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Post by friedegg45 on Sept 30, 2008 14:53:05 GMT -5
hi and sorry to bother you all but how often should i test my water i usually test once a week before i do my water change cheers
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Post by eve on Sept 30, 2008 15:01:00 GMT -5
i do mine about once a month, if that
however, since you have very high nitrAtes, i would stick with your routine right now
also test your water about an hour later of a waterchange, and see if you see a difference
if you don't see a change, then maybe even your testkit might be broken
just some food for thought
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Post by jonv on Sept 30, 2008 15:08:14 GMT -5
That's something you do want to think about, what Eve said. There is another possiblity though. When you run the tests, test the tap water too as I mentioned in the dead fish thread. If your tap water is already high in nitrates, that's more of your culprit then the tank water. That could be a cause for you not to see a change in the nitrate levels as big as you might think. Let's say your tap water is like carrying 20 PPM of nitrates, but your tank showing 80. Now if you had tap water free of nitrates, you'd expect to see a 50% change in water to bring your nitrates somewhere in the 40 ppm area, but if you see it only go down to about 60 or so, I'd really look into your tap water then the test kit.
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Post by eve on Sept 30, 2008 15:09:41 GMT -5
that's exactly what i meant in the other thread
test the water source, which is used to refill the tank
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Post by murdock6701 on Sept 30, 2008 16:03:33 GMT -5
Brian, I agree w/ Eve and Jon - didn't you say your tap water is from a treatment plant that uses water from the bogs? sorry if I'm wrong on that point......rinsing the filter is essential - when's the last time you changed the gravel on your hob? hate to say this but I'd get rid of the ugf - imo, that's the biggest culprit here - when is the last time you cleaned that out? platys and plecos poop a LOT! keep the gravel clean - good luck mate
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Post by Carl on Sept 30, 2008 16:59:11 GMT -5
I will only add a little here since you have already received excellent answers. Consider how you vacuum and regular rinsings of sponges and other filter media can make a difference as well in nitrate removal. I would recommend reading this article from aquarium answers dealing with nitrates: Aquarium Answers; NitratesCarl
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