Hey I was extremely busy for 3 weeks and had no time for water changes but i still fed my fish.

Today i did a 60 percent water change and before the water change i had:
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:20-40 the red is so darn hard to read!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ph: Very stable 7.7

My nitrates are usally not this high.... My question is how much nitrate? Is the maximum you should have and how much nitrate is just perfect or average???

I also have a 55 gallon with 950gph from 3 hob filters and 1 6 inch oscar.

From what everyone says here try and keep your Nitrates below 40...once they get to 40 you will need a water change.

And I'm with you on the fact that its hard to read those tests! Wish they could make them show up as colors not so close to each other...the ammonia test is like that too...the .25 and .50 colors are almost identical! haha!

40 is the signal to do water change.... average is 20 but having 5 to 10 gives you
ample time to relax.

3 weeks??? your system must be working good for maintaining zero ammonia and nitrite.

the guys have you covered but good point on the test cards. someone must be how to make a meter that gives you the readings clear.

a tester with a digital display would be idea.

I've seen a few digital test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate...but holy crap are they expensive! haha...I could buy my 200+ gallon tank for less than all three!

wow lol screw that, ill keep my test tubes and maglight handy in that case LOL

Win wrote:


Haha...i'll second that Win...digital readouts would be great but I can fill test tubes for now and complain because the colors are hard to read for that amount of money saved! haha!

PAUL wrote:


LOL.

I don't think I've EVER had a nitrite reading other than 0, and generally almost never see ammonia either, and that was even when I did monthly changes while using Organic Aqua.

Even though fish will not start feeling the effects of nitrates until they are very very high, for long term health benefits, we normally advise people not to let nitrates get any higher than 40 ppm, keeping them as low as possible is always going to be in the fish's interest.

I find it easier to match the colour in daylight so that is when i test. It is very difficult to tell in artificial light

delboybully wrote:


X2 I move to a window and use natral light.