danger

[puffer21]

i plan on getting two clown fish today. but my nitrates are about 5 to 10. my amioname 0, nitite 0, and ph 8.1. is it safe to get fish or should i wait a while. i plan on soon hopefully ording a skimmer today probly the coralife super skimmer. will that help my natrate problem.

 

[chrisp074]

Nitrates in that range should not effect clowns, however the longer you wait to add fish the better. How long has the tank been running.

-Chris

 

[puffer21]

a year

 

[puffer21]

what is a dangers nitrate level

 

[Dubbin1]

I don't know what the limit is but I got a setup from a guy and found the nitrates were so high that my test kit could not read them and the fish were happy as can be.

 

[puffer21]

oh ok. so i can pick up my clowns today. can i get a shrimp, o emraled crab. how many ahrimps should i get and what kind. and how many emraled crabs can i get.
thanks for all the help samantha

 

[chrisp074]

What size is the tank and what is in it currently?

-Chris

 

[puffer21]

25 gallon tank. 6 blue leg hermit crabs, 6 astrea, 6 nassarius snails, 2 scralet hermit crabs, 2 cerith, 1 emraled. 20 pounds live rock. oh and a hitch hicker baby star fish.

 

[chrisp074]

Clowns will be fine, especially as the first fish. A skunk cleaner or 2 should be fine.

-Chris

 

[puffer21]

what about a fire shrimp or cleaner. and can i get another emerald crab.

 

[chrisp074]

The fire shrimp should be ok, but they tend to be kind of shy so you may not see it much. The cleaner would be a good choice. I'm not a big fan of crabs, they tend to eat stuff you don't want them too, but emerals are considered one of the better species.

-Chris

 

[puffer21]

ok thanks

 

[IslandCrow]

From what I've read, there's no direct evidence that nitrates are even harmful to fish. I'd guess at some level they probably would be, but far more than 5-10.

 

[Joshthenosh]

about the shrimp if your gonner get the gorggeous blood shrimp get 2 if u get just oen ther so shy u never will see him, cleaners however are crazy and after a few days will probbaly take food from your hand

 

[BurntOutReefer]

less then (or even up to) 40ppm should be ok for the clowns....ofcourse, try not to get it up that much.......IMO

 

[bertoni]

Lots of people run tanks with nitrate over 100ppm and no problems to their fish. I think the lowest demonstrated problem level is about 600ppm for fish.

 

[puffer21]

ok thanks

 

[Amphiprion]

I have to agree with bertoni.

 

[puffer21]

ok then i will go and get some fish thanks everyone

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6808986#post6808986 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Lots of people run tanks with nitrate over 100ppm and no problems to their fish. I think the lowest demonstrated problem level is about 600ppm for fish.

I agree as well. My fish were fine and I was running off the charts. My guess is about 150ppm. I was lucky that my corals were fine and actually grew very well with it. But that's because they were mainly soft corals. I could never keep a peppermint shrimp, and I suspect that it couldn't handle it.