Started A Fish In Cycle In The Last 48 Hrs

[Mauigirl]

Had to take another trip to PetCo today. Looks like things are starting to progress. Bought my other test kit and will be checking every week now.

Information
Nitrate: 20-40
Nitrite: 5.0
Hardness: 150-300
PH: 7.8-8.4
Alkalinity: 180

I need to find my tube again for the ammonia as it has seemed to disappear or else break down and get another ammonia test. We will be working on more adjustments of the water as time goes on. Also bought a vacuum and did a change to day.

A nitrite value of 5mg/l is positively lethal, anything above 0.25mg/l is dangerous...

These fish need a ~95% water change with similar temp dechlorinated water ASAP, basically emptying the tank of all but enough water to cover the fish on the tank floor. It might even be worth moving the fish to a 25-50% filled bucket (with their existing water) and then replacing all teh water left in the tank, then acclimitising the fish to the new water as if just brought ome from the fish shop.

Absolutely great advice from the goat.
You are in the Nitrite spike.. this is the most intensive part of the cycle. Keep a bucket on standby as 2x changes are going to be in order.
don't let the distraction of temperature stray you from more important duties.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Checked tbe water again after changing 3 gallons a couple of days ago. Checked it yesterday and things where still safe and still are the nitrate is at 40 but I am changing 2 gallons of water tomorrow after I get up. I have one little problem which no one can help me with. "Jerry" our panda platy is harassing "Po" and "Butterfly" my two female panda platies so I may have to get a new smaller aquarium for the fry if we have any. Guess it's time to go to the livebears and find out what kind of harassing means breeding.

(Forgive the names my spouse named "Po" and then my 4 year old named "Jerry" and "Butterfly")

 

[pumpkinnose]

Okay so I fibbed last night I did 2 extra gallons between 9 and 10 am, so I did 4 gallons instead of 2. I did 2 gallons distilled water and then 2 gallons of treated tap water.

Checked the water again tonight and this is what I got:
Ammonia:0
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 75
Alkaline: 80
PH: 7.8

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Okay so I fibbed last night I did 2 extra gallons between 9 and 10 am, so I did 4 gallons instead of 2. I did 2 gallons distilled water and then 2 gallons of treated tap water.

Checked the water again tonight and this is what I got:
Ammonia:0
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 75
Alkaline: 80
PH: 7.8

4 gallons of distilled water?

Have you been mixing distilled with tap water from the beginning? If not, you need to ease distilled into your tank system, otherwise you are going to wildly change the water chemistry, unless you are adding the same ratio of tap:distilled every time.

 

[pumpkinnose]

It was 50/50. I need to get some more distilled water to do another change. Other then that everyone seems to be having a grand ole time in the aquarium...lol

 

[pumpkinnose]

Ammonia:0
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 75
Alkaline: 80
PH: 7.8

6 platies and a pleco is the only fish in the aquarium. I know I posted this before but wanted to keep it up to date. And I have no plans on adding any extra fish to this aquarium unless I miss moving a female out that gets pregnant.

Is this normal? And will it continue to do this for a while? I have a feeling if it stays there for a few days I probably need to go ahead and do another water change. I've only had the fish since the 2nd of this month so that means I've only been doing this for about 15 days. Does it look like other then mixing tap and distilled water I'm doing things correctly?

 

[pumpkinnose]

Ok tested water again and nitrates are still at 20 and everything else hasn't changed since I've done my water a couple of days ago.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Checked ammonia and it is up again. Nitrates aren't extremly high and were in the 40 range will be changing water again tomorrow. Hopefully I haven't done anything wrong except bring the temp down some here and there. There has been no extra fish added although I am certain I have 2 out of 4 females preggers. Oh and the last change I did was Thursday or Friday.

 

[asheyna]

Checked ammonia and it is up again. Nitrates aren't extremly high and were in the 40 range will be changing water again tomorrow. Hopefully I haven't done anything wrong except bring the temp down some here and there. There has been no extra fish added although I am certain I have 2 out of 4 females preggers. Oh and the last change I did was Thursday or Friday.

From what I understand (and I'm still new at this so please correct me if I've been given wrong info) a 40 Nitrate reading is REALLY high and a WC should be done ASAP. Although it's the "safer" of the three it's still a chemical. I was told to try and keep it in the 10-20 range. With a tank as stocked as yours that's going to mean more WCs than normal.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Your right 40 is getting up there but Its still safe just pushing it. If it was day time i'd do it so I could add it to my outside plants without worrying about something happening or at least if my spouse was home

 

[pumpkinnose]

Ok changed water again this morning and changed 50% of the water.

Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0
Hardness: 75
Alkalinity: I want to say its 120-180 (I hate trying to determine colors on any test even my test tube ammonia at least I know if I see any green it needs to be changed soon.)
PH: 7.8 (I Think)

 

[asheyna]

How long are you waiting after the WC to run the test? If it's inside of 1h you probably want to do another 50% WC imho.

I'm still new to this whole fishkeeping thing myself. But when I do a 30-40% WC on my tank (once a week) and wait 30 min to test the Nitrates are usually in the 5ppm area, if that. 20ppm right after a WC is still pretty high. Cleaner water = happier, healthier fish.

 

[pumpkinnose]

I waited most of the day before I checked it

 

[pumpkinnose]

ive had this aquarium going for 6 weeks now and did a water change Sunday. Bought a master kit last night and had plans to use it on my sons aquarium we bought for his new betta. Went to get the daughter the same aquariunm for her betta that escaped into the otheres territory when we had both in it. Came home to a dead betta. I am very upset with myself for it. Will be taking my son back to the pet store tomorrow to replace and checking the daughters tank for ammonia tomorrow when we get home.

Anyways here are my results:

12:27 AM
Ph: 7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .25
Nitrate: .50
Temp: 78 F or 26 C