Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 2 1/2 foot spectacled caiman. I have the hardest time with his water. I have a lage multilayer canister filter on his pond. My problem is that the pH keeps dropping and the nitrates go up. Is there any way to balance these out?

Thanx
-----
Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, casper)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.2.1 Sulcata Tortoise (tank, sahara and skittles)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.1 Painted Turtles (moe)
0.0.1 Western Soft shell (Squirt)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow and Sparkles )
0.0.1 Sumatran Water Monitor (Tiny)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Love Bird ( KIKI )
1.2.0 Dog (layla, Roxy and Rosco)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.2 Ferret (jordan RIP, Cosmo and Izzy)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Giant Millipede
0.0.1 Aligator Snapping turtle
0.0.1 Mexican Red Knee Tarantula
0.0.1 Emporor Scorpion
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon
0.0.1 Argentina Black and White Tegu
2.1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boas
Lots Of Fish

Ph will be based on the input water, you'll need to use either additive to bring the Ph down or add media to the chemical portion of the canister to help maintain the proper levels. Keep in mind there is no easy way, Ph takes constant monitoring until you figure the recipe out.

Nitrates however are the end process of active bacteria breaking down, ammonia into nitrite, and again into nitrate. The only way to remove nitrate is through water changes.

I don't know what the size water element for your caymen is but I can image the bio load placed on the water element is immense.

I would do complete water changes, or at a minimum 50% weekly.
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

Thanx. He is in a kiddie pool 5 feet round about a foot deep dropped into a platform. I was thinking that was the only main way was water changes more frequently it just sux cause out current house has no drain in the basement. so got to pump the water out. And it takes awhile to heat the water so have to take him out and put him somewhere for a couple hours while the water warms up and that takes a little while. THanx again.
-----
Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, casper)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.2.1 Sulcata Tortoise (tank, sahara and skittles)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.1 Painted Turtles (moe)
0.0.1 Western Soft shell (Squirt)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow and Sparkles )
0.0.1 Sumatran Water Monitor (Tiny)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Love Bird ( KIKI )
1.2.0 Dog (layla, Roxy and Rosco)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.2 Ferret (jordan RIP, Cosmo and Izzy)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Giant Millipede
0.0.1 Aligator Snapping turtle
0.0.1 Mexican Red Knee Tarantula
0.0.1 Emporor Scorpion
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon
0.0.1 Argentina Black and White Tegu
2.1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boas
Lots Of Fish

Yeah its the nature of the beast could be worse, Fresh water rays need 50% water changes weekly otherwise the level of nitrates can cause damage to the slime coat. When you figure most rays are keep in 300 gallon tanks, water bill can get expensive. I know a guy who uses 19k gallons a month in water.

The nitrates will not have the same lethal effect on the Caymen but its not healthy.

My suggestion if you have concerns with water waste, is to either use the waste water for watering your lawn/plants. Or building a freshwater refurgium (planted tank) the plants will have a positive effect on the nitrate levels.

You will need a lot of plants to have an effect though, I mean a lot of plants...
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

Hello,
You might want to look into a python water changer. Its probably the greatest thing every invented ,for doing water changes. Bob