Water quality

Discussion in 'New To The Hobby' started by dinkanber, Oct 13, 2011.

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  1. dinkanber

    dinkanber Skunk Shrimp

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    do i test after the change or do i give it a day
     
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    #11

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  2. Ashevillian

    Ashevillian Pajama Cardinal

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    goto home depot and get a 5g jug of drinking water for 7 bucks or so, use that to make your salt and do your top offs. once you go through that 5g goto any organic grocery store, they have RO/DI water systems. It costs me about 1.99 to fill up my water jug about once a month. I can mix my own salt for a water change(which i would rather not do, just spend a few extra dollars on salt water[costs me about $1 per gallon]) but more importantly, i know the water i'm adding to my tank doesn't have any thing i don't know about(like iron, lead, chlorine, ect.)
     
    Ashevillian, Oct 14, 2011
    Ashevillian, Oct 14, 2011
    #12
  3. brunoboarder244

    brunoboarder244 Torch Coral

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    test about an hour or so after, everything should be mixed in by then
     
    brunoboarder244, Oct 14, 2011
    brunoboarder244, Oct 14, 2011
    #13
  4. ricoop

    ricoop Skunk Shrimp

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    How's it looking today?
     
    ricoop, Oct 14, 2011
    ricoop, Oct 14, 2011
    #14
  5. brunoboarder244

    brunoboarder244 Torch Coral

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    yea whats the update
     
    brunoboarder244, Oct 14, 2011
    brunoboarder244, Oct 14, 2011
    #15
  6. dinkanber

    dinkanber Skunk Shrimp

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    Today after water change

    Nitrate 40
    Nitrite .50
    Am. .25
    Ph 8.0
     
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    #16

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  7. brunoboarder244

    brunoboarder244 Torch Coral

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    nitrates are better ph is ok but with a water change your nitrite should have gone down not up and the amonia didnt budge either? if you didnt use all the water from your water change test the water that you used, it shouldnt be that bad....did you use tap?.....lfs RO water?....are you 100% you're using the test kits correctly?
     
    brunoboarder244, Oct 14, 2011
    brunoboarder244, Oct 14, 2011
    #17
  8. dinkanber

    dinkanber Skunk Shrimp

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    It's ro water from store and I used it all. . I am assuming I am reading it and jawing it right. I read the directions. Is there something to it I don't know?
     
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    #18
  9. dinkanber

    dinkanber Skunk Shrimp

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    Don't know what jawing is. Damn auto correct
     
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    dinkanber, Oct 14, 2011
    #19
  10. ricoop

    ricoop Skunk Shrimp

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    pH good, nitrate looks more manageable. If you used RO water and not tap your AM and NI levels could have raised overnight and this is what you were left with after the water change. I would stay on top of checking your params and make sure you have RO water available for more water changes. I think you can manage this if you stay on top of it.

    Before I got my RO unit, I went to home depot and bought several 5g buckets I kept 2 for RO water and mixed saltwater in 3 more just in case of situations like these.

    Also, do you have anyway to test your SG/salinity? If you are doing frequent water changes you need to make sure you are keeping that param consistent as well. It's hard on livestock when they have to deal with big salinity swings.
     
    ricoop, Oct 14, 2011
    ricoop, Oct 14, 2011
    #20
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