Is there something wrong with my bloodfin?

[Lady Hobbs]

I am lost and/or confused - nitrates under 0.4 ppm is almost impossible in any aquarium

Actually, my nitrates don't run much over 10 even in my tank with my 5 full-grown blood parrots (unplanted). Keeping the filter media rinsed out and my weekly 50% water changes do it for me. Especially that AC filter sponge. Doesn't do much good to do huge water changes when the water runs right back threw a fifty sponge.

[escamosa]

I am lost and/or confused - nitrates under 0.4 ppm is almost impossible in any aquarium (unless either 100% water changes a day or continous flow systems but 99%+ don't have those systems) nor do any standard kits measure nitrates that low. Do you mean 40 ppm?

I said keep nitrates under twenty (20) ppm and that is a good number for a high range to avoid (and can hurt some types of fish) - keeping them under 10 is better still and not hard with weekly water changes. If you are saying nitrates close to 40 ppm is acceptable, that is very high and I wouldn't agree with that at all. Yes, many fish can stand it but that is not good for them. Also, that will harm many types of fish (many here keep fish that 10 ppm is not good - neons or cardinals for instance) and unless you add that, your number is way too high as general advice. If you are saying keep it below 0.4 ppm, that is not possible for 99% of the people here.

My apologies. Forget that I put those points in front of those figures. I was typing some nitrite and ammonia figures just before that, and it seems that I got carried away with point this and point that! Sorry about that. I agree that if you can keep your nitrates down as much as possible that it's better for your fish, but there is no reason to start panicking until the nitrates get up over 40ppm. Depending on what fish you are keeping of course.