# Help understanding water tests



## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

Newbie to the forum.

I've been out of the fish hobby for about 18 years and am just getting back now that the kids are more independent. In the "old days" I didn't ever test the water and maybe just got lucky with pretty good water even though I know it was hard (Sacramento area0. Fun to see what's changed and what hasn't. All the home water testing seems new so I'm trying to understand what it means.

I just got a 49 gallon bow tank with several fish:
- 3 chinese algae eaters (3")
- 2 plecos {6 and 8")
- 2 black ghosts (4 and 6")
- gourami (4 ")
- 2 tiger barbs (2")
- 2 pink fish - skeleton fish? like gouramies without the feelers (3")

Substrate is flourite and there are about 10 plants in the aquarium. No UG filter.
Temp ~80F.
Eheim canister filter (for 80g tanks).

I tested the water with the tetra 6-in-1 test strips when I set up the new tank and got these results:

nitrates >200! ppm
nitrites <0.5 ppm
hardness (GH) 200+
chlorine 0
alkalinity (KH) <20
pH 6.9

I've done two 25% water changes and a stir-up all the gravel 50% water change (fish out of the tank). Water has always been crystal clear after the Eheim has a bit of time with it. The tests have been consistent with maybe a bit of drop on the nitrates with the last big water change. The pH has not fluctuated despite low alkalinity.

My tap water seems very good:
nitrates 0 ppm
nitrites <0.5 ppm
hardness (GH) 75 ppm (soft)
chlorine 0 ppm 
Alkalinity (KH) 80 ppm
pH ~7

I've googled around and if I understand correctly, Nitrates aren't that harmful, but means that the "waste" from the nitrogen cycle isn't being absorbed by plants or diluted by water changes.

All of the fish look extremely healthy (and fat). There was lots of waste when I stirred up the gravel. I know gravel stir-up is usually a no-no, but since it was a used tank and I wanted to do all fluorite, I went for it to clean out all the debris. Despite the big water change and gravel stir-up. The fish went right back in and look very happy and hungry. Maybe even a bit more happy.

So a few questions:

- Does anything lower nitrates in the nitrogen cycle besides plants?
- How do you ever get to 0 nitrates if you don't have enough plants? Water changes seem to only dilute the nitrates.
- How important is alkalinity since the tank doesn't have any and my tap just has low amt (40 ppm).
- What could be raising the hardness of my soft tap water?
- What could be lowering the alkalinity of my tap water?

Since the pH has been stable despite moving the tank and several water changes, something seems to be working correctly. 

Am I ready to swap fish at this point? I really want a clown fish school! They have always been my favorite fish. And want to try some Bosami Rainbows. When I last was doing aquariums, these were the new hot fish. Glad they're more easy to find now.

Thanks for all your thoughts and ideas!


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## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

49 gallons is small for Clowns! they get HUUUGEEE
You're already quite heavily overstocked which is why your nitrates are so high.
I'd suggest putting your tank parameters and species that you want to keep into here:
aquadvisor.com
It will let you go through all the permutations that you are considering.
In that tank, you may be able to get away with Zebra loaches - they're smaller than clowns and exhibit many of the same traits.
Water changes - and LOADS of them will keep your nitrates low.
CO2 will help your plants absorb the nutrients
Ferts will acelerate growth and allow your plants to thrive. Look up EI dosing - it's not for the feint of heart.
Bigger, better lights will allow you to reduce your photoperiod and maximize nutrient uptake.
cb


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

> - Does anything lower nitrates in the nitrogen cycle besides plants?


Water Changes



> - How do you ever get to 0 nitrates if you don't have enough plants? Water changes seem to only dilute the nitrates.


You don't. If your tank is fully cycled you will always have some nitrates a good safe range is 5 - 20ppm. If you don't have nitrates it means your tank isn't cycled



> - How important is alkalinity since the tank doesn't have any and my tap just has low amt (40 ppm).
> - What could be raising the hardness of my soft tap water?
> - What could be lowering the alkalinity of my tap water?


These three I have no idea. jr or nav probably know

Also I will mention, get a liquid test kit, the strips are really inaccurate.

You are also overstocked quite a bit. I assume those are black ghost knife fish and each can get to be 1.5' they need a 75 gallon tank with plenty of hiding spots as well. I'd say you would be better off with a 100 gallon too for the extra length.

If those are common plecos they also will eventually need a larger tank as they can get to 2'.

The chinese algae eaters are aggressive and will probably harass other fish as they get older.

Also the barbs are shoalers and you should really have 5+ of them

Do the "skeleton" fish look like this










If so I am sorry to tell you that the pink comes from either tattooing the fish or dying them. It is done to make the fish more attractive, but puts them through an immense amount of pain and discomfort and more than likely lowering their life span as well as making them more prone to disease.

This fish in the picture is a glass catfish and they prefer to be in groups of 5+ as well


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

Thanks for your ideas.

For the clown loaches, I'm looking at getting 1.5" to start. I believe they grow slow, so I would put them in a bigger tank once they get 3-4" (several years?). 

That's a cool fish calculator website. There was a typo in the link and it took me to a stock trading page which was a bit confusing at first!

The correct link is: AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

The fish all came with the tank which had been ignored for a while. It was well cycled, but Nitrates were off the chart. I'm guessing 300-400 ppm. However, all the fish are extremely happy and active and hungry. Maybe they got use to the nitrates over time. I'm working on getting the nitrates down. I'm at ~150 and dropping with water changes. Fortunately, my tap water seems pretty good so I don't need to treat it.

I'm working on relocating all the fish except for the black knifes until they're bigger. Right now, there are big hiding places in the back that the bigger one likes. The smaller one hides all over. 

Regarding lowering nitrates, seems like bigger water changes are much motr efficient if the water is good. Is my math/reasoning correct that ONE 50% water change would the same as EIGHT 10% changes? (change % of original -> 90, 89, 81, 74, 67, 60, 54, 49)?

The pink fish are not a skelly. Here are a couple pictures. They are a little different from each other. One has longer fins. They almost look like gouramies, but don't have the feelers.



















I'd like to just have a loach and rainbow tank with a water current in front and lots of hiding shoals in the back. Trying to replicate river conditions without creating a whirlpool in my tank. It seems both the loaches and rainbows like swimming in the current at times (or maybe all the time with the rainbows).

Still curious on what Alkalinity does and how important it is. I know it's supposed to buffer the pH, but even with little alkalinity, my pH is remaining stable some how. I don't understand the chemistry.

Thanks again for your help!


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

It is a good idea to treat your water anyway with a conditioner like prime. It promotes slime coats on fish which helps them thrive. 

Those pink fish look like albino/white skirt tetras. They are simply a color form/variation (I never get the word right) on black skirt tetras. You can read about black skirts here Black Skirt Tetra One is probably a male and the other a female. 

As for water changes if you change 50% of the water expect roughly 50% of the nitrates to go away. You can do fewer larger water changes to reduce nitrates or many small water changes if you prefer.


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