Aquarium Levels?

Question

I have 6 mollies, 2 swordtails, 2 sharks, and 2 guppies in a 29 gallon tank. Both of my swordtails, and two of my mollies are not acting right. I don't know what is wrong. I need to know what the correct GH, KH, pH, N02 and NO3 levels are for the freshwater tank. I don't know why they are acting like they are dying but I need to do something about it! They are staying at the bottom of the tank and not swimming right. what do i need to do

Answer 1

Hardness and pH aren't the problem unless you just changed the water and used something different than you normally do. Ammonia and nitrites should be 0 and nitrates should be below 40 or so. Instead of worrying about these items first, lets take a close look at the fish. Please describe in as much detail what they are or are not doing that concerns you. Any clamped fins? Wiggling of shaking? Problems staying in one place and in correct orientation? Any noticable coloration problems or spots? Any details will help.

MM

Answer 2

There is no "exact" number to shoot for except in the case of ammonia and nitrites (these are best at 0). Nitrates should be less than 40, but lower is better. If you have a tank that's less than a month old, it's doubtful that thet'll be that low, however, unless you cycled your tank first.

Fish are adaptable to a range of pH, hardness, temperature, etc. so as long as you are within their range, the fish will be okay. Fish are captive bred, so they aren't as touchy about having the exact conditions that they would have in nature. If your fish source is near where you live, chances are they would have lived in similar water conditions for at least a short while.

Did you get these fish today? Did you acclimate them to your tank water (float the bag on the water for 15 min, followed by gradually introducing water from your tank into their bag?

Have you done a water change lately? Changing the water chemisrty too quickly can cause stress to your fish. Also, NOT changing your water frequently enough can cause toxic compounds (ammonia, nitrite) to build up. A partial water change of 20-30% of the water volume of the tank should be done each week to remove these chemicals and help keep your tank clean.

Is their temperature okay? This should be between 75-80o for a tropical tank.

Lastly, the fish you say are having problems like some salt in their water. About 1 Tbsp. for every 5 gallons. Not table salt if it has iodine (iodized salt), but kosher, canning, pickling, or aquarium salt.

If you've had these fish for a while and they're just starting to act this way and you're able to eliminate all the things I've suggested above, do they seem like they're unable to float/swim? This could be an indication of swim bladder disease.

Link for water chemistry/levels: http://www.fishlore.com/WaterChemistry.htm

Link for water chemisrty preferred by each species:
http://www.fishlore.com/

Link for swim bladder disease (and others):
http://www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/stressdisease.shtml

Hope these help!

Answer 3

no3 0 to 40 safe
no2 0
kh 120 to 180
ph 6.8 or 7.2
I have a fresh water tank and had problems. I went to the pet store and got test strips for the ph and they read all these things and tell you which you need on the inside label(they also tell you if you have hard water). My mother in very in aquariums and has three 55 gallon tanks that are all freshwater, we recently got her a freshwater sting ray and was told that they need to had a certain amount of freshwater salt in the aquarium. I am not for sure which fish need it or which ones don't but the pet store said it wouldn't kill any fish so you may give it a try.

Answer 4

All fish need different levels. You need hard water with a high ph for the swords and mollies. You need soft water and a lower ph for guppies and sharks. Your tank is overstocked as well.

Answer 5

As fish keepers, we are told that it is important to measure the pH, kH and gH of our aquariums and source water. Fish suitability is commonly defined in terms of the pH and gH of their natural habitat. Many aquarists, even though they measure these parameters, don't;t completely understand them, know how they can interact, or the affect they may have on fish. The purpose of this article is to try and provide some definition and clarity to the terms, determine how they interact as well as their affects upon tropical fish.(SNIP)

Follow this link for excellent advice

http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

Answer 6

When you buy test kits they come with cards that have color charts on them. That is how you determine the levels. Go out and buy some test srips or a kit at your local pet store.

Answer 7

do u have a test kit that does all those? if not then email pet equip there site is www.petequip.com.au they online deliver to Australia but have really good service even try Protezin which they can sell aswell...it fixes EVERYTHING it is really good, i used it when i had trouble with my tank and it fixed everything! good luck