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by **momof4b** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:54 pm

First off I want to Thank everyone for their help!! I have since changed 3 gallons of water and used distilled water, until I was just informed at the pet store I should have used spring water? So I have 3 gallons of spring water waiting, I wanted to ask you guys first AND give you my current readings on my tank! I also tested the tap water so you knew what the tap water was reading as well... I have noticed that some of my levels are a lot better than they were when I first posted, not sure if it was the distilled water or not, but they look better.. now I am wondering what to do next! I also bought 2 moss balls to put in the tank after I decide if I'm changing 3 more gallons with the spring water or not... Anyways, here are my levels now

Current tank readings: Tap water readings:

Nitrate - 0-20 ppm (more towards 20) Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 10.0 ppm or higher Nitrite - 0
Hardness - 150-300 ppm Hardness - 150-300
Alkalinity - 120 ppm Alkalinity - 300+
pH - 7.2-7.8 pH - 7.8

Now, with that info, please advise me on what I should or should not do!!! I would like to add my moss balls soon, should I do that now? I should also add that my tank is kinda cloudy, definitely not crystal clear! I'm going to post a picture! Also, I have a fish, I think might be a glowlight tetra, but I'm unsure, could you help me identify it? Again, Thank you guys!! I'm getting more excited now that some of my levels are looking better and better! :)

by **momof4b** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:02 pm

Current tank readings:

Nitrate - 0-20 ppm (more towards 20)
Nitrite - 10.0 ppm or higher
Hardness - 150-300 ppm
Alkalinity - 120 ppm
pH - 7.2-7.8

Tap water readings:

Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Hardness - 150-300
Alkalinity - 300+
pH - 7.8

by **momof4b** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:09 pm

sorry, these were the pictures

by **Alasse** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:45 pm

The nitrIte reading is a problem. This one is toxic even in very small levels and 10 is not at all in the small range.

I personally would be doing at least another water change to bring that down as far as possible

by **mcfaddy212000** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:53 pm

Keep doing the water changes and testing the water airinate the surface water with a power head or bubbles for a better gas exchange. And add the plants

by **momof4b** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:35 am

I have a bubble tube in the back of the tank, I know you really can't tell that from the picture, but I have a blanket of bubbles back there! I knew this level was a problem! Hoping this new water change and the moss balls will help! Should I use the spring water or distilled?

by **mcfaddy212000** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:24 am

Spring is what I always use

by **momof4b** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:28 am

Awesome!! I will do it now!! Thank you!!

by **momof4b** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:48 am

Does anyone know what that poor little fish is?

by **natalie265** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:11 am

I'm not sure why you are using distilled water OR spring water, when there is absolutely nothing wrong with your tap water. Does the spring water match the ph of the water in your tank? I know the distilled water does not. Fluctuating ph can be very hard on a fish, and yours are already dealing with high nitrite.

by **momof4b** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:25 am

I am not sure... Up until the last water change, when I added the distilled water the pH was off the scale! Way over 10! Finally, it lowered! I haven't done anything to the tank since then... I am however getting ready to another water change and add my moss balls to the tank! I won't use the spring water again and I'll just use tap water from here on out! What would you consider the best water conditioner?

by **natalie265** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:01 pm

Well, that doesn't make sense. If your ph is 7.8 coming out of the tap, why would you get a reading of over ten in your tank? Not to mention that ten is off the charts. It would be unusual to get a reading above 8.5 or 9. Unless someone else can see something i'm not seeing, i'd say you got an inaccurate reading.

by **momof4b** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:10 pm

I didn't understand it either... Still don't! But when I used regular tap water, I got readings of the charts! I used 3 gallons of distilled water... Probably twice and a couple times I used half tap and half tap.... Then last night I changed it and used the 3 gallons of spring water cause that is what I bought! I haven't checked the water today, but I'm guessing since the spring water tests exactly what I need that some of my levels have lowered! I'm not doing another thing to it until next week!

by **momof4b** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:32 pm

I guess I should also say that I exaggerated a little on the 10 pH! I guess I wanted to stress how RED the strip was! Keep in mind a use the 5 in 1 test strips from walmart!

I just tested this morning... I just put 3 gallons of spring water in there last night!

Nitrate - 0-20
Nitrite - 10
Hardness- 75-150
Alkalinity - 80-120
pH - 7.2-7.8

by **mcfaddy212000** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:20 pm

Did you just run the ph tester under the tap or did you test the water after sitting in a cup for a day or two?
If I test my water right out of the tap I get a reading of 7.6 after its been sitting out in a trash can I get a reading of 8.8. So I looked it up on why and how to do a tap test and this is what I found a year or so ago. So I use a mix of the spring water with my tap water to get a lower reading.

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