Search the Community

So I tested my water today for the first time in ages in preparation for selling some shrimp. I have been very lazy in the last few months with my testing (apart from EC) as my Taiwan Bees and their hybrid buddies have been breeding non-stop and there are plenty of babies/juvies at all times in the tank, an no noticeable deaths. So I thought all was well, but now I'm feeling very very uneasy. My current parameters are: EC: 352 (slightly high but not disastrous) Ammonia: 0 (hurray) GH: 4 (low but ok) KH: 4 (Um, I prefer 0-2) Ph: 7.6 (or higher, my test kit only goes up to that. BAD) Nitrates: 40 (??@#$#@!!!) The additives/chemicals I currently use in my tank are: Biozyme BetaGlucans ADA Brighty K ADA Green Brighty Step 3 1 x IAL (which was added last week) I do a 10% water change every week with RO, and also have a CO2 injection system running at about 1 bubble per second (e.g. pretty low). From checking my historical test data, the Ph and EC started creeping up after I started using the Biozyme and BetaG, I used to have to add stuff to the RO water before adding it to the tank to avoid a massive EC drop but that's no longer the case. I had been fertilising more regularly recently to try and encourage plant growth to eradicate a BGA outbreak, but I didn't think I'd added anywhere near enough to raise the nitrates that high. I know it's possible that my shrimp are acclimatized and thriving in this environment, however I can't help but worry now and would like to get the parameters back down to something a little more suitable for their poor fragile dispositions (e.g. get the EC back to well under 350, the Ph down to 6.6, the nitrates under 20 and the Kh at 0-2). However, it's also been my mantra with this tank that changes are made very slowly to avoid knee jerk reactions ending in disaster. I'm due to do another water change tomorrow and will test again after that, but other suggestions are welcome!