The Puffer Forum

I have problems with my nitrate level in the aquarium... I changed 50% of the water on monday, with cleaning everything and vacuuming the bottom rocks, like I do on every mondays and noticed on wednesday that the landscape was getting brown, so decided to test the water...

-PH is at 7.5
-NH is at 0.6
-NO³ is at 110
-NO² is at 3.3

I instantly change 40% of the water.

I retest the water tonight, thursday, after cleaning all the landscape, still the water is at the same levels... I'm using well water, not town water, I red on internet that some people do use it and others don't, so when I bought the aquarium twenty days ago, I tested the well water and was normal, NO² and NO³ were really low... Could this be causing my problem, could there be some bacteria or living organism that the test don't reveal but is jumping my NO² and NO³???

I don't have access to town water tonight but tomorrow I will get some and swap 50% of it to test... I don't know what else to do... any ideas??? Puffers are kind of slow these days but still eat... I don't want them to die...

Adding waste management drops could it help???

usually water changes do the trick... question for you

have you replaced your filter media lately? what kind of filter do you have?

pick a water source and stick to it, just conclude for yourself which one is better and stay consistent.

Have you tested your well water?

Hey PP:
"I bought the aquarium twenty days ago, I tested the well water and was normal, NO² and NO³ were really low... Could this be causing my problem, could there be some bacteria or living organism that the test don't reveal but is jumping my NO² and NO³???"

Im not too familiar with this but it may relate. someone with a little more knowledge on this may elaborate... browning of the tank you say? . . . .I think it may also be something to do with Silicates or diatoms or both..maybe its the same thing... but it also may be a reason for your troubles just hang on for right now...

Heres another question for you... what kind of water conditioner are you using?

There shouldn't be a bacteria that would raise your parameters. If your tank is cycled a small amount of nitrate and nitrite should be handled quickly (I would think). I wouldn't go get city water. That change in water chemistry would probably shock the fish. Others will know more about that though.

I use well water and unfortunately brown is a color I see often! In my tanks that get low light that is where I see it the most. Don't add any chemicals to remove it....Just get out your scrub brush!

I don't use any conditioner, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to use some. I believe most people use PRIME.

I did test the weel water and everything was low, barely no nitrite ph is at between 7 and 7.5, ammonia close to none...

I did not change the filter since it's been only twenty days since I got the tank, I didn't think I'd have to already... filter is Fluval C3... I clean it in it's own water each time I do water change...

Prime by Seachem is a great product. you can get a 20$ bottle that is good for 5000gallons. its not a large bottle either, its one capful to every 50gallons of water. I use it with every water change and I never have water issues. It takes care of all the impurities in any water and makes it fish friendly.

No, don't change the filter. you are doing good by rinsing it. Its actually good to keep the same filter media long term due to its abundance of bacteria cities haha