Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,
I've been asked at my place of employment to offer weekly water quality read-outs so our management staff can monitor the water. We already change 30-40% of the water weekly, but some people need to see a reading for things as ammonia levels, pH, etc. Is there a guideline for this species or do any of you just use guidelines that are already prepared for tropical fish?
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Best...
Jim

I use my basic knowledge of fish when it comes to water quality. Ammonia usually is at its maximum after 30 days of a new set up, then the bacteria catch up and break it down. PH ive heard is prefered to be slightly acidic (can add peat fiber to your filter system). And temperature seems to be fine at 80'C. Are you currently haveing any problems? or is your employment just wondering about the levels? With the aquatic species it is best to keep other fish in with them (I always recomend live bearer for a starting tank) as you want to keep a stable bacteria level. Also I only recomend changeing 20% water weekly, 40% takes away too much.

pH between 4 and 7
hardness soft to very soft (
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3

Somehow some of my post did not come through

pH between 4 and 7
hardness soft to very soft
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 < 60 ppm ideal, < 80 ppm fine. Neonates appear to be more sensitive to it than adults.
temps 79-82 F (80-82 F for neonates)

I tend to keep them close to a pH of 6 as below this the efficiency of the bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrate are reduced (even though ammonia is converted to ammonium at low pHs and is pretty non toxic).

Ed

Hey All,
Thanks so much for the input. BTW, our temps are lower than the rest of yours. We've been keeping them at around 73F for the last 3 months and they seem just fine. Are we looking at any long term problems if we keep them at those temps? And to JaxMD, no we are having no problems, but my bosses wanted to have some sort of gauge to go by when we take water quals.
Best....
Jim

Hi Jim,
I have been keeping this species at work for over 12 years now and every time I had them get that cold, sooner or later I had outbreaks of saprolegnia (the picture in Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry of the T. natans with saprolegnia was one of mine.
This is why I tend to keep them a lot warmer.

Ed

Agree that warmth is probably an important factor. They seem to be highly tolerant of a wide variety of water conditions, however, being air breathers (just as Anabantid fishes tolerate abominal water conditions that would kill other species).

Actually the vast majority of them are lost in six months or so of aquistion and this is usually due to keeping them too cool or to poor water quality. The fact that they are amphibians and breath air has no indications on the type of water quality they will tolerate.

Ed