Water parameters

[crackenhunter]

I just bought my first test kit and I'm looking for a bit of advice on the readings.

The tank is only about six weeks old and the readings were :

pH 7.0, Amonia 0, Nitrite 4.0 and Nitrate 0

According to the book with the kit the pH and Amonia levels are ok but the other levels are a cause for concern.

All the fish are ok, well apart from the two Mollies that died but I think that might have been an infection they picked up from the tank which they were purchased from.

Are these levels ok, or is there any action I should take.

Thanks

 

[cichlidmaster]

The ammonia reading is right where it should be!!

The ph is fine for most fish (what kind of fish do you have?)

The nitrite should read 0!!!! Start doing water changes say 20% every other day also cut back on your feeding to 1x every other day until your nitrite reads 0. Your fish may look ok, but they are probably not at their best.

watch the nitrate reading as this may very well rise once the nitrite reading drops. You will probably always register some nitrates, but this is normal and the reason we do water changes.

Nitrates can only be kept in check with a good water change schedule.


CM

 

[catman]

Try looking here for more info on cycling a tank..

cycling

 

[crackenhunter]

The guy at the aquatics centre said that a possible reason for the high Nitrite reading is that the filter bacteria may not have developed fully yet. Could this be a possibility??

I have 10 Neon Tetras and 2 Guppies in the tank, as I said, I used to have two Mollies but they died unfortunately.

I had originally been doing 20% water changes and feeding like you said but the guy tested the water (before I bought the kit) and said to cut back to around two water changes a week.

I just don't really want to end up with a tank full of dead fish!!

Thanks

 

[catman]

Cracken..

Your tank is mid cycle still. The nitrite is deadly to fish...

Are you adding any bio life (filter bacteria).. If not, get some...

Do as suggested, cut back on feeding, (less waste produced, therefore less ammonia to be converted into nitrite), and increase the water change shedule...

This will help keep your nitrite level down until the tank is fully cycled (less fish deaths) but will mean it will take longer to cycle your tank..

Do NOT add any more fish until you have a zero nitrite reading and a nitrate reading...

And check out my previous link for a better explanation of tank cycling

 

[crackenhunter]

Cheers Catman

Will up the water changes and have just bought a gravel cleaner so hopefully this will help a little.

Thanks again, I'll keep you posted.

James

 

[james]

Hi

I had similar problems on one of my tanks (for no app reason). Go for water changes as this is the best method - however, I also used Nitra-Zorb which helped reduce the Notrite in my tanks to 0 over a few days.

James.