API Nitro-Zorb

[InfiniteGlory]

Short back story. My tap water sucks and I was looking into helping out my tank as much as possible.

Tap water
pH 7.2
High pH 7.4
Ammonia 1-2 ppm
NitRITE 0
NitRATE 5-20 ppm

The API Nitro-zorb has lowered my pH within 48 hours from 7.6 to 6.0. My betta is currently in his hospital tank for fin rot. So my big tank is being setup and cycled until he is better. The large tank has black betta sand, one anubias rhizome, and 2 compact sword plants. The filter is a HOB with charcoal and the Nitro-Zorb pouch and it also has a BIO wheel.

18-Jan-13
pH 7.6
High pH 7.4
Ammonia 0.25
NitRITE 0
NitRATE 10
A 25% WC was done and 1mL each of Prime, Stress Coat +, Am Guard, Stability was added after testing the water parameters along with installing the Nitro-Zorb pouch into the HOB filter.


20-Jan-13
pH 6.0 (dropped from 7.6)
High pH 7.4
Ammonia 0.25
NitRITE 0
NitRATE 0 (dropped from 10)
A 25% WC was done and 1mL each of Prime, Stress Coat +, Am Guard, Stability was added after testing the water parameters

According to what I have read about the product it is not supposed to affect the pH of the water but a few reviews indicate that it does. Would that pH be OK for my betta or do I need to raise it up?

[shellieca]

The tap water you tested was that straight out of the tap or after it had gassed off? I would suggest putting some tap water into a container & letting it sit for 24 hrs, stirring occasionally, then test the water. A low Ph, such as 6.0 will crash or stall a cycle. You don't need to add anything to your water except Prime (& possibly the stress coat) that will detox the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates & remove the chlorine/chloramine. If you are doing a fish LESS cycle then you want the ammonia to feed the BB, once the BB is built up then it should be able to process your tap's ammonia within 24 hrs & with using Prime the water will be safe for your fish until the BB can do its job. I'm sorry if I'm not understanding what you're trying to do. Bottom line of what I'm saying . . . leave your Ph alone at 7.2/7.4, do not do anything to remove the ammonia its needed to build up the BB, if the tank is fish LESS then you only need to add Prime & Stability while it's cycling. Once its done cycling you really only need Prime. As for his QT tank I can understand adding someting to remove ammonia or adding a double dose of Prime every other day.

[InfiniteGlory]

I let my tap run about 2 minutes wide open before taking a sample and testing it. I will put some in a container and follow your suggestions and see if it gets better.

I have been fighting ammonia which is one of the causes why my betta has fin rot. So everytime I did a water change my ammonia would never drop enough and the tank couldn't cycle it. I got tired of the small tank and went to a bigger tank and a QT to cure the fin rot

Now that I am in a bigger tank I guess I am still treating it like my old smaller one. Do you think adding a few more plants will help since I went with a larger tank? My current plants are still recovering so I am not sure they are helping as much plus I have room for more

Recap....Only use Prime during WC's and Stress Coat as needed. Remove the Nitra-Zorb and let the tank do it's thing. Maybe add a few more plants to help with the cycle. Did I miss anything?

[InfiniteGlory]

OK. I picked up sponge material for my HOB filter and removed the charcoal filter. Will save it if I ever need it to remove medicines or whatnot. I also removed the nitro-zorb and did a 50% WC with 1 mL of Prime and 1mL of Stability.

I picked up anacharis, moneywort and mondo grass from Petsmart. We removed all the snails we could see/find from the plants before bringing them home. Now the hard part, do I QT the plants or just put them in my tank? After reading about snails on here I think it might be cool to have some but on the other hand it seems like it might be a little more work than I can handle. I will QT and see what comes off before making a decision about snails.

[shellieca]

LOL. Personally I've never gotten a snail on plants from Petsmart. I typically run them under the tap, rubbing them gently as I do & plop them in the tank, probably not what I'm supposed to do but so far I've not any problems. Some people actually give them a peroxide bath, put the plants in a baggie, pour in the peroxide & let it sit for about 30 minutes or so. This supposedly kills any yuck.

[InfiniteGlory]

I am too anxious to wait. so under the tap it is

[Olympia]

As long as you aclimate slowly and the pH stays that way he should be fine.
Be careful with the peroxide as it destroys certain plants (hornwort in my experience).
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[shellieca]

Originally Posted by InfiniteGlory

I am too anxious to wait. so under the tap it is

Yeah me too that's why I do it my way. A lot of times they sit unplanted in my 46g because I buy them 4-5 days before my water change is due & its too hard to plant them when the tank is full.