Are my parameters okay?

[pakora]

I just tested my tank and these are my current parameters.
Date: 8/21/2007
PH: 8.4
AMMONIA: 0.25
NITRITE: 0
NITRATE: 20
HYDROMETER: 1.020
CALCIUM: 200ppm
KH: 200ppm
After this test I added ph buffer, beneficial bacteria to lower the ammonia and nitrates; calcium buffer; and something to adjust the Alkalinity levels. I also did a 25% water change right before the tests were taken. I have a 10 gallon tank. Please any helpful advice would be appreciated.

 

[robdog696]

Originally Posted by pakora
I just tested my tank and these are my current parameters.
Date: 8/21/2007
PH: 8.4
AMMONIA: 0.25
NITRITE: 0
NITRATE: 20
HYDROMETER: 1.020
CALCIUM: 200ppm
KH: 200ppm
After this test I added ph buffer, beneficial bacteria to lower the ammonia and nitrates; calcium buffer; and something to adjust the Alkalinity levels. I also did a 25% water change right before the tests were taken. I have a 10 gallon tank. Please any helpful advice would be appreciated.
Trates are better than trites, but I wouldn't add any fish until your trates are 0. Your ammonia could still spike again. Calcium you will eventually want to be double that. And your hydrometer you will want around 1.025-1.026.

 

[coraljunky]

I might be wrong but, I dont think your suppose to add ph buffer and calcium within a short period of time. Sounds like alot of additives at once. How often do you change the water. Do you use tap or ro/di water?

 

[nietzsche]

Originally Posted by pakora
I just tested my tank and these are my current parameters.
Date: 8/21/2007
PH: 8.4
AMMONIA: 0.25
NITRITE: 0
NITRATE: 20
HYDROMETER: 1.020
CALCIUM: 200ppm
KH: 200ppm
After this test I added ph buffer, beneficial bacteria to lower the ammonia and nitrates; calcium buffer; and something to adjust the Alkalinity levels. I also did a 25% water change right before the tests were taken. I have a 10 gallon tank. Please any helpful advice would be appreciated.
you still have ammonia, thats not good. dont do any water changes when your tank is cycling. let it complete it and then change it to lower nitrates. youre supposed to have a spike in ammonia first, then itll go down to 0, then your nitrites will spike then theyll go down to 0, then the last thing will be your nitrates spiking. once that has happened youll be done cycling

 

[pakora]

This tank has been active for about 8 and a half months. Its not a new tank.
I have the following in a 10g
6 Green Chromis
a handful of blue hermit crabs
2 emerald Crabs
8 Astrea Snails
1 Starfish
1 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Goby (Sandsifter)
I know these are a whole lot of fish for a mere 10g but they have all been doing fine. I do frequent water changes to keep the bioload low. They are not showing any signs of distress or any other abnormality. Water looks crystal clear and the three piece of live rock are growing coraline. I also have two penguin filters with biowheel and loaded with bioballs to keep the water crystal clear. The filters are designed for 20g tanks and I have two of them. I have High output lights (Sattelites). Again I have no problems with the livestock and this tank is a learner tank for me but I will eventually upgrade and move them to a much larger and very well deserved tank with more space. I use Drinking Water and I know my salt load is low I'll buy some instant ocean and mix a batch up and raise the level slowly. I hope adding the ph buffer with the calcium doesnt do something unwelcome. Sorry for the long post and thank you all so much for the help!

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by pakora
I just tested my tank and these are my current parameters.
Date: 8/21/2007
PH: 8.4
AMMONIA: 0.25
NITRITE: 0
NITRATE: 20
HYDROMETER: 1.020
CALCIUM: 200ppm
KH: 200ppm
After this test I added ph buffer, beneficial bacteria to lower the ammonia and nitrates; calcium buffer; and something to adjust the Alkalinity levels. I also did a 25% water change right before the tests were taken. I have a 10 gallon tank. Please any helpful advice would be appreciated.
Why are you adding a ph buffer? It is a little high now. It should be 8.2 . How did you cycle your tank? Are there fish in there? Pick up a refractometer. That reading realy is not a good indication of anything being that hydrometers sometimes read low and sometimes read high. It can be the same reading everytime with a hydrometer and it does not mean that it is accurate. I thought my hydrometer was very accurate until I bought a refractometer. The fact that you have ammoina is not good, unless there is no live stock in the tank. Please tell us what is in the tank, how old it is, and how you cycled.

 

[pakora]

Originally Posted by nietzsche
you still have ammonia, thats not good. dont do any water changes when your tank is cycling. let it complete it and then change it to lower nitrates. youre supposed to have a spike in ammonia first, then itll go down to 0, then your nitrites will spike then theyll go down to 0, then the last thing will be your nitrates spiking. once that has happened youll be done cycling

I tested my ammonia yesterday and it was at 0. Today it showed up at 0.25 I'll test it again in a few days to see what it is on.

