# Good news........



## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

I have tested my 55 gallon fish tank water and the results are, drumroll please,

pH=7.4
ammonia=0ppm
nitrite=0ppm
nitrate=still above 80ppm

I think that now I can just do some water changes to get my nitrates down and keep doing water changes until they come down. But I am very proud that the ammonia went down.

Would water changes every week be a good idea to do until the nitrates go down, or should I do more water changes than that? If so, how often?

Remember, I have three clown loaches and two plecostomuses in the 55 gallon tank. I have no other tank and I only have one 5 gallon bucket, so I cannot do a 100% water changes. I can only do 50% water changes.

Please help! Thank you in advance


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Water changes would definitely help the nitrates go down, or putting in live plants will help too


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

Ok, I have a friend that offered to send me some java moss or something like that. Maybe I will text them and have them send it. I don't have money right now to get any live plants but I will look around and price them so that I may be able to get them next month. Which live plants would be good to have with two plecostomuses and three clown loaches? I need plants that are going to be safe for the fish that I have.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

usually you don't worry about plants hurting your fish more of your fish hurting plants


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

A moss ball would be good


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

Ok. I will take a look at some live plants on Monday or Tuesday and price them.

Redhead305: I worry because I have three clown loaches that are sensitive fish. There are plants that are toxic to fish. I don't want to lose any of my clown loaches or my plecos. See how big they are in my avatar? It took me 5 years to get them that big and they are still growing.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

not many kinds of plants will do well with clowns as they will dig them up..but some java ferns and anubias attached to some rocks or driftwood should be fine...
aquatic plants are not toxic to fish..but you do have to be careful because some places sell terrestial plants as aquatics. 
since you have fish that are growing and will get pretty big i would suggest doing 30% water changes twice a week until your nitrates come down and then go to 30% once a week..


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

lohachata said:


> not many kinds of plants will do well with clowns as they will dig them up..but some java ferns and anubias attached to some rocks or driftwood should be fine...
> aquatic plants are not toxic to fish..but you do have to be careful because some places sell terrestial plants as aquatics.
> since you have fish that are growing and will get pretty big i would suggest doing 30% water changes twice a week until your nitrates come down and then go to 30% once a week..


Thank you! Yeah the clowns sometimes dig up the plastic plants that I have in the tank right now. Yep they are still growing and I know that I am going to need a bigger tank soon, so I am saving up for a 300 gallon fish tank. It will take a little over 5 years to save the money if I save $45 every month.

I have a big rock that I can attach the plants to. I could probably attach the plants to the filter tubes in the tank.

Hopefully the nitrates will go down and stay down. I have the ammonia down, so hopefullly that will stay down.

Also I was thinking that since Baby Girl, biggest clown loach, bit a plastic plant, I am worried also that the clown loaches may eat the live plants. That is why I was worried about toxicity of plants with my clown loaches and plecos.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

clowns do eat plant matter moss balls would be a good addition for now until you can actually setup plants


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

Clown loaches eat a lot of stuff. Their diet includes: feeder goldfish, algae, snails (their specialty), blood worms, brine shrimp, veggies, etc. So it would not surprise me if live plants were on that list. 

When my biggest clown loach was sick, she bit a plastic plant.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

lol how large is she?


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

She is 7 inches. My other two are 5 1/2 inches and 4 inches. Plus I have two plecos that are 6 1/2 inches. She is the dominate one in the tank, meaning she is the alpha of the three clown loaches I have.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

has she greyed already?


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

She is the one to the right of the filter tube in my avatar, she is the closest to the filter tube on the right.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

Yep, she is the alpha female, that is how I was able to tell that she was a female. But when she was sick my medium sized one was taking over the alpha role. That one is a male. When my Baby Girl, the biggest one, recovered she fought for her alpha position back.

Yes she has greyed. She is getting her adult colors which are beautiful. I will post pics of her and the other two when I get a chance to. I have posted pics of her on this forum in the fish pictures section if you want to take a look. I also have a photobucket account that has pics of her.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

will defintly check out


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2012)

Just in case you have trouble finding it, here it is:

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/fish-aquarium-pictures/34399-my-fish-tank.html


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

I've not kept Clowns a whole lot, but they would probably be ok with floating plants or ones that are tied to things. Java moss will take over a tank if it's allowed and IMO, it looks amazing!


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2012)

Ok thank you hXcChic22. I am getting some java moss from a friend that has some and I am going to tie it to the big rock that I have in the tank.


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## jgg4Jesus (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm new to planted aquariums, but have been doing research and love the idea of java moss and java fern and annubias....all of these will grow attached to rock or driftwood, help with the nitrates and don't require co2 or fertilizers or expensive plant lights....your clown loaches are just beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pictures. I need to learn all about how to do stuff on this forum since I am new. Looking for people in Dayton that would like to sell some red cherry shrimp or java moss or annubias or java fern.


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2012)

jgg4Jesus said:


> I'm new to planted aquariums, but have been doing research and love the idea of java moss and java fern and annubias....all of these will grow attached to rock or driftwood, help with the nitrates and don't require co2 or fertilizers or expensive plant lights....your clown loaches are just beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pictures. I need to learn all about how to do stuff on this forum since I am new. Looking for people in Dayton that would like to sell some red cherry shrimp or java moss or annubias or java fern.


Why thank you! Took me roughly 5 years to get them that big. They are slow growing so I have time to save up for a new tank. I am thinking about getting a 300 gallon and getting some more clown loaches, for a total of about 30 or 50 clown loaches. I may just make the 300 gallon tank an all clown loach tank.


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