Need Some Help

[love_fish]

Hey, recently I went to the LFS to get water tested and such. They said that I delayed my cycle when I did water changes. They told me to not do any more, and in 2/3 weeks, the water should be good. It's been 1.5 weeks since, and my ammonia is high still. They also said that my pH is very low, around 4.8 or so. What should I do? Continue water changes, or listen to them? Any advice guys.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Get your own test kit. You only really need ammonia test kit and nitrite test kit for now. Find out your exact levels, then we can work out what to do from there.

 

[WILDER]

Do some water changes, if the ammonia is high reading that why your ph is low, cycling a tank the ph will be unstable for now, how are the fish doing are they at the top of the tank gasping, plus i would add an airstone for extra aearation.

 

[love_fish]

OohFeeshey - I have my own test kit.

Wilder - The fish are just chillin at the bottom. Some times they come up to the top for like a minute or so, then they just swim back down. BTW, I have a 5" airstone in there. I had a diver, but the airstone looks cooler so I just bought that.

What's weird is that the nitrite level was high at one point, then it went back down and never come back up (like 2 weeks or so at 0). But the ammonia level was high, and stayed high. Doesn't the ammonia level drop down, then the nitrite level comes up after the ammonia breaks down?

 

[WILDER]

Yes ammonia rises then nitrite peaks and drops down to 0, what are your other test results so we can take a look.

 

[love_fish]

pH - 4.8
Ammonia - 3.0
Nitrite - 0

What else do you want me to give you?

 

[WILDER]

Like to see if you have a nitrate reading, how big was the water changes youv'e been doing, as it sounds like you gone backwards.

 

[love_fish]

Well, I don't have the equipment for a nitrate reading, but like 3 days ago the guy said it was good, so that's all I know. Water changes have been no more than 25%, if even that much. Also, I have this little bag of like rocks that you put in your filter to help preserve the life of the beneficial bacteria. That's been in there for like a week or so.

 

[WILDER]

Remove the rocks to see if it changes anything, how many gallons is the tank, and how many fish and which type, water changes do delay the cycle but you have to preform them if the fish get distressed by the high levels.

 

[love_fish]

I have 2 red-eye tetras and a cory, all in a ten gallon tank.

 

[WILDER]

Very poor fish for cycling a tank, as they are both sensitive to water quality i can see why it taking for ever, as tetra's are not big waste producers, keep an eye on levels, the water changes have been to much on a 10gal i would say 10%.

 

[love_fish]

Alright, thanks for the help. So there's nothing to do now except just wait this out?

 

[WILDER]

I'm afraid so, if you have no others mature tanks, or a friend who could give you a mature sponge for your filter.

 

[love_fish]

Alright then. I just have one more question. Does that Bio Spira stuff actually work? My LFS has it, and I want to know if it actually worked. I doubt I'll buy it unless this prolongs into even longer than predicted. So, anyone know if it works?

 

[WILDER]

I've heard good reports about it, as it will speed things up.

http/www.marineland.com/products/mllabs/ml_biospira.asp