[naturlvr]

I believe this was my Taiwan Reef that I was waiting on him to color up which I hear can take a long time. The water was fine and gets changed 3 times a week. Nitrates were 40-80..hard to tell. Things were going so good in that tank. I cannot see any cause looking at him. I do not ever recall him starting to yellow up.

 

[DJRansome]

Was he eating? Feces thick and food colored? Can you tell whether he was male or female?

Nirate = 40ppm is the top of the safe level, but nitrates of 80ppm would not kill him.

I would do a 50% water change tonight and 50% in the morning to get back to 10ppm.

 

[naturlvr]

Was he eating? Feces thick and food colored? Can you tell whether he was male or female?

Nirate = 40ppm is the top of the safe level, but nitrates of 80ppm would not kill him.

I would do a 50% water change tonight and 50% in the morning to get back to 10ppm.

He seemed fine...eating food, never saw any thin white poop. Yesterday I remember now that there was a few moments of fish chasing each other a lot and the Williamsi female stayed under cover and then came out after a while and had a tear in one of her side fins. I think she and the male might have been doing something? Today they are both fine though.
I have a new job and classes so doing a water change is impossible till tomorrow evening.

 

[Oscar6]

I have to wonder how a 40-80 nitrate level exists with 3x weekly water changes. Nitrate creep cant be that high, unless the water changes are of very small volume. Fyi in that regard.. a large volume change is better than multiples of equal volume over the same time period. To be clearer, a 75% change every 6 days is better than 25% every 2 days.

 

[naturlvr]

I have to wonder how a 40-80 nitrate level exists with 3x weekly water changes. Nitrate creep cant be that high, unless the water changes are of very small volume. Fyi in that regard.. a large volume change is better than multiples of equal volume over the same time period. To be clearer, a 75% change every 6 days is better than 25% every 2 days.

I do mostly 50 percent water changes because the nitrates are rarely at 20 even with all my diligence .I have to think that food is deep in the holy rock and the dragon rock. I shake the rocks as I remove them but even then nitrates not way low.I am a small older lady with spunk but arthritis and I am living my dream while I can. Cannot do it all however but trying. Here is the tank:

 

[DJRansome]

Try 75% changes (as long as you have been doing 50% weekly for a while) as they are no more physical effort than a 50% change and may help keep your nitrates below 20ppm.

 

[naturlvr]

Try 75% changes (as long as you have been doing 50% weekly for a while) as they are no more physical effort than a 50% change and may help keep your nitrates below 20ppm.

We are on the same page! I just did one

I ran out of aquarium salt though..can I substitute epsom salt in same quantity?

 

[DJRansome]

No. Are you sure you need to add aquarium salts? What are your test results for pH, KH and GH?

 

[naturlvr]

No. Are you sure you need to add aquarium salts? What are your test results for pH, KH and GH?

My tap water ph is 7.6 I am not sure of the others except that they are real low and someone suggested to leave the water alone and not try to tinker with those other numbers.

 

[naturlvr]

PS. here are the water parameters of our water here:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5E3CA03A

 

[DJRansome]

Did you already remove 75% of the water? And now you have no aquarium salt at all to allow you to refill?

I am more worried about the test results for pH, KH and GH from your tank.

I find it better to test both tap and tank with the same testers so you get comparable results.

 

[naturlvr]

Did you already remove 75% of the water? And now you have no aquarium salt at all to allow you to refill?

I am more worried about the test results for pH, KH and GH from your tank.

I find it better to test both tap and tank with the same testers so you get comparable results.

Yes I already changed the water. I put the prime and stability in. I had almost a cup of aquarium salt so I threw it in. Besides the epsom salts I have..a little over a cup left I also saved a bottle of Seachem Alkaline Buffer.

 

[naturlvr]

PS I also have a 40 gallon tank I need to change tonight with the Calvus and shell dwellers inside.

 

[naturlvr]

You probably are finished answering for today but I am going to have to change the water on the 40 gallon because it needs it. I wont add any epsom salt till I fine out what you think.

 

[DJRansome]

Add the buffer as directed on the bottle. It is import for your pH and KH and GH to be stable from before your change and after your change.

