New Dwarf Male Gourimi not swimming right

[Mooky9669]

I was just going by what people said on different fish forums. People mentioned that API was that kind of tester.

 

[Mooky9669]

Just tested tap water again for ammonia with drop of prime added and it shows 0. Will test water tmrw afternoon and then if needed after results, do I do a 50% change? Also, should I feed them like normal in morning and then test water later in afternoon when it's been 24 hours or test before feeding in afternoon? One more thing, what is the dosage for prime for a 3 gal bucket? That's what I use to do water changes.

 

[Colin_T]

Test the water in the morning before you feed the fish, or if you ever get a sick fish or a fish dies.

You can also test the ammonia and nitrite levels an hour after feeding to see how well the filter is working. A healthy biological filter should remove all the ammonia from feeding, within an hour. If you have no ammonia before feeding and ammonia an hour after feeding, then the filter is not working as well as it should be.

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Do a big water change (75%) any time you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.

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No idea what the dose rate of Prime is. Does it say anything on the bottle? If not perhaps contact the manufacturer and ask them how much you use for a gallon. then multiply it by 3.

 

[Mooky9669]

Thanks for the help. Just tested ammonia and nitrate. Nitrate is lower at 20, but ammonia is the same at .50. Not sure if ammonia is accurate or not. My poor fish died I found a post about Prime dosage on Reddit that says 1/4 ml for 2.5g. So, how long to wait to test water after water change? Just did one a little while ago. I added Prime to the bucket each time I filled it. Thanks again for helping.

Test the water in the morning before you feed the fish, or if you ever get a sick fish or a fish dies.

You can also test the ammonia and nitrite levels an hour after feeding to see how well the filter is working. A healthy biological filter should remove all the ammonia from feeding, within an hour. If you have no ammonia before feeding and ammonia an hour after feeding, then the filter is not working as well as it should be.

----------------------
Do a big water change (75%) any time you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.

----------------------
No idea what the dose rate of Prime is. Does it say anything on the bottle? If not perhaps contact the manufacturer and ask them how much you use for a gallon. then multiply it by 3.

 

[Essjay]

It is always better to look at the manufacturers instructions rather than other websites.

Seachem's prime page says
"Use 1 capful (5 ml) for each 200 L (50 US gallons) of new water."
https://www.seachem.com/prime.php

If 50 gallons needs 5 ml, 3 gallons needs 0.3 ml. It would be much easier to measure that 0.3 ml that you need for your 3 gallon bucket by using a 1 ml syringe.



The ammonia detoxifying effect lasts 24 hours, so you need to do another water change 24 hours after the last one.

 

[Mooky9669]

It is always better to look at the manufacturers instructions rather than other websites.

Seachem's prime page says
"Use 1 capful (5 ml) for each 200 L (50 US gallons) of new water."
https://www.seachem.com/prime.php

If 50 gallons needs 5 ml, 3 gallons needs 0.3 ml. It would be much easier to measure that 0.3 ml that you need for your 3 gallon bucket by using a 1 ml syringe.



The ammonia detoxifying effect lasts 24 hours, so you need to do another water change 24 hours after the last one.

Already did large water change. I read it lasts 24-48 hours and best to test again in 24 hours for more accurate results. I have a dropper that I used. I just used 0.5 each time I filled the bucket. So that should be fine. Will test it tomorrow after 8:30 and see what results I get for ammonia and nitrate, since they were the only things that were kinda high.

 

[Mooky9669]

Update....
Just did water test for Nitrate and ammonia
Nitrates 5.0 and ammonia shows 0.25
Again, I'm using the API freshwater test kit.
I am guessing I should do another water change? I'll hafta do it this afternoon when I get back home.

 

[Colin_T]

yes, you will need to do another water change this afternoon

 

[Mooky9669]

yes, you will need to do another water change this afternoon

I was just told on another forum that the API test can show 0.25 even if no ammonia present and to do a smaller water change this time, 20% I will do another water change this afternoon. Appreciate your help.

 

[Colin_T]

If you use a liquid test kit and it shows an ammonia reading, then there is some ammonia in the water and you want to water change it out. If the test kit is faulty then it might be giving a false reading. You can check this by testing distilled water. It should have no ammonia and if there is a reading for ammonia, the kit is faulty and needs replacing.

Some test kits read ammonia that has been bound (made safe) by some water conditioners but the bound ammonia is only temporary and it is eventually released back into the water where it can affect the fish.

 

[Mooky9669]

If you use a liquid test kit and it shows an ammonia reading, then there is some ammonia in the water and you want to water change it out. If the test kit is faulty then it might be giving a false reading. You can check this by testing distilled water. It should have no ammonia and if there is a reading for ammonia, the kit is faulty and needs replacing.

Some test kits read ammonia that has been bound (made safe) by some water conditioners but the bound ammonia is only temporary and it is eventually released back into the water where it can affect the fish.

Ok. I'm did a small change when I went home for lunch. Did 20% and will test it tmrw. Looks like a small bacteria bloom from the large water change, which I read is normal and will clear up on it's own.

 

[Mooky9669]

Looks like ammonia is now at 0
Guess no need for another water change. Should I wait a week before adding new fish?

 

[Colin_T]

If you lose a fish, it's a good idea to wait a month before adding any new fish. This gives the tank and fish time to settle and recover from what has happened, and if there is a disease in the tank, it will usually show up within a couple of weeks. Waiting 4 weeks will provide sufficient time for any diseases to appear if they are going to. If everyone is ok after a month, then add new fish.

 

[Mooky9669]

If you lose a fish, it's a good idea to wait a month before adding any new fish. This gives the tank and fish time to settle and recover from what has happened, and if there is a disease in the tank, it will usually show up within a couple of weeks. Waiting 4 weeks will provide sufficient time for any diseases to appear if they are going to. If everyone is ok after a month, then add new fish.

Was told I could wait a week, but I prob wait a month. Guess I'll start feeding them again in the morning like usual. Will keep water changes small once a week too. Thanks

 

[Mooky9669]

Update....did small water change yesterday and just tested ammonia before I feed the fish. It is at 0 and tank is crystal clear. Ok to add new fish or should I still wait?