water changes

[schizo_fish]

When doing water changes, wouldn't the water that is used to fill up the tank contain nitrites or chemicals like this?
and can nitrates harm fish??

 

[Tempestuousfury]

That's why you should test the local tap water for pH, nitrites, nitrates, and chloramine.

 

[luxum]

If you have a good water supply, no it shouldn't contain ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Sometimes the water supply is not so good and you do, often if the water is contaminated by fertilizer runoff there will be nitrates and phosphates. Nitrates are less toxic than ammonia or nitrite, but can become toxic at high concentrations. High phosphate levels can turn your tank into an algae farm.

 

[guppymonkey]

Test your local water. It all depends on where you live. If you live near farming areas you could have runoff in your water supply with nitrates and phosphates. Unless these are extremely high its not a problem usually. When doing water changes you are trying to lower your nitrates before they get high enough to harm the fish. The only other chemicals that are usually in tap water are chlorine and chloramines. These are taken care of by using water conditioner.

 

[Rusty_S]

High phosphate levels can turn your tank into an algae farm.

How do I lower the phosphate levels in the water? My tank seems to have quite a bad algae problem that it's had for ages and I can barely see through the glass a couple of days after cleaning it I used to have a real problem with sheet algae but that seems to have cleaned itself up now.

 

[heresmike]

High phosphate levels can turn your tank into an algae farm.

How do I lower the phosphate levels in the water? My tank seems to have quite a bad algae problem that it's had for ages and I can barely see through the glass a couple of days after cleaning it I used to have a real problem with sheet algae but that seems to have cleaned itself up now.

High phosphates levels contribute to brown algae. If you have this problem, you might try using Phos-x in your filter. This is supposed to absorb the phosphates. Since I started using it, the brown algae problem has subsided.

 

[Rusty_S]

Thanks I'll give it a try, and in the meantime try and scrub off all the muck on the sides of the tank