If you don't want to buy more commercial aquarium salt for future water changes, look in the Cichlid-forum Library for the buffer recipe. But I would use only the baking soda and skip the NaCl and the Epsom salts.

 

[naturlvr]

Add the buffer as directed on the bottle. It is import for your pH and KH and GH to be stable from before your change and after your change.

If you don't want to buy more commercial aquarium salt for future water changes, look in the Cichlid-forum Library for the buffer recipe. But I would use only the baking soda and skip the NaCl and the Epsom salts.

I am not understanding why I need to worry about the ph. I thought I was not supposed to mess with it and that 7.6 is fine. I am confused.

I do have baking soda so I can use that like salt?

 

[noddy]

I have to wonder how a 40-80 nitrate level exists with 3x weekly water changes. Nitrate creep cant be that high, unless the water changes are of very small volume. Fyi in that regard.. a large volume change is better than multiples of equal volume over the same time period. To be clearer, a 75% change every 6 days is better than 25% every 2 days.

I do mostly 50 percent water changes because the nitrates are rarely at 20 even with all my diligence .I have to think that food is deep in the holy rock and the dragon rock. I shake the rocks as I remove them but even then nitrates not way low.I am a small older lady with spunk but arthritis and I am living my dream while I can. Cannot do it all however but trying. Here is the tank:

Is it possible that the canisters are harbouring nitrates and could use a cleaning?
P.S, I stopped using salt a long time ago but if you do want to use it, try buying coarse sea salt from your local bulk barn (or equivelent). It's far cheaper than aquarium salts. I used to buy my baking soda from the same place.

 

[DJRansome]

Yes filters should be clean and if you leave the feces in there it will show in your nitrate test. Use dechlorinated water to rinse the media so you don't kill the bacteria.

You can use baking soda instead of salt but not in the same proportions.

Because you don't want to change pH or GH or KH that is in your tank right now (because you have been using salt) by more than the smallest amount, you have to match new water you add to the parameters of the water that is in your tank now.

By adding aquarium salt you are already messing with pH, GH and KH. You may be able to transition to pH=7.6 but it has to be a gradual transition over a period of weeks or months.

Know that if you change your KH or GH it will impact your pH...they are interrelated.

Do not use NaCl at all. Baking soda usually does the trick, but you have to know your test results from tank and tap before you decide.

 

[naturlvr]

I think there is a bit of confusion here. Since May I have followed the same set of additives to all my aquariums. My ph today is 7.8. The tap water is the same. ALL my tanks are 7.8. I have never had issues with ph changing because I use the tap water and I never try to change it. Same is true for all my additives: Prime, Stability, and Aquarium salt just like always. One time I used an increase of aquarium salt for ICK in the 75 gallon tank. The extra aquarium salt did not kill ANY fish. I am really confused why now all of a sudden I should be tinkering with ph??? The nitrates are high but not dangerously high and I believe any nitrate in my tank is due to food settling in the holy rocks as I said. I ran out of aquarium salt about halfway thru the dose but I am not sure why we are focusing on it since it never ever was a problem and nothing has changed except I needed a little more..but I do not think that only half the dose of aquarium salt ( that is recommended on the container ) will cause the nitrates to go up. This whole thing was about a fish that died..when it could have been something innately wrong with the fish or he got bumped or whatever. I will not be tinkering when what has worked has been fine. The 240 gallon tank has a 60 gallon sump and it is maintained regularly. I feel like the advice I have followed is now the opposite.
I have never and never will use table salt or any other kind of salt but aquarium salt. I was just wondering since I ran out halfway thru the dose, if I could substitute something else for it. I do not willy nilly start adding things without careful consideration and sound advice. thanks but this has taken a strange course to advice that is not what I have received in here in the past and nopt going chasing things that do not make sense to me and is the opposite of previous advice.

 

[DJRansome]

If you want to keep using aquarium salt, keep using aquarium salt. You ran out and asked if you could substitute Epsom salt and I said no.

Aquarium salt is not related to nitrates. It IS related to pH but as long as your pH is steady and you have been consistently adding aquarium salt it is OK to continue. You are talking about Malawi Salt commercial mix, correct?

Any nitrates over 40ppm are not safe, but also not a cause of death for your fish.