Chemically, I Just Don't Understand...

[revhtree]

OK, I get a high nitrite, and ammonia reading for my qt tank in which I'm treating with cupramine. It is a 20 gallon tank. I then do a water change of 12-13gallons, and retest. The levels are still high. Chemically I dont understand how this can be. Please advise this newb on the chemical truths of water changes.

 

[MadManMac]

I can not help you with the Chemistry, I swore not to think about it after college. One thing to think about is if the Cupramine is causing false test results. I know it is not comforting, but hopefully the water is OK and the tests are just skewed.

 

[revhtree]

I could only dream......

 

[steve-s]

One thing to think about is if the Cupramine is causing false test results. I know it is not comforting, but hopefully the water is OK and the tests are just skewed.

Very true. From Seachems FAQ....
http://seachem.com/support/FAQs/Cupramine_faq.html

Q: I'm using Cupramine™ and my ammonia test kit is showing ammonia off the scale. What is going on?
A: Ammonia test kits can not distinguish ammonia from the amine based complex present in Cupramine™ and will therefore give a false high reading for ammonia while using Cupramine™. Our Ammonia Alert™ and MultiTest: Free & Total Ammonia™ test kit do not suffer from this problem as they utilize a gas exchange technology that can distinguish ammonia from amines.

Cheers
Steve

 

[RogerMcAllen]

All a water change is is dilution, which just comes down to fractions. Lets say you had 100 parts in your 20 gallon tank. 40 parts ammonia, and 60 parts water in your tank (your fish are probably not happy here). If you do a weekly 25% water change, 5 gallons of your 20 gallon aquarium, you will be removing 1/4 of the 40 parts ammonia, and 1/4 of the 60 parts water leaving you with 30 parts ammonia and 45 parts water leaving a total of 75 parts. Add back 25 parts of new water, and you end up with 30 parts ammonia, and 70 parts water.

 

[quarryshark]

With qt you are going to have some ammonia and trites, especially when treating with meds. You do water changes to battle it and do your best to keep it down. I have never achieved a perfect 0 on both of these numbers in qt, but my fish have done fine with the water changes. Its a temporary thing, the fish I have put through qt have been tough enough to endure the relative short time spent in it.

 

[quarryshark]

BTW rev, how are the fish doing? Is the disease subsiding?

 

[revhtree]

Yes! Thanks! Only one fish had syptoms of ich, and he had little spots on his body as well as fins. The spots on the fins are gone, and the ones on the body dont even look the same. They are almost gone also.

Side Note: The ammonia is not the real problem. It is the Nitrite that is driving me crazy. I realize that I will battle this with the qt and medicine, it's just that a 12g water change didnt have much effect on the trite levels. Mama Mia! 8O

Side Note 2: I tested some of the water that I had left over for the next change, and I have already added the cupramine. The trite levels were 0. I will try the ammonia, and let you know.

Thanks all, your the BOMB!