Water conditions
- Thread starter fishy7
- Start date
thegrog
Active Member
Zero ammonia, zero nitrite, nitrate zero (but less than 10 is fine)
pH 8.3, dKH 10-14, Calcium 300-400, SG 1.025, temp 76-78.
Keeping the water conditions stable is just as important as the parameters themselves. You don't want swings in the pH or temp. That will stress them out quickly. This is why it is important to age your water before changes.....and test the water before pouring it in. I always put a pH meter in my new water just to check and add buffer if necessary.
This is much easier to do in a larger (over 40 gallons), older system with plenty of LR and LS. In smaller systems, a small event can cause a big change in water conditions. With a larger system, it can buffer any events (like a snail dying and rotting under a rock or some food that gets trapped in a rock pore and rots...adding a small amount of ammonia)
Even with a large system, don't forget to check your water parameters regularly. Now I admit that my ammonia and nitrite test kits don't get used very much any more, but I still check them every few weeks. I check the pH every few days (digital meters are wonderful for that....and much easier to read than color changes) as well as the alkalinity. Calcium, nitrite and SG at my weekly water changes.
Glad to hear that you are reading up before getting one. Much better to be prepared ahead of time.
Good luck!
pH 8.3, dKH 10-14, Calcium 300-400, SG 1.025, temp 76-78.
Keeping the water conditions stable is just as important as the parameters themselves. You don't want swings in the pH or temp. That will stress them out quickly. This is why it is important to age your water before changes.....and test the water before pouring it in. I always put a pH meter in my new water just to check and add buffer if necessary.
This is much easier to do in a larger (over 40 gallons), older system with plenty of LR and LS. In smaller systems, a small event can cause a big change in water conditions. With a larger system, it can buffer any events (like a snail dying and rotting under a rock or some food that gets trapped in a rock pore and rots...adding a small amount of ammonia)
Even with a large system, don't forget to check your water parameters regularly. Now I admit that my ammonia and nitrite test kits don't get used very much any more, but I still check them every few weeks. I check the pH every few days (digital meters are wonderful for that....and much easier to read than color changes) as well as the alkalinity. Calcium, nitrite and SG at my weekly water changes.
Glad to hear that you are reading up before getting one. Much better to be prepared ahead of time.
Good luck!