Test kit questions

[irdajoh]

A little back story first, I have a 20 gal tank with one molly left, had more but stress and poor water caused deaths. I most likely overstocked for a new tank and didn't wait long enough for the tank to cycle and develop the good bacteria.

Since its a new tank the water quality always has been iffy and caused alot of stress. Ick broke out about 2-3 times, I salted the tank heavily and preformed numerous water changes.

I use to use deerpark spring water but thats expensive so i must use tap. Like any tap water there's going to be heavy metals. I used api stress coat +, api quick start(3-5 times) hut stopped and terta easy balence but stopped, and api conditioner.

Now my black molly is showing obvious signs of a swim bladder problem, stringy white feces so he for sure not happy right now.

I have the API master test kit and I've done numerous amounts of test to ensure water quality. But with the API test kit the results are always bad. But when I goto petsmart and get the test done there with strips and they tell me the water is fine.. So I have no idea what to believe and how I can go about helping my fish. Are strips more accurate then tube testing?

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[Masha]

Unfortunately the strips are less accurate than the liquid tests.

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[irdajoh]

Ah geez, so I've been lied to and because so my fish are dying...

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[Masha]

Some other things...
Some of the points you mention are aggrevated by stress and water quality, but not caused by those things. Ick is a parasite, and while stressed fish have less resistance to it, it still comes from somewhere. Stringy white poop is also a parasite symptom, I believe.

Next time you need to treat ick, rather try the heat method. That works well (although, now that I think about it, not if you are also battling water quality issues. )

It does sound as if the cycle is not quite complete :-( sorry to say. The nitrite phase does take the longest.



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[irdajoh]

Well white stringy feces can be a sign for stress in general but I can't rule out anything

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