i have a 10 gal i am cycling for my baby snails that are due any day. i have a few plants some gravel and a filter running. there was a small goldfish in there who i tried to save from walmart and he died. so now it is a fishless cycle. i did major water changes after the fish died and added salt too. but the tank has been up a month already.

i have these readings:


Nitrate- 40 (high end of safe range)
nitrite- 0-.5
total hardness- 120 (moderate range)
total alkalinity - 80
PH - 6.8
Amonia - 0

i did a 25 % water change 2 days ago. any suggestions? or is it really ok, for the nitrate to be at that range? it was one level higher two days ago. so it did come down a little. should i just do another water change? i want it to be safe for my baby snails, the eggs look like they should hatch this week.

TIA,
cyn

Water changes is the best way to reduce nitrates.So you might want to do another change and see how low you can get it down.Have you tested your tap water for nitrates?Some people have high nitartes coming from tap water so you might want to check on that.I have 10 ppm nitrates from tap so I can't get it lower than 10.Sorry can't be much help...I'm sure someone will come along soon

Yea, I agree. partial water changes.
Also, your pH is a bit low for snails. It will erode their shells.
I'd add about 4 tenths of a teaspoon of baking soda. That should bring pH up into the high 7s and raise KH to about 120ppm.

Crushed coral or crushed oyster shell in a high flow area would also help maintain pH up in the mid-7s.

thanks, i will do some more water changes. it did seem to help a little last time so i'll keep at it. also as for the ph i was going to do something about that. i get paid next week and was going to go buy some crushed coral to add to the tank. but i forgot about the baking soda thing as a temp fix.

thanks!

off to work on the tank!

cyn