so more than likely the test results are not accurate for nitrate.


When getting the new tank, you can safely move ALL the media from the current filter into the new filter for the 340L tank. Then buy new media for the 80L and properly cycle that one. There's no sense in keeping the fish in a tank too small for them for any longer than necessary.


The testing time isn't really a big deal, unless you are overfeeding. Until you get them into a more appropriately sized tank, I'd probably cut the feeding back to 50% of their current level (every other day).

okay kl thank you at moment we have a fluvial U3 filter but i have bought an Tetratec 1200 for the new tank, when i move over to the new tank shall i put the old filter running at the same time as the new filter in or put the media into the new filter?

abit unsure i was going to effectively start from scratch and cycle the new tank fully and properly for at least a month

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Just pull all the media out of the old filter and put it into the new filter and the new tank will be just as "cycled" as the old one was, ostensibly. There is a minor amount of bacteria on the other surfaces of the smaller tank, but not enough to worry about. Just don't feed the fish for a day when you move them over and the bacteria should be just fine.

The new filter should have space for the old media. Just stick it in there for a couple of months to allow everything to settle in and to allow the bacteria to start to colonize the media that is designed for the new filter. Then slowly remove the old media a piece at a time (about 1/4-1/3 of the amount each month).


Running the filters in parallel on the new tank would take as long or longer for you to be able to remove the smaller filter from the tank and put it back into the small tank, as it would to just properly cycle it in the first place. (The reasoning is that the new filter will not be colonized very quickly, since the ammonia levels would be low, thanks to the small, cycled filter. So, the whole thing will be very slow running them in parallel. It's far quicker to just move over the media and start over with the small tank again. Maybe steal a pinch or two of media to remain in the old filter to seed the bacteria to speed up that cycle as well.)

 

[BigbruiserAl]

what are you testing with mate liquid or strips and which make?

 

[Zikofski]

what are you testing with mate liquid or strips and which make?

it is the API master test set liquid i do find it hard to tell if its one colour or not especially the PH one XD

 

[BigbruiserAl]

yeah tis tricky couple of things as i has trouble with API before going with sailferts, use natural light to test in, the house hold bulbs tens taint the colour a fair bit. Also i had a trouble with a API showing 0.25 after 3 months and being fully cycled i tryed 3 diff api kits all the same which a is why i went for sailferts which showed me 0ppm.

 

[Zikofski]

Just pull all the media out of the old filter and put it into the new filter and the new tank will be just as "cycled" as the old one was, ostensibly. There is a minor amount of bacteria on the other surfaces of the smaller tank, but not enough to worry about. Just don't feed the fish for a day when you move them over and the bacteria should be just fine.

The new filter should have space for the old media. Just stick it in there for a couple of months to allow everything to settle in and to allow the bacteria to start to colonize the media that is designed for the new filter. Then slowly remove the old media a piece at a time (about 1/4-1/3 of the amount each month).


Running the filters in parallel on the new tank would take as long or longer for you to be able to remove the smaller filter from the tank and put it back into the small tank, as it would to just properly cycle it in the first place. (The reasoning is that the new filter will not be colonized very quickly, since the ammonia levels would be low, thanks to the small, cycled filter. So, the whole thing will be very slow running them in parallel. It's far quicker to just move over the media and start over with the small tank again. Maybe steal a pinch or two of media to remain in the old filter to seed the bacteria to speed up that cycle as well.)

okay thank you i shall do that then also sorry for the questions i have this bottle of API stress zyme+ it says on the bottle to keep a healthy tank use weekly? should i still use that every week or not bother?

 

[Zikofski]

yeah tis tricky couple of things as i has trouble with API before going with sailferts, use natural light to test in, the house hold bulbs tens taint the colour a fair bit. Also i had a trouble with a API showing 0.25 after 3 months and being fully cycled i tryed 3 diff api kits all the same which a is why i went for sailferts which showed me 0ppm.

okay kl i shall have a look into this sailferts never herd of it before or seen in shops? is it an expensive test kit btw?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Dont get me wrong im not saying go spend more money as people on here have no bother with API kit (i did though ) im just saying that 0.25 might be the Free Ammonia i think its called

If your in the UK it about £5 more then api and you have to buy them seprate which is no big deal. if you in the US i i think there lots more £££

http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SALIFERT-AMMONIA-NH4-PROFI-TEST-KIT-MARINE-REEF-FISH-/220769603654?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item3366e4d046

 

[Zikofski]

okay my problem i think was lack of shaking i did exsecive shacking of bottle number 2 for nitrate and i am getting something now thnx ammonia is still 0.25 but i am getting around 40 to 80ppm on nitrate nitrite is still 0 and i think my ph is between 7.4 to 7.8 still unsure on what my colours are with respect to the colour chart haha if i take a pic would you guys be able to help?

picture are here

 

[Aqua Tom]

I would say that ammonia is Zero. Same for the Nitrites.

Nitrate 40ppm

Ph 8

But because we rely on our eyes & everyone sees colour slightly differently I could well be wrong.




BTW my ammonia always seems to be 0.25 under artificial light but 0 in natural light.


Tom

 

[Zikofski]

aah okay thast kl seeming its always been .25 and i was not testing the nitrate properly i shall presume that everything is okay i shall keep checking half weekly and if anything ventures of il do water changes altho one question if the tests are fine before i do a water change is it still gd to do the water change or leave it?

i dono ive herd the term if its not broken don't fix it kinda thing?