Water chemistry questions

[trisha1972]

My tank is 10 gallons, 2 months in, heater and hood and filters as recommended. Freshwater.


My darling son (one of three under the age of three) decided to feed the fishies for me the other day and dumped the whole container in! (In the span of two minutes while I was in the restroom) I scooped out as much as possible. I added another whisper filter to help clean the water. I've done partial water changes every day for five days. There is still some food on the bottom, but I have gotten most out.


Now the question on water........................My nitrate was betweem 0-20 (the color wasn't "white" but it wasn't that pink either), my nitrite was .5, My hardness is hard, my alkalinity is 180 (ideal), but my ph is around 7.8

From all of you with a ton of experience, what should I do? Do I need to continue to do partial water changes? Add chemicals? There is a SLIGHT smell, a little fishy, to the tank if I open the hood and get close. I have baby mollys (born a week ago) in there along with my two pair of adults and 2 ghost shrimp.

 

[steelhealr]

Hi..this is what I would do. Your filter (what type?) should contain a sponge (?) with biological filter in it and so should your gravel. I would get a separate container, add water and treat with dechlorinator and put the heater in it. Put your sponge and most of your gravel in it after shaking it out in the tank water and remove your livestock. Clean out the tank and replace everything...JMO.... If you don't get all that food out, you could have an ammonia spike and lose animals. It may be overkill, but, if you love what's in there, it's not worth the rotting food overwhelming the biological filter. SH

 

[reg2k2]

Did you have an ammonia reading?
I would prob. keep up the wc's until nitrite, ammonia zero out, and nitrates have not risen above posted levels.

If nitrite, ammonia rise sharply, or you incur problems w/ fish behavior...I might go w/ the above.