Water testing question

[kiwi35]

So I've never really done any sort of testing on my water before but I thought I should given that a had a few fish die off recently. The tank is a 10 gallon that has been up and running for approximately two months (I did not cycle the tank which I know is a big no-no). I started with two bettas, they were in there for about a month before I removed them to put in 4 small corydoras, 3 of which have died in the past two weeks. So I went and bought the API master test kit and these were my results and I was looking for some help in understanding exactly what they mean and how it affects the fish.

ph= 8
ammonia= .25
nitrite= maybe just a sliver above 0
nitrate= nearly 0

The ph seems pretty high and I was under the impression the nitrates should be higher than that, I did do a water change a few days ago though. I also have a moss ball in there if that helps explain the numbers.

 

[librarygirl]

Did you shake the bottles prior to testing? Shake them for a few seconds to break up the reagent chemicals in there. The nitrate test has its own specialized instructions and if not done correctly it can cause false results. For nitrate, you want to shake and bang both bottles on a hard surface (or the palm of your hand) for 30 seconds. Then shake the tube vigorously for a full minute. Then wait 5 minutes for the results. You should have at least some nitrate in there.

Your PH is fine assuming that's what it's been all along. Fish like stability in PH more than a certain number, so as long as it stays stable it's fine.

What kind of corys did you get? Most are too large and active for a 10. Some pygmys would probably work but those aren't easy to find. Corys are somewhat skittish and are stressed fairly easily and they do better in larger groups, but a 10 gal is a bit too limited to house them correctly. Keep an eye on ammonia, if it creeps up more do a 50% water change.

What happened to the bettas? Usually two bettas will kill each other, especially if they are male.

 

[kiwi35]

Yea I followed the instructions to the letter. The cories were peppered cories and the bettas were rehomed. I guess I should have mentioned the tank was divided at the time the time they were kept in there.

 

[kiwi35]

Just as kind of an update, I retested the water today and found these numbers

ph=7.8
ammonia=between .25 and .5
nitrite=0
nitrate=5

As a note, I had just fed my fish approximately an hour before hand if that affects the ammonia levels any.