nitrate levels problem

[woolever3]

Help​

I just moved to a 30gal from a 20gal and I keep loosing fish. Its been about 6 weeks and I keep lousing fish about 15 in all I have guppies : (
I’m having a nitrate levels problem I have changed 30% of the water. I even tried Amquel this is a nitrate reducer but nothing seems to work. The nitrate levels are still way too high. Do I even have to worry about the nitrate levels? Should I just let my tank do it its self?

 

[JPKeenan]

Do you have well water or "city water"?

I was wondering my nitrate levels are a bit higher after a water change. Then I looked up the water quality report. You may want to try to google your city's water quality.

For me my city water has a "safe" but more than 0 nitrate level.

Other reason why I wanted to look up the water report was to see if the city was using chlorine or the chromite (whatever it is).

I'm going nutty with my tanks going through some mini-cycles.

I am sure the other more knowledge folks here would want to know how old your tank is (how long has it been up and running). Did you just replace the filter media and other such info. They'd be able to help you out a more more.

 

[woolever3]

Frustrated

I transferred he tank from a 20 gal to a 30 gal 6 weeks ago:

We have well water however based on the reccomendations of different testers I have replaced 25% of the water twice, once with bottled water and once with creek water (we live in the mountains!) but each time it says the same thing.

To add to the confusion, The tester I have been using recently is the "Quick Dip" strips which are telling me it is unsafe but when I use the chemicle (liquid) tester with the drops into a test tube it states that the nitrates are at "0" which is good! UUuuggghhhh!

Why are my fish dieing and my water soooo cloudy?!?!

 

[InfernoST]

Did you cycle the 30 gallon before the transfer? Get rid of the the test strips and get yourself a good liquid test kit for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and PH the strips are notoriously inaccurate. You should test for ammonia and nitrites as well. In the meanwhile take a water sample to you LFS and them check it for ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and PH. Your 30 gallon tank sounds like it's going through a cycle.

 

[JPKeenan]

The liquid tests are a lot more accurate.

What type of clouding is it? I know it is hard without seeing it first hand.

Is it a green or brown tinge? Or does it look like a bunch of tiny white dust dust clouding the tank? The super tiny white dust-like would make it sound like a bacteria bloom. The bacteria in the tank is going wild trying to establish itself.

 

[woolever3]

Thank you for your input... and confirmation of these strips. What do you mean cycle the 30 gal first? Obviously I probably did not cycle it if I don't know what you mean!

I have had a tank for nearly 15 years and had really good luck but this transfer has been tough!

I will test the rest of the water with our chemical tester and have thrown out the strips! I guess quicker is not always better!

I will post the results a little later today. Thank you all for posting!

 

[jsoong]

You would get better response in the FW forum. (so moving it to FW general )

However, more info is needed, such as how you moved the fish, what is the nitrate level. What are your other levels (ammonia/nitrites/etc.)? Did you move the filter/substrate?

 

[InfernoST]

Read this link to the article section on the nitrogen cycle it should clear up a lot of things.http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/24/1/Nitrogen-Cycle-/Page1.html

 

[woolever3]

The liquid tests are a lot more accurate.

What type of clouding is it? I know it is hard without seeing it first hand.

Is it a green or brown tinge? Or does it look like a bunch of tiny white dust dust clouding the tank? The super tiny white dust-like would make it sound like a bacteria bloom. The bacteria in the tank is going wild trying to establish itself.

It is white clouds...

As an update to the testing with the liquid, everything is perfect so it sounds like you are on the right track with the bacteria!

Now I also have a second tank (the previous one 20 gal) that I set up for our goldfish and is the type that has a big orange head named "Carrot Top" (we call him Jr. since we used to have one like him that died.)

This tank does have the mirky brown tinge to it. We recently replaced the stack filters and it seems to be getting better. But what is the brown? And since you referenced the green, what does that imply (if we start getting it!)

 

[JPKeenan]

Wow, I am actually starting to know a little bit about what I am doing.

OK a basic primer in cycling a tank. It's not just enough to add water, equipment and fish right from the get go. I didn't cycle my first tank at all and I lucked out with no major die off.

You have to let the bacteria grow in a tank before adding fish. It's a closed life support system. The eco-system should establish itself before adding fish.

You already have fish in both tanks. You still might loose more fish in your newer tank.

This might help a bit with getting the bacteria to grow more quickly in your new tank. I will not guarantee that you can save the remaining fish in it.

Get some pantyhose or some sort of other mesh (maybe from a bag of oranges). Put some gravel from your old tank in the pantyhose. Put that bag of gravel in your new-ish tank.

You didn't say what type of filter you are using. I'll assume it is a HOB (hang on back).

