# chemical levels



## melly mel (Jan 1, 2004)

I ran my new tank setup for 24hrs then added a black diamond now three days later I checked the levels and this is what I got

ph 8.2 ppm
amonia 0 ppm
nitrite .25 ppm
nitrate 20 ppm

is this normal numbers for a new tank and if so will they go down. And if this is not normal how do i drop the 3 high levels


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Wow, that pH is really high... I've never seen pH that high before, to be honest with you. I thought mine was rough at 7.8, lol... Do you use tap water?

Um. The nitrates are okay at 20 ppm I guess. But monitor it closely and don't let it get over that. That's like, the tip of the iceburg on what you can have, traditonally speaking.

The nitrites need to be lowered though. This should be accomplished through a proper cycling process.

Basically it sounds like you didn't let your tank cycle properly... That's why you have the nitrite problem. You should always let a tank run for at least about a week before you add anything into it. It allows time for your biofilter to build up.

If this sounds confusing.. I believe there are some info guides on this site that can walk you through all of this more logically. This site is a great resource for info and there's a lot to be found, and not just on the forums. This is only one part of this great resource.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

According to your numbers your tank should be completely cycled in a day. 
Ammonia and Nitrate should be zero and Nitrates at best should be kept under 20. Don't worry about the Nitrates. Your number is good. Do partial water changes weekly about 25% to keep the nitrates low.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Yeah, I might've gotten nitrItes and nitrAtes mixed up. I always do. Especially when it's almost 3am, lol.


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

*Moved to Water Chemistry*


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