Hi everyone, could someone please tell me what the ideal water parameters are, i normally take a water sample to my lfs and they test my water for me, but i decided to buy a test kit for myself yesterday, so now i can do it myself,
many thanks

hey there.
With a good working filter ammonia and nitrites should be at 0.
I try to keep nitrates as low as possible, and do a waterchange when it hits 40.
Usual nitatereadings in my tank are 10 the day after waterchange.
pH shouldt be between 6-8.
It's better to have your own testset, gives you more peace of mind.
good luck, and let us know when you get some results.

Thanks for the quick reply noddy, just did my 1st test, my results were
nitrite 0.50
amonia 1.0

thanks for the quick reply noddy, just did my 1st test here are the results
nitrite 0.5
amonia 1.0
p h 6.4
nitrate 160

i take it that they are not to bad appart from the nitrate, heres my situation, my tank is only 35g (uk) ive had 2 large oscars in it for just over a week now, been doing small water changes every 3 days or so, but yesterday i went out and bought a 150g (uk) im getting it deliverd in 4 days, i bought the fluval fx5 external filter, i asked the woman in the shop how long she thought it would take to cycle my new tank. she said if i set the fx5 up to my tank ive got running now, then when i get my new tank in 4 days i should empty all the water from my current tank into my new 1 and top the rest up with treated water and set the fx5 up to the new tank also then my new tank would be ready to go straight away, she also said in the mean time not to do any water changes in my current tank, what do youse think on this?????

pjbeattie81 wrote:

Uhm,nitrites and ammonia shouldt be zero. These are toxins that should have been turned into nitrates by your filter.
Nitrates are way too high too.To keep your fish healthy allways try to keep those below 40.
Your filter is not coping with the bioload,imo.
If you get the new tank,transfer the water and filter. If you add the new filter to the new tank, leave the other one running at the same time.
The beneficial bactreia will seed the new filter, but it will still take several weeks.
Anyways,i think they will be better off in the new tank as quick as possible.

On the advice the woman gave you, if i had test results like that in my water i'd keep up with big waterchanges, until the new tank is running.

pjbeattie81 wrote:

having ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate means you have a running system
but no regular water change....pH level can help us determine how toxic
is your tank right now.

i am not sure how long how you had set up your tank.... but i suggest
you run the FX5 parallel with the existing to seeded it with beneficial
bacteria. then transfer everything once the bigger tank arrive and yes
that's it.... cycled tank instantly if you have existing cycled tank.

pjbeattie81 wrote:

there's the pH, Paul.
And how small were the waterchanges,PJ?

Noddy wrote:

OMG! am i drunk?????? but is only 6 packs!
okey... having lower bracket of pH at stable condition, fishes can thrive...
but you need to do large water change... removing almost all water will be
fine without touching or cleaning the filtration system...

PAUL wrote:


And again the LFS have failed to give the needed advice...

my existing 35G tank has only been up and running for 5 weeks, i cycled it with a few gold fish, my lfs told me last week it was ready for fish, as i said earlyer its only a 35g tank, but i went into another lfs the next day and saw 2 large beautiful oscars, i loved them straight away and had to buy them, i knew i was going to be getting my 150g tank in the next few weeks so i bought them, thats 9 days ive had them now, ive done 3 water changes but only about 1/4 of the tank each time, i take it thats why my water is so bad then???
my 35g tank that the oscars are in just now only has a fluval plus 3 internal filter in it, so i set up the new fx5 into the same tank last night. im expecting my 150g tank on wednesday, so should i do a water change tonight if so how much, and if i put all the water from my small tank into my new tank along with the fx5 on wednesday will i be able to put my oscars in the new tank straight away?

SORRY IF I SEEM TO BE ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS OVER AGAIN BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET THIS CORRECT,
MANY THANKS AGAIN

2 large oscars in a 35 gallon tank with an internal filter and a newly installed fx5 if im reading this correctly.
then in mho i would do 30-40% water changes every couple of days until you get your larger tank set up then transfer everything thing from the 35 including water into the 150 along with the fish.
then continue to monitor the water parameters and do the appropriate water changes based on those reading until your ammonia, and nitrites are at zero and your nitrates reach about 40. after that then you can determine how big of a weekly change you need to do to keep the nitrates in check.

You have 2 large oscars in a small tank with a small filter. The filter cant cope with the load and so you have ammonia and nitrite. Also because you have too small a tank and large fish the part of the bio load the filter can cope with is sending your nitrates sky high.
The solution is daily water changes of around 50% with small feedings every other day. What you need to do is put the FX5 on the 35g. Then when you get the new tank transfer the fish, both filters and 20% of the water to the new tank. Keep doing daily water changes until your test results are ammonia and nitrite 0 and nitrate less than 40. Keep feeding sparily until you get these test results. Then do weekly water changes. If your test for nitrate is above 40 before a water change then you will need to do bigger or more frequent water changes