I'd add a second filter pack in your HOB. If there is room! It doesn't matter if it is actually filtering the water or not. We just want a place for the bacteria to grow. Hopefully in a week or two you will have enough bacteria from the established tank to transfer the other filter media to the new tank.


I'm going through ammonia problems with my 29g, I did not let it cycle long enough before adding fish.

Do the above stuff, and just keep on testing and doing 25% to 50% water changes on the new tank every day or every other day. This will help dilute the bad chemicals till the bacteria takes hold in your new tank.

The only reason I know this stuff is because I screwed up cycling the 39g I set up.

*lol* for once I have an answer. I hear some of the folks on here talking and it is way above my level of understanding.

 

[JPKeenan]

I've been answering the best I can:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f9/nitrate-levels-problem-119831.html#post1018136

Noticed the cross-posting. No biggy just a newbie wanting an answer and cross posting it... think we all have been there with the cross-posting.

I'm sure ya'll more experienced peeps will be able to help with more details than I provided.

 

[JPKeenan]

It is white clouds...

As an update to the testing with the liquid, everything is perfect so it sounds like you are on the right track with the bacteria!

Now I also have a second tank (the previous one 20 gal) that I set up for our goldfish and is the type that has a big orange head named "Carrot Top" (we call him Jr. since we used to have one like him that died.)

This tank does have the mirky brown tinge to it. We recently replaced the stack filters and it seems to be getting better. But what is the brown? And since you referenced the green, what does that imply (if we start getting it!)

My experience with a murky brown water was that the intake of my filter was gummed up. so it wasn't sucking up the water like it should have. I took out the stem and rinsed it out.

A green tinge to the water will usually mean an algae bloom. This would be from too much light (either leaving your hood light on or having the tank too close to natural light/window).

Like I said I am a newbie as well but have been having crash courses in all things fish. I am one of those people who usually learns from my mistakes.... and boy have I been making mistakes.

Hopefully I have been giving you the advice you need. Like I said there are other folks on here who make me feel like a elementary school student among people with Doctorates .

 

[mfdrookie516]

white clouding is sometimes referred to as "new tank syndrome"... there are some bacteria supplements you can get to "speed up" the cycle... most people on here dont use them, they prefer the regular old fishless cycle, but if you already have fish in them, you may want to think about getting some... its more of a bandaid for your problem, but if you add that in, it will at least help out until your filters builld up some bacteria and actually cycle your tank... JMO

 

[SparKy697]

A thought about brown water. You mentioned that you were sometimes using creek water for your tank. I suppose there could be a bit of iron in the water that is oxidizing in your tank as you aerate it. There may be other causes, just throwing that out there.

You have mentioned high levels and normal levels... Can you provide some actual numbers? Many people successfully operate tanks with 40ppm+ nitrate. You will hear different opinions about what is safe when it comes to nitrate, especially from those who sell nitrate reducers.

You can also do much larger water changes. Remember, the bacteria normally lives on the hard surfaces, not in the water. Normally.

 

[mfdrookie516]

what are you water params? what kind of test kit are you using?

 

[jsoong]

I've been answering the best I can:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f9/nitrate-levels-problem-119831.html#post1018136

Noticed the cross-posting. No biggy just a newbie wanting an answer and cross posting it... think we all have been there with the cross-posting....

I didn't noticed the extensive thread in the "community announcement forum.". I have merged the 2 threads & move both to the FW general.

 

[JPKeenan]

Ain't no biggy to me. Just someone new not knowing where exactly to post. Know when you want help you want it fast.

 

[dmaria73]

I don't know if I make my post question here or not but its in regards to a similar problem but with my Ammonia and PH. My Ammonia too high and my PH is way too low. The problem started about 2 weeks ago when I did a 30% water change and cleaned the gravel. I also took out my old filter and cleaned it to reactivate the carbons and added it back to my filter plus added an additional new filter on the other side that was missing.

2 days later the water got cloudy (grayish/white) and my fish (1 Red Oscar 3", 2 Jack Dempsey Cichlids 3" & Koi 3") were not as social at that point and were staying low to the gravel and not swimming as much. To add, I have a 40 gallon tank....

I took a sample to the Pet store and found out my ammonia/ph issue and bough ammonia remover and ph increaser and added that to my tank. Initially that worked for only a few hours and then it was right back. I also tested the water from my sink for ammonia an ph and the levels were fine so that isn't the issue.

I added the ammonia remover and ph increase several times after that day and no luck with keeping the levels where they should be for long....

I did 25% - 50% water changes every 2-3 days since then to help my fish by atleast giving them some relief but I'm at my wits end and I don't want my poor little fishies to die.

I have left my tank alone for a few days now without applying any chemicals just to see if it willl cycle itself because apparently I must have gotten rid of a lot of my good bacteria two weeks ago or so when I did my water change.

