water readings

N

natalie14

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Hi

I tested both my Axie tanks last night & these are my findings

High range PH 7.4
Fresh water PH 7.4
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
(the tester kit i have has 5 tests so i did them all as i was not sure)

The water test's came out the same for both tanks

Are these readings right? is this how the water should be?

Thanks

N
 
:happy:Hello Natalie14:happy:

Your levels are excellent, safe water quality and your axies will appreciate the perfect safe home. Here is some information on the water quality to require for emergencies. pH levels, ammoinia levels, Nitrite/Nitrate all link to together.

pH levels:

Axolotls strive better in water containing alkaline which is above seven (7+), if the pH is less than seven it wil be acididc and 7 is neutral. The ideal pH level is 7.4 to 7.6. and when your pH is too low or to high it will indicate the toxicity of harmful ammonia. If you ever get high or low pH levels
there is treatment to reduce acidity or increase acidity. Also if you wan't to be safe and sure about the treatment you use you can try salt to increase the alkaline and also help the water hardness.

Ammonia, Nitrite, & Nitrate:
Ammonia can be toxic in unionised form if above 0 and if the higher the pH the more toxic the ammonia becomes e.g pH 8+ and can kill the poor Axie. Ensure the water temperature is not too high because that can also affect the ammonia toxicity. So the ammonia level must always be 0 any higher it will be toxic.

Nitite is produced by ammonia, so high ammonia levels form bacterium nitrosomonas and is not as harmful as ammonia but still can eventually kill the axolotl . The Nitrite levels must always be 0.

Nitrate is the least toxic compoud and is produced by Nitrite (bacterium Nitrobacter)as you can see again toxic compounds can relate to each other because they produce each other. So regualar water changes and plants in the aquairum will keep the water stable from nitrate levels. This low toxic compound which can lead to algae blooms if left to build up.The Nitrate levels must always be 0.


:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: I am really pleased to see more and more caring axie owners:eek::eek::eek:

Good Bye.
 
natalie14 said:
I tested both my Axie tanks last night & these are my findings
High range PH 7.4
Fresh water PH 7.4
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Click to expand...
Hi Natalie,
As Kiowa has advised these readings are excellent.
natalie14 said:
(the tester kit i have has 5 tests so i did them all as i was not sure)
Click to expand...
If I may ask though, is the kit you are using the five in one test strip kit? These test kits are notorious for not being very accurate and you really do need accuracy in your readings. Liquid test kits are far more reliable.
natalie14 said:
Are these readings right? is this how the water should be?
Click to expand...
If you are using the liquid test kits, then yes the water is as it should be :happy: If you are using the test strip test kit, the readings may be suspect.

Cheers Jacq.
 
If I may ask though, is the kit you are using the five in one test strip kit? These test kits are notorious for not being very accurate and you really do need accuracy in your readings. Liquid test kits are far more reliable.


The test kit i have has 4 test tubes but 5 test cards & you have to put so many drops in the test tubes & some you leave for 5mins other's you do straight away.
I got it from Pets at Home the man said its the same ones they use there.
This is what it says on the nett.
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master and Mini Test Kits
Freshwater Master Test Kit is a complete kit for testing tap water & aquarium water. Tests water 6 different ways to protect tropical fish from dangerous water conditions. Tests include: freshwater pH, ammonia, nitrite, high range pH, Nitrate, 4 test tubes, tray. Also available are mini test kits, for pH, ammonia, carbonate hardness, and nitrites. Mini pH Kit - tests pH level from 6.0 to 7.6 - 250 tests per kit. Mini Ammo Kit - measures ammonia from 0 to 5 ppm - 75 tests per kit. Mini Nitrite Kit - measures total nitrite from 0 to 5 ppm - 180 tests per kit. Mini General(GH) & Carbonate Hardness(KH) Kit - 100 tests per kit.


Thanks

N
 
Excellent! ;)

I'm envious though, I wish I had a test tube tray with my kits!

Cheers Jacq.
 
