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Are these parameters ok?

862 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  jbig, 
jbig
I used an API master test kit and I didn't do any research on these before I bought it so I have no idea how accurate they are. Any help would really be appreciated.

pH: 8.0 - I thought my pH was much lower then this. Any ideas why it could be so high?

NH3/NH4 - 0-0.25 ppm (it was hard to distinguish the two different shades)
NO2 - 0.5ppm
NO3 - 40ppm

I am still fairly new to planted tanks (started in May) and I am never really sure what my parameters should be.

I have a 20g long, HOB Aqueon QuietFlow 10 Filter, Tetra submersible heater (78deg+2), and an airstone that i keep rather low.

I dose excel daily 1.5-2.0mL when I turn the light on
dose comprehensive 1.0mL every 4 days
Put a seachem root tab in 1-2 months ago
Light is on 8-10 hours a day

My fish appear very healthy. I have lost one fish in the 3-4 months I have had this tank set up and this is the first time i'm testing the water.
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C
The ammonia and nitrite are not good for your fish - they should both be zero, especially after 3-4 months. 40 ppm nitrate is when I recommend doing a big water change.
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discuspaul
chibikaie said:
The ammonia and nitrite are not good for your fish - they should both be zero, especially after 3-4 months. 40 ppm nitrate is when I recommend doing a big water change.
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Agree - do a big water change, and check your params again carefully with your kit, following directions precisely (shaking the containers well).
Your ammonia & nitrites need to be zero, and your nitrates - ideally less than 20 ppm.
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Markahsf
Your tank should be cycled by now and there shouldn't be any ammonia or nitrites. Those conditions aren't healthy for fish. They might seem ok but believe me, they aren't living in great conditions.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2.
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jbig
thanks for the info i'll do a much bigger water change (doing 10% weekly)

I actually checked the nitrates from the tap i get my tank's water from and they are about 50ppm. should i look into something to dose the tank with in order to drop the no3 levels?
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H
Check the water quality report for your water company to see if they say the water may have 50 ppm of nitrates. I doubt that it will say that. In any case, nitrates are plant food, so the plants will soon reduce the nitrate level enough that you may still have to dose some unless you do big water changes weekly.
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jbig
Hoppy said:
Check the water quality report for your water company to see if they say the water may have 50 ppm of nitrates. I doubt that it will say that. In any case, nitrates are plant food, so the plants will soon reduce the nitrate level enough that you may still have to dose some unless you do big water changes weekly.
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We have a private well so we don't have a water company or sort of report. I think the reason my nitrates were that high was because i had done a water change the day before. however, i don't understand where the NH3/NH4 or NO2 readings came from
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