Stressful fish in cycle

[Shadowprincess]

Hey Guys,

I started up about 4 weeks ago with my 140 L
Tank and the fish store never mentioned anything about cycling so I stocked my tank with 15 Guppies.
So after I got my ammonia spike I began to freak out and after some research found out it was perfectly normal so I was doing 25% water changes every day for the last week ammonia is quite low now but whatever I do I can't seem to get my nitrites down even after a 50% water change last night. Posting readings from this morning :

API master kit:

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 2.0 ppm
Nitrates : 40ppm
Ph: 6.6

Do I add anything do another water change? I haven't fed them today. Please help. When I do a water change the only thing I add is prime .

 

[tamtam]

Have you tested your tap water yet? If not you should just to be sure you aren't getting nitrites from there.
So long as they aren't coming from there just keep doing water changes. 2ppm is really high. You want to get it down to between .25 .. at the highest .50ppm. At 2ppm it will take several large ones of about 50% to get it down. I'd do 50% or more now and in about an hour test and see where your levels are and keep doing this until you are down in the "ok" range.

Prime is a great conditioner, a real favorite on the board so just keep adding that to the new water. That's all you can do. You have a lot of fish in there off the hop for a fish in cycle so you are going to deal with some heavy waste and spikes.

 

[Shadowprincess]

Thanks so much, I tested water today from tap got 0 readings for everything so I will do a 50% today now and another tomorrow and keep doing it until it drops.

 

[shellieca]

Have you tested your tap water yet? If not you should just to be sure you aren't getting nitrites from there.
So long as they aren't coming from there just keep doing water changes. 2ppm is really high. You want to get it down to between .25 .. at the highest .50ppm. At 2ppm it will take several large ones of about 50% to get it down. I'd do 50% or more now and in about an hour test and see where your levels are and keep doing this until you are down in the "ok" range.

Prime is a great conditioner, a real favorite on the board so just keep adding that to the new water. That's all you can do. You have a lot of fish in there off the hop for a fish in cycle so you are going to deal with some heavy waste and spikes.

+1, you may have to do more than 50% & more than one in a day. Nitrites are harmful to the fish so you really should get them down under .25. I have a 10g that is fish in cycling & I think close to the end, I've had to do 80-90% water changes & multiple ones in a day to get my levels into a safe range. I'm going into my 8th week on the 10g so I know what you're going through. Keep doing what you're doing.

 

[jetajockey]

I'd keep a low level of salt in the tank for now since it alleviates nitrite toxicity. 1tsp/5gal should be plenty.

 

[Shadowprincess]

So tested water levels again just now,

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites:
Nitrates: 20ppm
Ph: 7.0

 

[Shadowprincess]

Just tested the water again

Ammonia : 0
Nitrites : 0
Nitrates: 20ppm
Ph: 7.0

Thanks guys the water change today really helped thanks for the feedback

 

[shellieca]

Just tested the water again

Ammonia : 0
Nitrites : 0
Nitrates: 20ppm
Ph: 7.0

Thanks guys the water change today really helped thanks for the feedback

YAY! Glad to see those test results.

 

[tamtam]

Just tested the water again

Ammonia : 0
Nitrites : 0
Nitrates: 20ppm
Ph: 7.0

Thanks guys the water change today really helped thanks for the feedback

awesome news! Just keep and eye. If you are lucky this may start to really level out for you