Low KH, stable pH and using oyster shell - my inside tank

[Nepen]

Hi all,
So after last week of my pH crashed and high Nitrate, this week everything looks good - the nitrate is a tad high the pH is stable but the kH dropped.

Now the kH is at 2 drops, from 5 drops last week. Nitrate is hovering around 10-20 I did about 20%water change for this. Ammonia and nitrite are zero. PH at around 7.6

I'm using oyster shell since last week and this week the pH dropped so I added more oyster shell, is there too much oyster shell? How much is too much? I tried to look and there's no guideline on how much oyster shell I should put in my tank.

Is there other way to rise kH?

How fast can plant use nitrate? What plants should I get that use up nitrate fast? I don't see algae, I wouldn't mind them but I don't have them to help with nitrate. I want to use the raisin pads but I want a longer fix. May be reduce my fish load? That's very hard and I can't get another tank too.

How much nitrate is bad for fish?

Also, the water is pretty stinky, I just change the carbon pad to a new one, but what would cause the smell?

Thanks,
Anya

 

[Dave 54]

To be truthful I woul kick start your filtration with something like Microbelift PL filterpad innoculent gel .
Niotrate in hgh concentartions can be very bad for fish , there is a compaany called JBL that does bags of resin beads that soak up nitrate like a sponge and like zeolite can be recharged by the use of salt , the bnag is placed in the filter with water passing over it and it leaches it out of the water , the end idea is you need never worry about getting high readings ever again just have two bags one charged redy for use the other in use ready to be charged when you swop them
over.
The smell is telling you that all is not well with your water , either your filter isnt mature or your overfeeding your fish .
The nose can be used as a good weapon against bad water infact the first thing I do when looking at our koi is sniff the water , if its smelling I'll take reading then act accordingly .
Anya Please spend a few dollars and buy a book called the Interpet manual of Fish health and read it cover to cover , I promise you it'll give you a working knowledge of Nitrate cycle, fish health fish treatments both pond and tankplus much much more.
My first ever book was this and its still used as a fishy bible by me to this date .

Dave

 

[Nepen]

Hi Dave
Thanks for the suggestion for the book. I finally ordered it I ordered several other things too...the nitrate absorber (amazon doesn't have product from JBL so I got other brand instead) and the microlift gel.

I know, Dave, about the smell...I noticed it went from ok to bad in a few days. It warned me that something's wrong in my tank. I think zeolite will help with the smell? I didn't order the zeolite though.

I think I still have to cut down the feeding. I might still be feeding too much.

I actually just ordered water lettuces too. I love them but mine were all dead so hope they will help with the nitrate some.

Anya.

 

[Nepen]

I changed the activated carbon to the brand new one and the smell is gone YEY!

 

[Dave 54]

Zelolite removes your ammonia Anya

Dave