sick Clown Loach-with pics..3/25/09 NOW with water parameter

[Diana]

instructions with the test kits seem to suggest 40 ppm nitrate is OK, but I have seen my fish reactions, and 20 is as high as I let the nitrate get.
Usually the plants are keeping it between 5-10 ppm, and sometimes I have to dose Nitrate to keep the plants healthy.

If your test strip is showing 40 ppm, then I would keep up the water changes, perhaps double the frequency until you reach a point that the nitrate is reliably under 20 ppm.

If these are the same test strips I have I cannot really tell if the nitrate is at 40 ppm, or any of the higher readings. Mine shows all dark pink from 40 ppm on up. There seems to be a color difference in the reference strip, but when I read the test I can not tell the difference between hot pink, fuchsia, rose or whatever other colors these are. If the test is that dark, do a water change!