At current, I'm doing a 50% change to ease their stress for a moment but now I've read that when I put the water back in the tank I should add my conditioner and chlorine remover to the water prior to adding it to the tank because if i fill the tank up and then add the conditioner, then the chlorine that is in the water prior to the conditioner is removing the good bacteria again.

I use a sink ciphoning system that I connect to my sink and it pulls the water out from the tank and deposits the water and waste into the sink and then when it's time to fill the tank back up the water comes directly from the sink straight through the tubes to the tank. I don't have a choice but to add the conditioner after the water is already in the tank..... is there another way????

Please help!!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

first, you can create your own threads by going to forums, then the category you want, then post at the top left corner...

to answer some of your questions, i would think with taking everything out and cleaning it, you have caused your tank to go through another cycle. Never take everything out and clean it. In a case like this, most people would recommend buying some sort of bacteria supplement to help hold the fish over while the tank actually cycles. Usually when the water starts getting a whitish colored cloud, its because it is not cycled. Mine do that every time i set up a new one. The filter has to build up bacteria to fight the ammonia and keep the fish healthy. If you dont want the fish to die, IMO you need to get some bacteria supplement from your lfs. Keep up the water changes as well, probably 30-50% every other day or so... maybe somebody else has another opinion, but this should get you through the cycle. To answer your question about filling the tank, i always fill mine and add the conditioner about halfway through the fillup. It shouldnt hurt the bacteria at all, and you probably dont have much, if any, in the tank now anyways. JMO though. Also keep in mind, next time you change filter cartridges, change them one at a time with at least a week in between. And dont worry about carbon, its useless unless youre medicating the tank or removing something from the water

 

[InfernoST]

I don't know if I make my post question here or not but its in regards to a similar problem but with my Ammonia and PH. My Ammonia too high and my PH is way too low. The problem started about 2 weeks ago when I did a 30% water change and cleaned the gravel. I also took out my old filter and cleaned it to reactivate the carbons and added it back to my filter plus added an additional new filter on the other side that was missing.

2 days later the water got cloudy (grayish/white) and my fish (1 Red Oscar 3", 2 Jack Dempsey Cichlids 3" & Koi 3") were not as social at that point and were staying low to the gravel and not swimming as much. To add, I have a 40 gallon tank....

I took a sample to the Pet store and found out my ammonia/ph issue and bough ammonia remover and ph increaser and added that to my tank. Initially that worked for only a few hours and then it was right back. I also tested the water from my sink for ammonia an ph and the levels were fine so that isn't the issue.

I added the ammonia remover and ph increase several times after that day and no luck with keeping the levels where they should be for long....

I did 25% - 50% water changes every 2-3 days since then to help my fish by atleast giving them some relief but I'm at my wits end and I don't want my poor little fishies to die.

I have left my tank alone for a few days now without applying any chemicals just to see if it willl cycle itself because apparently I must have gotten rid of a lot of my good bacteria two weeks ago or so when I did my water change.

At current, I'm doing a 50% change to ease their stress for a moment but now I've read that when I put the water back in the tank I should add my conditioner and chlorine remover to the water prior to adding it to the tank because if i fill the tank up and then add the conditioner, then the chlorine that is in the water prior to the conditioner is removing the good bacteria again.

I use a sink ciphoning system that I connect to my sink and it pulls the water out from the tank and deposits the water and waste into the sink and then when it's time to fill the tank back up the water comes directly from the sink straight through the tubes to the tank. I don't have a choice but to add the conditioner after the water is already in the tank..... is there another way????

Please help!!!

1st off, you should never add untreated water to the tank, you should fill a container with new water at the correct temperature and add the conditioner, after 1/2 hour then put the water in the tank. It's OK to clean the gravel but you don't clean anything from the tank with straight tap water, Either use treated water or Tank water, the idea here is to get extra waste out of the gravel and filter media not to strip it if it's bacteria. When using tap water that has chlorine added to it by your municipality it will kill the bacteria upon contact, you must remember the bacteria is very difficult to kill otherwise. You've probably killed off your established nitrifying bacterial colonies and have started your tank to cycle again. Your best bet is to get a bucket to perform your water changes so you can treat the water prior to adding it to your tank. If you have a liquid test kit that's great if not get one that tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH, test your water daily and perform the necessary PWC's to dilute/reduce the ammonia and nitrites in the tank until it cycles again. You may be doing PWC's up to 50% twice a day when the ammonia and nitrite levels are spiking.
If your tank is cycling from the beginning you are going to be in for a rough ride, just be diligent with you testing and PWC's and you should be OK. I would test for ammonia only at 1st after this spikes and the readings start to come down on their own start testing for nitrites then when they are on the way down start testing for nitrates. Once your tank has 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites the is cycles. One note while the tank is cycling it is not going to be possible to get accurate PH readings but you can try. Good luck.