Havelock said:
Excellent! ;)

I'm envious though, I wish I had a test tube tray with my kits!

Cheers Jacq.
Click to expand...


Trust me its not as good as you think, i have already smashed one tube :mad:

i am glad my readings are good, atleast i am getting them right :D

Thanks

:eek:
 
Yeah I've broken one of mine too, or was that the resident 1 year old?? To clarify, a nitrate reading of zero, though not harmful to your axies, suggests the tank isn't cycled. Is it a newly set up tank? A cycled tank will always have a nitrate reading and that can be up to 80 quite safely and in practice is rarely a problem. Very low nitrate readings usually occur in tanks that are heavily planted. So I would keep testing regularly as if your tank isn't cycled, you can expect a rise in ammonia levels, then nitrite as ammonia falls, then nitrate as nitrite falls. When your readings are ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate 10-80, then your tank is cycled. This process takes weeks usually. Your pH is great. Good luck.
 
I do have 6 plants in there should I take a few out? I thought they was good for the water???

The tank has been set up for 6 months but we could not get the water right & I was cleaning the filters wrong so there was no good bugs left in the water (as the man at pet shop informs me, he knows a gr8 deal, kept Axies himself)
This is the best we have got the water as we jump straight in feet first information later L bad I know.

What should I do to get some level of Nitrate?

Thanks

J
 
The nitrate will take time, as the bacteria need to process nitrite into nitrate. Plants use nitrate, so if you have a lot of live plants, that will help to keep your nitrate level down. Otherwise, you will need to change the water to get rid of nitrate.
 
Havelock said:
Excellent! ;)

I'm envious though, I wish I had a test tube tray with my kits!

Cheers Jacq.
Click to expand...


I do, it's a plastic one... I kept the base the whole thing came in. I also smashed one, I left it sitting by Dutchess's tank while I was testing my guppy tank(it was still full of just tested bright green ammonia water), and then when I turned to do a water change to bring down the stupid ammonia, I accidentally knocked it, and it shattered. I cleaned it all up, but the next day when I fed Dutchess, I spun round and cut a huge hole in my foot. Damn missed glass.
The kit is so good, really easy to use and read.
 
Urgh said:
I do, it's a plastic one... I kept the base the whole thing came in. I also smashed one, I left it sitting by Dutchess's tank while I was testing my guppy tank(it was still full of just tested bright green ammonia water), and then when I turned to do a water change to bring down the stupid ammonia, I accidentally knocked it, and it shattered. I cleaned it all up, but the next day when I fed Dutchess, I spun round and cut a huge hole in my foot. Damn missed glass.
The kit is so good, really easy to use and read.
Click to expand...

Oh no! You poor thing. :eek: What a run of bad luck...I hate those sorts of days! In particular when I have three smug little axolotls smiling at me as if to say "well, you really shouldn't have done that. Any chance of some food, we're just wasting away here!".

Hope your foot is okay! :D
 
Havelock said:
Oh no! You poor thing. :eek: What a run of bad luck...I hate those sorts of days! In particular when I have three smug little axolotls smiling at me as if to say "well, you really shouldn't have done that. Any chance of some food, we're just wasting away here!".

Hope your foot is okay! :D
Click to expand...


Haha, I was jumping around, swearing, and Dutchess was on her hind legs, front legs on the glass, bobbing her head as if she were laughing at my pain, then expecting me to go dig her out some worms!!! She knows when her feeding time is, I keep her worms in an indoor sort of 'farm'- I have two seperate chinese containers- one is a quarantine farm, for the 'new' worms, the ones I just collect, and the other for the 'ready' worms, the biggest, juiciest ones. She goes MENTAL as soon as she sees the worm container.
She then eats her worms(sometimes half my finger, haha) and waits for attention- she'll crawl on my fingers, and push her head against my thumb, the way my dogs do when they want a pat. It's so adorable. XD I cannot wait till I can get hold of a big enough tank to get her a mate, and make axie babies. :D
 
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