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oscar keeping q's ??

Discussion in 'New World Cichlids' started by blowfishRus6, May 19, 2010.

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  1. blowfishRus6

    blowfishRus6 Thread Starter New Member

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    it was not bright neon yellow but not as dark as the first color which is .25 (test kit goes to 8, not .8 but 8) so it was NOT even at the lowest stage it picks up. might as well have been zero.

    so is less than .25 really THAT big of a deal????????
     
    blowfishRus6, Aug 2, 2010
    #41
  2. FishVixen

    FishVixen Active Member

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    YES a big deal. Test reads ammonia your tank is not cycled or going through a mini cycle. you need to check nitrates and nitrites to see where you are at. Even the smallest amt of ammonia can burn fishes sensitive gills and cause infection. If you do not want to take advise why ask for it? I'm done with this thread
     
    FishVixen, Aug 2, 2010
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  3. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Yes, it is a big deal when there's ammonia in the water AND fish are in it... And it's an even bigger deal when that tank isn't receiving frequent water changes to deal with that ammonia problem. We've all been trying to tell you what needs to be done. You may not agree with it but it's necessary. If you want something that requires "minimum tank maintenance" then Oscars aren't the fish you're looking for.
     
    Anthony, Aug 2, 2010
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  4. blowfishRus6

    blowfishRus6 Thread Starter New Member

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    guys, ammonia is zero now.

    i did a water change this weekend, and i would guess if it was mini cycling i would have ammonia spikes and possible cloudy water??? none of those issuies so far.

    so can we get past that??? it was non relevent and off topic to what i was asking anyways. but continue on with that conversation if you wish.

    everybody has different phlosiphies on fish keeping. i can go to two different lfs, two different fish forums, and get four totally different answers. im not exactly new to this fish thing, have not lost that many fish, just last night the oscars acted like they were trying to mate, my africans tried to mate all the time (to bad there were all males) if there happy enough to mate, i would think the water is not all that bad.

    just because someone does not go about things the same way you do, dont mean they cant get similar results.

    i will get a nitrate tester when i can. in the mean time, i wanna work towards make a nitrate remover. go ahead and fix that problem if i can, instead of keep covering it with band aid fixes so to say. then, if i have no nitrates, no ammonia, would i not have such a large need for water changes?

    i almost feel like you guys are being negative nancys and dwealling over something that is not an issue.

    we can work together to resolve issues or we can argue over ammonia.
     
    blowfishRus6, Aug 2, 2010
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  5. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    well their just telling you what's best for your fish...their not out to ruin your tank or give you a headache.
    ammonia has already been covered, as has the need to do partials (think of it as being in a toilet that's never being flushed)... it your looking for a good nitrate test kit I'd recommend API liquid brand (I have basically their entire line and their fairly easy to read- color charts) & you don't need to be a chemist to follow their directions either.

    Nitrite--> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=api+freshwater+nitrate+test+kit&cid=893353818102949617&ei=vLVXTPqXKpWYwAWmudCNBA&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... 8wIwADgA#p</a>

    Nitrate--> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=api+freshwater+nitrate+test+kit&cid=9191583463830111758&ei=HrZXTIOVK6X0wAXvk9mNBA&sa=title&ved=0CBAQ8wIwAjgA#p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... 8wIwAjgA#p</a>

    If you have a lfs close by you can usually have them test your water for free (nitrite & nitrate reading included).

    As for Nitrate Remedies you can try PRODUCTS such as these and see if they will help, I'm sure with realizing the need for the increase in water changes (1x a week is what I do @ about 30-50% depending on which tank I'm doing) & using a product such as one of these that you'll be issue free shortly...
    [*]http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/denitrate.html (had a problem initially with my setup and used this, worked great! I simply placed it in one of the Seachem brand "The Bag" and Zip Tied it to my Emperor 400 Intake...of course it looked hideously beasty in the tank for a while, but did the job and was removed afterwards. 888-SEACHEM )
    [*]Fluval Lab Series Nitrate Remover
    [*]ALGONE WATER CLARIFIER & NITRATE REMOVER (I have to say I've used this before and saw no results from this product...may have been a bad box though)
    [*]Nitra-Zorb
    [*]Kent Marine Nitrate Sponge (for both fresh & saltwater applications)

    Another assistive Nitrate reducing device is that of Aquatic Plants, but with Oscars and knowing how they like to "re-decorate" their tank that may be an issue. Maybe something like a piece of driftwood with something tied to it like Java Fern or a floating plant such as Crystalwort, Hornwort, or WaterSprite? The worst they can do with those would be eat them :)
     
    MOD_Dawn, Aug 3, 2010
    #45
  6. buzz4520

    buzz4520 Well-Known Member

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    whitedevil pretty much answered it...with our tank the filtertration isn't what/where it should be so cleaning a filter a week just helps at keeping the water parameters in good standings.
     
    buzz4520, Aug 3, 2010
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