Nitrates and nitrites are high! Help ASAP

[KFav93]

Okay so yesterday, found my catfish dead [because he got stuck] and I noticed that it spiked my nitrates and nitrites level, I'm assuming from the dead fish. Well I did a 25% water change. Today I found a platy dead and my nitrates and nitrites are still high. So I did another 25% water change today. Is there anything else I can do? I don't want to lose the rest of my fish.

 

[venymae]

What size tank do you have & what is tje stocking? Did you recently clean your filter? It looks like your tank is either not cycled or doing a mini cycle.

 

[KFav93]

What size tank do you have & what is tje stocking? Did you recently clean your filter? It looks like your tank is either not cycled or doing a mini cycle.

20 gallon. 4 zebra danios, 4 platys and a zebra snail. I have a small Java fern in it. Recently my catfish died because he got into somewhere he wasn't supposed to be and got trapped so I thought his death might have spiked it and I just lost my 5th platy today and I'm assuming it's from the nitrate and nitrite levels. I just changed my filter maybe 2 weeks ago.

 

[venymae]

20 gallon. 4 zebra danios, 4 platys and a zebra snail. I have a small Java fern in it. Recently my catfish died because he got into somewhere he wasn't supposed to be and got trapped so I thought his death might have spiked it and I just lost my 5th platy today and I'm assuming it's from the nitrate and nitrite levels. I just changed my filter maybe 2 weeks ago.

his death would have spiked the Ammonia, but it shoukd have cleared by now and Nitrits should still not be present. Nitrates are only delt with by water changes so for now I think thats your best bet untill your filter regrows its bacteria

 

[KFav93]

Well I did a 25% water change yesterday and today because I'm trying to save my fish. Would you recommend doing it tomorrow? Also, is there anything else I can do to help?

 

[KFav93]

his death would have spiked the Ammonia, but it shoukd have cleared by now and Nitrits should still not be present. Nitrates are only delt with by water changes so for now I think thats your best bet untill your filter regrows its bacteria

Sorry I didn't reply to this, but I replied to your post in a comment below!

 

[venymae]

Sorry I didn't reply to this, but I replied to your post in a comment below!

I would honestly do a 50% water change. Then dose with prime or ammolock. Do you have a test kit?

 

[KFav93]

I would honestly do a 50% water change. Then dose with prime or ammolock. Do you have a test kit?

Will it be okay if I do another water change? And I don't have prime or ammo lock. I'll have to pick that up. Yes I have a test kit

 

[venymae]

Well, do a quick ammonia test. See what your dealing with (if your test is strips and not liquid its not as accurate)

 

[venymae]

and yeah, at this point ammonia is worse than another WC

 

[KFav93]

Well, do a quick ammonia test. See what your dealing with (if your test is strips and not liquid its not as accurate)

I have test strips.

 

[venymae]

well, better than nothing

 

[KFav93]

well, better than nothing

Thank you for your help! I'm at work right now but I will definitely do another water change tomorrow morning. I was hoping to get more fish this weekend and now this happened! So I want to make sure to fix this before I proceed.

 

[venymae]

Good luck with your fish! Hope everythig turns about. Also just a tip -never change your filter pad. Thats where all your good bacteria are, if it gets gunky just swish it in the water you take out during water changes to clean it.

 

[KFav93]

Good luck with your fish! Hope everythig turns about. Also just a tip -never change your filter pad. Thats where all your good bacteria are, if it gets gunky just swish it in the water you take out during water changes to clean it.

Really? I thought it had to be changed monthly. Well good to know! And thank you again for your help! I hope my fish make it through this

 

[venymae]

The only people who want you to change it monthly are the folks selling it to you.

 

[KFav93]

The only people who want you to change it monthly are the folks selling it to you.

Hey my nitrates and nitrites are still high. I got ammolock and I used that Saturday. I just did another water change. I don't know how to eliminate the nitrates and nitrites

 

[KFav93]

High nitrates and nitrites

I have a 20 gallon tank and my nitrate and nitrite levels have been bad since last week. I've been doing a 25% water change almost everyday and I used ammolock to protect the fish. How do I eliminate the nitrates and nitrites??

 

[Potluck]

You don't eliminate nitrates that's the final step of the nitrogen cycle, don't worry about nitrates worry only about ammonia and nitrite, don't do a water change every day as your tank is still cycling from my personal opinion, how long has the tank been set up?

 

[KFav93]

You don't eliminate nitrates that's the final step of the nitrogen cycle, don't worry about nitrates worry only about ammonia and nitrite, don't do a water change every day as your tank is still cycling from my personal opinion, how long has the tank been set up?

October 8 is when I set it up. I have fish so I'm concerned about them dying. I don't know what to do.