what is happening to my cycle?

[walah]

my tank has been set up since 21/3/03 and fish added a week later (too many fish i admit) but i still dont think its cycled.

my parameters are:

Ammonia 2.0 (as of 5 days ago)
Nitrite 4.0 + (as of today)
Nitrate 110 (as of today)
PH 7.0
Temp 25oc

I did a water change of about 15% 3 days ago as i have brown algae over my ornaments and glass and i washed the ornaments in tank water
I am going to do another water change either today or tomorrow
I added 10ml of stress zyme today
I feed the fish every other day
light is on for approx 10-12 hours a day


what can i do to lower my levels and get rid of the algae? , the fish seem ok but maybe a little slower than normal.

I read that high levels of ammonia and nitrites can cause brown algae.

 

[mrV]

Ammonia 2.0 (as of 5 days ago)
Nitrite 4.0 + (as of today)

- Both are poisonous to fishes. They should be 0mg/l.

Nitrate 110 (as of today)

- real high level

Change water weekly at least 1/3 to keep nitrate down. I usually change 50%. Dont' over feed. Now because there is ammonia and nitrite, change water couple times a day to keep ammonia and nitrite away. Don't eat fishes during few days.

Hopefully your tap-water is good.

 

[Fishsmurf]

my tank has been set up since 21/3/03 and fish added a week later (too many fish i admit) but i still dont think its cycled.

Walah....

As you are still showing Ammonia and NitrIte you are still cycling (although getting closer as NitrItes are showing). When your test's are showing 0 Ammonia, 0 NitrIte and only registering NitrAte you are cycled.

Until then Mr V has hit th nail on the head, the Ammonia /NitrIte levels are high so plenty of water changes etc etc...

As for the Algae have a look here:

www.skepticalaquarist.com (really informative site to bookmark)

Click on the Algae folder and go from there

Any more questions shout......

HTH

 

[Kryten]

Couple of other things here

1. A new tank can be incredibly "fragile" just after it has been cycled. Everyone will say it can take up to 6 weeks, but in reality it takes much longer to be just right, though it can cope with fish at this point.
2. You say "too many fish I admit". This is something that many people do wrong. I added 3 fish per fortnight for 2 months. It is very frustrating I know but adding any fish will start its own mini cycle, as fish add ammonia to the water. The more you put in, the more strain on the tanks ability to deal with the added waste. You have to give the tank much more time to compensate and learn to cope
3. A week was too litle time really, whatever the size, did you test the water before adding fish. Some people take tests and see that there is no nitrate, ammonia and nitrite and add fish. This usually means that the tank hasn't properly cycled yet or started at all

Let us know how you get on with the water changes that MrV has quite rightly recommended

 

[cichlidmaster]

And please...as mrV suggested.....................

Don't eat fishes during few days.

This would not be good for the fishes!!

Sorry mrV. Just had to!!!!!!


CM

 

[mrV]

Hmph! )

English is just too poor language for people like me, whose language is very rich, many words etc... I always have to find some simply words when writing in english. And of course, one word can be several things depending how to use it (with or without preposition etc.) And we do not have preposition either, so I always put wrong preposition.. Try to understand!

Yeah, don't eat them Although i ment, don't feed them.

 

[cichlidmaster]

mrV,

No harm intended. I apologize if it was taken to heart.


CM

 

[mrV]

No prob...

 

[wuvmybetta]

walah
it took my tank FOREVER to cycle because I too overloaded to quickly, but it will happen (11 weeks total here)
I hate to bash a product but here goes, stress zyme did NOTHING for my tank, I added SEVERAL bottles gradually and notta, I also tried something called A.C.T (active culture treatment) manufactured right here in Fort Worth and again nothing so I broke down and bought the cycle brand I've heard so much about and my tank cycled within the week after adding just a little bit . I read the brochure and they claim to have a shelf life of 3 years and it was sealed when I bought it, which the others were not and who knows how old the stuff is when you buy it
As far as the algae goes I don't know, I bought a little bitty fish called an ? octosomus or something of that sort, he's not too pretty but he's slowly winning my heart, he minds his own business and works works works! I had that brown algae on my plants and whatnot too and it's all gone now thanks to that little guy

 

[Alia]

English is just too poor language for people like me, whose language is very rich, many words etc...

First time I've ever heard a foreigner complain that our language doesn't have enough words!!