Help!

[corylover5]

Thanks. I will try to find some Clove oil today

 

[corylover5]

I did a 75% water change this morning and then took a sample of my water to Petco for testing. I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 8 nitrate. I went home and a few hours later took a water sample to my LFS. It came back 1 ammonia, 1 nitrite, I'm not sure what nitrate was. What happened? I was told by the worker that I crashed my cycle with the 75% water change. I was told to only change 20% every 2 weeks. I'm so confused now. To get rid of the ammonia and nitrite I was told NOT to do any water changes but to add Seachem prime for 3 days. I thought that only temporarily binds the ammonia and nitrite. What should I do? Please help. I just want to give up at this point

 

[FishGuest5123]

I did a 75% water change this morning and then took a sample of my water to Petco for testing. I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 8 nitrate. I went home and a few hours later took a water sample to my LFS. It came back 1 ammonia, 1 nitrite, I'm not sure what nitrate was. What happened? I was told by the worker that I crashed my cycle with the 75% water change. I was told to only change 20% every 2 weeks. I'm so confused now. To get rid of the ammonia and nitrite I was told NOT to do any water changes but to add Seachem prime for 3 days. I thought that only temporarily binds the ammonia and nitrite. What should I do? Please help. I just want to give up at this point

You really need a liquid test kit of your own. The API freshwater Master Kit is what most of us use. The Petco employee is full of it.

 

[corylover5]

I'm saving up money right now to buy one

 

[Naughts]

Don't listen to store workers!!!
Beneficial bacteria live on hard surfaces so changing water does not crash the cycle. Carry on doing daily water changes of 75% to protect your fish from the ammonia and nitrite. Clean the substrate at the same time. Using Prime to condition the new water is fine - it may protect the fish until the next day's water change.

 

[corylover5]

I just looked at my tank and now my fish have ich I just want to give up

 

[Naughts]

I just looked at my tank and now my fish have ich I just want to give up

Photo?
Don't give up, ich is easily treated with heat.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I just looked at my tank and now my fish have ich I just want to give up

I felt the same way earlier today, so I get it, and will share the same wisdom I was given; You're going through a hard patch, we all go through them. This hobby can be brutal when you're dealing with disease and losses, but it's something we all deal with sooner or later, and you will get through this and come out the other side. It will be a fun hobby again once you're past this.
Search the forum for Colin's salt and heat treatment plan for ich, it works, I've beaten ich with salt and heat before and it's a common illness. Keep an eye out for and remove any other fish that are doing the twirling corkscrew swimming. And take a break when you need and do something else for a while to take your mind off things and keep it in perspective. This too shall pass. Hugs!

 

[corylover5]

I figured everything out! I got my water tested somewhere else and everything was normal! 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 8 nitrate.

The store I got my water tested at had signs on their tanks for an ich outbreak. I completely forgot but my family got me a platy 2 weeks ago which was a day before the ich outbreak happened at the store. That's why my tank has ich now.

A worker said that some of the fish had been spiraling and swimming in loops right before the ich outbreak happened.

So I think that the guppy had ich but wasn't showing symptoms yet and passed away. My molly is back to her normal self now because she's being treated with aquarium salt and clean water.
My tank has ich from the new platy.
The first water test the person doing it had to redo it 6 times because they said they messed it up so it was probably a false reading on Ammonia and nitrite.

 

[corylover5]

Thank you so so much to everyone who helped me with my tank

 

[corylover5]

I got the GH, KH, and PH of my water.
PH-7.2
GH- 107
KH-63
I'm really confused now because I'm pretty sure that means I have soft water. When I first set up my tank I was told I had hard water. Is this hard or soft water?

 

[corylover5]

My molly is doing the corkscrew swimming again

 

[Essjay]

107 ppm = 6 dH. Those are the two units used in fish keeping.

It is too soft for mollies and guppies and might be part of the problems you are having. Guppies need over 200 ppm while mollies need over 250 ppm. When kept in soft water their bodies gradually lose calcium and this stresses them; and as we all know, stressed fish get sick easier.
I'm not saying your water is the only cause, but it could have weakened the fish so that they catch an infection more easily.


When you were told you had hard water, who said it? Did they give a number or just 'hard'?

 

[corylover5]

I know I shouldn't have listened but it was my LFS who told me my water was hard and good for mollies and guppies. When I was told that I hadn't joined this forum yet and I was unaware that I had been given wrong information.

 

[corylover5]

I just read my post from earlier and I put the wrong GH. It's 162 ppm although I'm pretty sure that's still soft water.