# what should the



## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

in my 75g what should the ph be at , the amonnia, and the nitrites be at. also will you be able to tell when you add bio-spria. ANd finally does a canister filter have better mechanical filtation or chemical filtertion. Thank for your help on all the other post. i think the fish will be happy.


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## Noe (Aug 22, 2003)

THIS IS WHAT IT SHOULD READ HOPE I'M RIGHT?

Temperature..........................74-84 DEGREE F
pH.........................................6.4-7.4 ppm
Ammonia...............................0-0.25 ppm
Nitrite....................................0-0.25 ppm
General Water Hardness..........4-9 ppm
Nitrate...................................not sure (SORRY)








Lighting.................................keep light to a minimum

Hope this could help you.........................









If I'm wrong please correct me


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

lighing is not a problem becuse my room is always dark and i was thinking about getting those little fiber optic lights to light up the tank but are really dim.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Ammonia and nitrItes should be zero, and nitrAtes should be as low as possible, although very slight quantities over a short period of time aren't that bad - a water change usually resolves the problem.
A pH of 6,5-7,5 is fine: if it's a a bit higher, it's no problem either: pH swings are much more harmful than a pH that is slightly higher or lower than recommended.
Best water temperature is about 80 degrees, plus or minus 2 degrees.

The amount of light depends on how you want to set up your tank (lots of plants require a lot of light). Some piranha's don't like light one bit, others couldn't care less about it (depends on the individual fish).


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## DiXoN (Jan 31, 2003)

Judazzz said:


> Ammonia and nitrItes should be zero, and nitrAtes should not be as low as possible, although very slight quantities over a short period of time aren't that bad - a water change usually resolves the problem.
> A pH of 6,5-7,5 is fine: if it's a a bit higher, it's no problem either: pH swings are much more harmful than a pH that is slightly higher or lower than recommended.
> Best water temperature is about 80 degrees, plus or minus 2 degrees.
> 
> The amount of light depends on how you want to set up your tank (lots of plants require a lot of light). Some piranha's don't like light one bit, others couldn't care less about it (depends on the individual fish).


 couldn't have said it better myself
dixon


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

thank you


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## mahoney (Sep 22, 2003)

Judazz you mentioned that slight nitrates levels are ok over a short period of time, can you, or anyone explain why nitrates are seemingly better than nitrites and ammonia? And what levels are ok in the long run. Why is it acceptable for freshwater tanks to have some nitrates and not saltwater tanks. Thank you.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Ammonia and nitrites are more toxic than nitrates. If you keep the nitrates around 20ppm you will be fine. DonH can explain all this better than anyone. I dont know anything about saltwater tanks.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Nitrates are the end product of the nitrogen cycle so it's pretty much unavoidable to have "some" level of nitrates in your tank. You can achieve undetectable levels by having a bare-bottom tank, keeping your tank understocked, feed sparingly, and doing water changes VERY frequently (assuming your tap water has no nitrates to begin with). You can also achieve very low nitrates by keeping your tank understocked, pristine and also heavily planted. Another option is to invest in a nitrate filter that utilizes anaerobic bacteria to convert nitrates to nitrogen gas. Keep in mind that the nitrogen cycle is a continuous process, so even though nitrates are undetectable, they are still there in trace amounts.

Nitrates are less toxic than ammonia/nitrites but high nitrates have been known to cause stress and weaken immune systems. It's also thought to be one of the contributing factors for Hole in the Head Disease. Thus, keeping your nitrates below 20 ppm is recommended, although under 40 ppm is still acceptable.

As far as saltwater tanks... They also produce nitrates. When you say that it's not acceptable in saltwater systems, I'm pretty sure you mean reef systems because corals and invertebrates are more sensitive to water quality. A fish-only saltwater tank (just like freshwater) can handle 40 ppm of nitrate without a problem. Reef tanks, on the other hand, require undetectable levels, which can be solved by using live rocks, live sand, mangrove plants, using purified water to do water changes, etc.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Nitrates are better than Nitrites because the biological filter converts harmful nitrites into nitrate.


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

how much does a nitrate converter cost and is it worth it.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

sweet lu said:


> how much does a nitrate converter cost and is it worth it.


 I would just stick to water changes to keep nitrates down. Denitrators usually require you to tinker with the flow rate to get it working correctly and I don't think it would be that much use in a predatory fish tank that has a high bioload.

If you are still interested, do a search on the web. There are several models of denitrators out there.


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

ok thanks for the help


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## mahoney (Sep 22, 2003)

Don, can freshwater tanks have 'live' rock and sand? By live don't they just mean that it has bacteria on it?


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

mahoney said:


> Don, can freshwater tanks have 'live' rock and sand? By live don't they just mean that it has bacteria on it?


 The terms "live rock" and "live sand" are associated with marine aquariums because, not only does it contain nitrifiers, but also algae and tons of different organisms that reside within.


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## mahoney (Sep 22, 2003)

Thanks Don, is there no such thing as little 'creatures' that will live in freshwater setups like they do in saltwater?


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