PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

[CichlidFan]

The more reading and research I do, the more concerned I am about all these factors and what they should be, and what they actually are in my tank.
Can some one give me a link or the straight poop on the technical data in regards to keeping my brichardi in the best possible environment the will appreciate.
I'm looking for the specifics on the PH level, water hardness, ammonia levels and the two N's....Nitrate and Nitrite levels.

Thanks for your help...

CF

[eklikewhoa]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

Brichardi are from lake Tanganyika which is very high in pH, Hardness and full of minerals and stuff. Also the waters there are high in oxygen and very clean.

above 8.0 for pH
the higher the better for KH
need to have ZERO ammonia
"       "     " ZERO NitrItes
Nitrates is the end cycle of the nitrogen cycle and it is removed by either water changes or a nitrate filter and the first being much cheaper. This needs to be the lowest possible.

All this said most Brichardi at LFS are bred deep into the generations so they are accustomed to our water....especially if they are bred here Houston so pH and Hardness is not much of an issue if your tap is like everyone elses and high in both.

[CichlidFan]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

Thanks EK,

Guess I'd better be doing some more research then about how to minimize the Ammonia levels now. I understand most fish produce ammonia as their gills expel water, and of course thru their waste. Sounds like the proverbial never ending story.  :?

[fishysue]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

One point, depending on where you get your water in Houston you probably have some level of nitrites and nitrates.  So be careful with water changes.  If your fish are doing fine, there is probably no problem, but I had to switch the type of declor I was using because of my water.  Currently I am using Amquel + because it does not release the ammonia from the chloramine immediately back into the water.  It's also supposed to remove some of the nitrates and nitrites.  If you want to explore this further you might want to get a test kit for the total Chlorine and one for  nitrates/nitrites and test your incoming water before a water change.  The City water I get is usually much higher in Chloramines after heavy rains.  The levels can vary a lot.

If your tank is well cycled, the bacteria in it will turn the ammonia the fish produce into nitrites and then nitrates.  So, water changes are to reduce the nitrates and other waste products that build up in the water.  This works well unless there is an overload due to a die off of your bacteria or too much waste such as uneaten food or incoming water with high levels of chloramines and nitrites.

[CichlidFan]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

Thanks FS for your thoughts.
No, the tank is not well cycled, it has only been running for about 10 days now, and there are 6 brichardi in it and that's why I'm concerned. It's a 75 gallon tank with one cannister filter (EH2217) and a Whisper 40 on the back. The Whisper filter had been up and running on another tank so hopefully it has some "friendly" bacteria in it? I live in Cypress and the water tested good on the initial set up with the common test strips for checking chemical levels. I feed them 2 X a day, but not much at each feeding the food is usually gone in less than 2 minutes. I will, once I understand what I'm doing with it, purchase a water test kit.

The Brichardi seem to be doing well, at least they dart around like they have no cares in the world. Last night I re-arranged the furniture in their tanks some to allow better viewing and less hiding and they seem to be enjoying the new layout I made for them. I'll post pics soon, and again....Thanks for your input everyone.


CF

[Mzungu]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

I'd bring a sample of your water to the LFS for testing, or buy a test kit of your own that includes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Very helpful, especially during cycling. If your Whisper 40 was running in a cycled tank, then the cycling period for the 75 will greatly be shortened, most likely.  :)  But for right now, knowing the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are very important. If you do take your water to the LFS, make sure they not only give you results, but the actual numbers of the results, so you can write them down and consult. If they just tell you it looks good, that really isn't telling you anything. If you decide to buy a kit, post your numbers when you're done. That's really the only way to know how the cycling's coming along.

Can't wait to see pictures!

[eklikewhoa]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

If the Beneficial bacteria colony is up and in good order it would eat up ammonia/nitrites before even being able to be registered on a test kit so the cycle process is not done.

The seeding filter thing takes some time before it can be transferred to seed a new tank so how long was it on the other tank?

I would have made sure the tank was cycled before putting any fish in the tank but that's too late now..... if you can get someone's filter media throw it in the tank/filter of your tank to help with the bacteria thing.

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

At this point with new fish and a new tank, with a old filter you are most likely ok if that filter was on a tank that also had about 6 fish or more the same as you have in this 75 gallon.

For safety factor, I would get a Ammonia Test Strips and Nitrite Test Strips.  If you start to run into issues, perform waterchane but do not change your filter pad or vaccum gravel.  There is also a good product that I like called ECCO-START by Kent Marine for use to fast cycle tanks with.

Lake Tanganyikan fish prefer high ph above 8 and all other pollutants as close to 0 as possible.  But like EK said most Brichardi unless wild, will be deep into tank breed generations that would be completely accustomed to Houston water conditions.

[CichlidFan]

Re: PH, Nitrite, Nitrates, Up/Down Hard Soft...BLABLA BLA

I want to thank you all for your quick responses to my latest post here.
I am hopeful that I (and the brichardi) will be fortunate enough to get passed my hasty setup and survive long enough to get a nice little family started.
I did use some water chemical test strips on the tank before adding the brichardi, and the results where perfect, according to the instructions on the box. Again, all the fish seem to be in good spirits and show no signs of stress or discontent.  The substrate I used was crushed coral and the heater/temp is in the high 70ties. This weekend I added some cleaned slate stones from a local landscaping outlet, and hopefully the conditions in the tank will continue to be sufficient for the new group of residents I placed in it. Time will tell.

I'll be sure to post some pics as soon as I am able. Most likely I should have some up on here by the weekend.

CF