[jamiedevine]

I have just tested my water for my malawi cichlids here are the results...

NO3 = 250 mg/l
NO2 = 1 mg/l

The GH gave me 3 different results all been 16d (in between the 16 and the d there is a funny circle what does this mean?)

The KH = 3d (with another one of the funny circles between the 3 and the d)

pH = 7.6

Can you help me make sense of this?
I am only starting out! Thanks...

 

[edouthirt]

woh!

Have you read the article on the nitrogen cycle? If not, go to the library section of this site... click on water chemistry... then click on nitrogen cycle...

It sounds like a classic case of not letting a tank cycle properly? If this is the case, I feel the best move would be to dose the tank with bio-spira to bring NO2 down. Any amount of NO2 can and will be harmful to fish.

NO2 needs to be at 0 mg/L and NO3 needs to be way down... I try to keep my NO3 around 20 mg/L. However, the only way to get NO3 down is by doing a water change, and in your case, a pretty large one. I would suggest waiting on the water change until NO2 comes down to 0. You have to let the tank finish cycling.

Please give us some more information so we can try to help you further...

What size tank? How many fish? How big are the fish? How long have fish been in the tank? City or well water? What kind of test kit are you using? Are you getting an ammonia reading as well?

I don't know much about GH and KH so I will let someone else chime in about that... however I know that there is also an article in the library section devoted to that.

Good news is that a pH of 7.6 will be ok for most Malawis.