sunstrip

I'm using RO water in both my tanks...all fish are very healthy...running both for a little over a week...see here for more info on that:

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/fr...-question.html

At the moment (right now) both tanks are reading 0 Ammonia...20 ppg (mg/L) Nitrates.....the large tank is running about 3.0 ppg (mg/L) on Nitrites and the small one about 2.0 ppg (mg/L) on Nitrites...did a 20% water change last Friday.

Now I have read that because I use only RO water...that I should be using Aquarium Salt both for the health of the fish and to keep the Nitrites under control.

What are your views on this...the nitrite levels aren't freaking me out just yet.....but I have a slight twitch in my left eye....if you get my drift...LOL

lilsoccakid

i would def use "prime" as your water conditioner to make these non toxic, because those levals will really stress your fish. not sure about aquarium salt, most people dont suggest it, cause it hurts your fish, making them produce more slime coat

sunstrip

I forgot to mention...tonight I also added AmQuel Plus to the tank...from what I have read it is much better than Prime......thanks for the answer lilsoccakid...anyone else have some ideas ?

sunstrip

Guess this topic had been touched on too often...sorry about that...anyways...the AmQuel Plus did the trick in both tanks...and I'll use the aquarium salt for the steaks on the BBQ instead of the fish tanks...LOL

susitna-flower

Did you do anything to jump start your cycle? Add bio-spira or filter media from an established tank?

With your nitrites coming up you should be doing a 25-50% water change every day.... This will slow the cycle down, but keep your fish alive and healthy. JUST using Amquel will not be enough I am afraid to deal with all the fish in your bigger tank. That is close to full capasity and you will have problems if you don't add bio-spira. Let us know how it goes, and if we can help in any way.

sunstrip

At the moment I'm running 2 large filters in the 55 gallon...for the first week I ran a new filter and another smaller one from an established tank....I then removed the smaller one and added a piece of the filter media to the new large one...also added some Bio-Spira...but I'm pretty sure I got screwed on that one...the store I got it from was clueless..which lets me know that it was past due..and prob didn't do a dam thing for the tank...I've done TONS of reading on the Bio-Spira product...and the fact that they have no best before date...it ends up (from many tests) that the bacteria is dead....and this was from MANY reputable dealers...if any of you can stear me to one that ships (cause there are none around here in the Tampa bay area that I could find) viable Bio-Spira...PLEASE let me know ! I love my fish....but pouring $ down the drain and into my fish tanks isn't my bag..I have to eat too...LOL....which leads me to my next question (dilemma)

You seem to think that my tank is at the limit ?.?.?
The following #'s are adult size.
4 Neons = 5"
4 Glows = 6"
3 Guppies = 4"
2 Hatchet = 5"
6 Platies = 12"
2 Albino Cories = 5"
2 Cherry barb = 4"

Total....41" (and I exaggerated the size on some)....my tank has exactly 53 gallons (plus 2 gallons in each filter) in it...well below the "'s/gallon rule..now I know that that rule is (according to what I have read here) BS..but it seams to me that I'm below being over-crowded...but right at the limit (and that's allowing for much growth).

I AM VERY CONFUSED NOW....LOL...HELP !!!!!

sirdarksol

You shouldn't need aquarium salt, but you should be adding minerals to the tank. Head to Drs Foster and Smith, in the fish section, and go to Reverse Osmosis. They've got mineral mixes made specifically for people using RO water.
The problem with RO without additives is that there is no minerals in the water. So what happens is that osmosis hurts the fish. Water flows from the area of highest concentration (the tank, where there are no minerals) to the area of lowest concentration (the fish's cells). The fish's body then has to work harder to keep the cells functioning as they become bloated.
Different fish have different hardness requirements due to the fact that, in the wild, they came from water with different hardness.

sunstrip

Would this be the product your talking about my friend:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...28&pcatid=4128

sirdarksol

Excellent. That's the stuff.

sunstrip

Thanks man !