Water Levels

[tgolbus]

I finally got a good test kit and have started to test my water (the old way was the dip sticks)...
Readings are:
Spec Gravity - 1.023
Temp 80.0
PH 8.2
NH3 <.5
NO3 35
NO2 .075
Should I check anything else? Co, Ca, Iodine???? I would like to add my first mushroom in a couple of months.
I plan on a 10% water change tomorrow...
I understand that consistency is very important but I want to make sure that I am within the correct range to start with. I also just added a skimmer this weekend.

 

[michaeltx]

all the levels need to be zeroed out before you do a water change or it could prolong the cycle. I would wait until ammonia and nitrite go all the way down.
is this tank already stocked if so I would do a water change didnt notice until after I posted your sig.
IMO
Mike

 

[tgolbus]

Yes the tank is stocked already....I haven't added anything new in about 3 weeks.

 

[michaeltx]

I woudl diffently do a water change ammonia and nitrite are toxic. a water change would help lower these levels.did the tank go through a full cycle? if so I would check through everything and make sure you dont have something decaying in the tank raiseing the levels.
Mike

 

[tgolbus]

Do these leves show a cycle?
I thought they were sorta good....
Almost 0 Amonia (had to use a high sensitivity kit ~0.075)
Close to 0 NO2 (<.5 is as low as the kit goes)
and 35 on the NO3 (planning a water change tomorrow)
Are these readings bad for a tank up 5 months with livestock in it?
I don't have a DSB currently but plan it soon. I think that is whey NO3 is up.

 

[michaeltx]

standard kits show a zero I dont know if a high sensitivity kit would show something the standard ones wont. but if you have any ammonia or nitrites showing a kit its not good for the stock. I guess that at some point it would have to show something for it to get broke down though. what test kits are you using?>
Mike

 

[tgolbus]

Salifert test kits....
The kit for amoina only has <0.5 as the lowest reading. I like these kits but have only used them once now.
Also is there anything else I should test?
I see people having data on Iodine, Potassium, Iron, etc.

 

[michaeltx]

these are what I test for
salt ( given)
PH
ALK
CALC
Phos
nitrate
nitrite
ammonia
copper
there are other things you can test for including how much dissolved oxygen is in the water but I dont test for those.
I use aquarium

[hr]
test I have never used the salfirete test but if they dont registar zero you never really know what you water quality is.
I would take a water sample to you LFS and ask them to test it fir you and get precise readings. but if there is ammonia in the tank thats not good.
Mike