 

[pakora]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Why are you adding a ph buffer? It is a little high now. It should be 8.2 . How did you cycle your tank? Are there fish in there? Pick up a refractometer. That reading realy is not a good indication of anything being that hydrometers sometimes read low and sometimes read high. It can be the same reading everytime with a hydrometer and it does not mean that it is accurate. I thought my hydrometer was very accurate until I bought a refractometer. The fac that you have ammoia is not good. Please tell us what is in the tank, how old it is, and how you cycled.

I cycled by reading these forums and letting my tank run for 3 and a half months without anything in it besides live sand water filters and I added a thawed shrimp in the tank. I know my problem is I have too many fish but I monitor my tank on a daily basis.

 

[pakora]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Why are you adding a ph buffer? It is a little high now. It should be 8.2
You are right. I guess I wasnt thinking when I added the PH buffer... I will have to test it again in a day or two and see what level its at. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

 

[sepulatian]

I see that the tank has been active for 8 1/2 months. How long ago did you add the chromis? I uderstand that you monitor the levels daily. Something new has happened. Ammonia does not just spike for no reason. If you have had the chromis for awhile then they could be excreting more due to stress. You cannot keep 6 chromis in a 20 gallon tank with nothing else in there but LR and LS. Chromis are best in schools but not in such a small tank. You should not have more than two peacefull fish in a 10 gallon tank. You simply have too many fish in such a small tank.

 

[pakora]

I added a small starfish today to the tank. That could be what caused the spike. I also feed the fish twice a day. I feed them flakes. I bought the fish to help clean anything left off of the sand bed. Im saving up for a 90g at least so they will have a much better home soon (after its cycled of course).

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by pakora
I added a small starfish today to the tank. That could be what caused the spike. I also feed the fish twice a day. I feed them flakes. I bought the fish to help clean anything left off of the sand bed. Im saving up for a 90g at least so they will have a much better home soon (after its cycled of course).
What kind of star did you get? How long did you acclimate it? The star would not have caused a spike today.

 

[pakora]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
What kind of star did you get? How long did you acclimate it? The star would not have caused a spike today.
Brittle Starfish, I acclimated it for 30 minutes. If it wouldnt cause a spike I dont know what to say, perhaps I should test again.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by pakora
Brittle Starfish, I acclimated it for 30 minutes. If it wouldnt cause a spike I dont know what to say, perhaps I should test again.
That was way too little of acclimation. The star should have been acclimated, via slow drip, for at least 4 hrs. They die very slowly from acclimation shock. It takes about a month. You will notice his legs falling off. If it was dead for a day or two then placed in, then a spike would have started. I know that you don't want to hear it, but you have too many fish. Chromis are damsels. They need their space. If you had two or three chromis then they would kill each other. They are only schooling fish when they are in larger groups. A group of 6 would be comfortable in a 55 without other fish (maybe a small bottom dweller) but no fish that swim mid-range.

 

[pakora]

Thank you for your wisdom. I mean that sincerely. I really appreciate you taking the time out to help.
The starfish just buried itself and I saw that it was moving prior to putting it in. I didnt know that the acclimation period was longer for starfish. I was told 30 mins was a safe time period. I hope it doesnt die. Thanks for your help again!

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by pakora
Thank you for your wisdom. I mean that sincerely. I really appreciate you taking the time out to help.
The starfish just buried itself and I saw that it was moving prior to putting it in. I didnt know that the acclimation period was longer for starfish. I was told 30 mins was a safe time period. I hope it doesnt die. Thanks for your help again!
I am so sorry that you did not know about star acclimation. They need at least 4hrs, sometimes 6hrs depending on the breed of star. They are quite sensitive to changes, especially going into a tank that already had parameters that a star could not handle. On the far left of your screen there is a link for acclimation. I do not want to harp, but I know that you want your tank to be healthy. It is best to get rid of all of the chromis. Unless you are cycling the 90 as we speak, you may end up loosing a few chromis due to water quality. If you loose more than one, they will start to pick off each other. The numbers will be thrown off and the hierarchy of life will kick in.

 

[pakora]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
I am so sorry that you did not know about star acclimation. They need at least 4hrs, sometimes 6hrs depending on the breed of star. They are quite sensitive to changes, especially going into a tank that already had parameters that a star could not handle. On the far left of your screen there is a link for acclimation. I do not want to harp, but I know that you want your tank to be healthy. It is best to get rid of all of the chromis. Unless you are cycling the 90 as we speak, you may end up loosing a few chromis due to water quality. If you loose more than one, they will start to pick off each other. The numbers will be thrown off and the hierarchy of life will kick in.
Thank you, I will see what I can do

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by pakora
Thank you, I will see what I can do
Let us know how it goes.