Fish in cycle

[Mcran4]

Im about 3 weeks in to a fish in cycle. I just got an API test kit today so before today i would take some water down to my lfs to get strip tests, which basically have told me my ammonia is high. Anyways any tips on what to do next would be nice. Here are my readings:
Ammonia: .5ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite .25 ppm
PH 6.8
High Range PH 7.5

 

[LyndaB]

You need to get that ammonia down. Do a 50% water change immediately.

 

[Mcran4]

Ok i did a 50 pwc... how long should i wait before i test the water again? oh and i did use a dechlorafier.

 

[librarygirl]

About an hour, then test again. If you did a 50% water change that should bring ammo down to .25. Here are some links in case you haven't read them:

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[jetajockey]

You should only get 1 pH reading, if it maxes out on the regular pH test then do the high range. If it's 7.5 then I'd let the ammonia get up to about 1ppm before doing PWC's, it's within the safe range, but it doesn't hurt to do it while it is at a lower concentration. Just trying to minimize the amount of work you have to do. Keeping .25 ammonia or lower is just a guideline but it's not a set in stone thing, ammonia toxicity is highly dependent on pH and temperature.

 

[tomoisawatergod]

I done fish in cycling on advice given to me by some one at my local pet shop. It was very hard work. Iwas dong water changes daily from 25 to any where up to 50% water changes daily. I was lucky that all my fish survived. But it was alot of work.

 

[Mcran4]

thanks guys for the comments! Ive been doing daily water changes based on my results but im stumped on what my results today mean.
Ammonia <.25
Nitrite > 5.0 ppm
Nitrate 0

I guess i just didnt expect my nitrite to be so high

 

[librarygirl]

thanks guys for the comments! Ive been doing daily water changes based on my results but im stumped on what my results today mean.
Ammonia <.25
Nitrite > 5.0 ppm
Nitrate 0

I guess i just didnt expect my nitrite to be so high

Wow that's a big jump. Looks like you're starting the nitrite phase, which is the last of the phases (good news) but it's the longest and nitrite is as toxic to fish as ammonia (bad news). With nitrite that high, I'd do a few 50% water changes ASAP.

 

[BBradbury]

Fish In Cycling

Im about 3 weeks in to a fish in cycle. I just got an API test kit today so before today i would take some water down to my lfs to get strip tests, which basically have told me my ammonia is high. Anyways any tips on what to do next would be nice. Here are my readings:
Ammonia: .5ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite .25 ppm
PH 6.8
High Range PH 7.5

Hello M...

Unless you have a very large tank, if you've had fish in a uncycled tank for three weeks, your fish are goners.

You should be checking for ammonia and nitrites daily. If your test shows even a trace of either of these pollutants, you must change out 25 to 30 percent of the tank water and replace it with pure, treated tap water. This is the only way to get the water chemistry back into the "safe zone" for the fish.

You could emerse several Chinese Evergreens in the water, but that's another story.

B

 

[Mcran4]

I've been doing daily water changes even 2 some days but nitrite is still high and ammonia is around .25. Is there any supplements that I could add to speed the process up? I've tried local fish stores to get some media that I could seed but I don't trust petsmart and the other shops are only saltwater

 

[BBradbury]

I've been doing daily water changes even 2 some days but nitrite is still high and ammonia is around .25. Is there any supplements that I could add to speed the process up? I've tried local fish stores to get some media that I could seed but I don't trust petsmart and the other shops are only saltwater

Hello m...

You may have too many fish in the tank and apparently, not enough bacteria to handle the waste. The suggestion to raise the amount of water you change to half the tank volume is a good one. Just keep testing and changing out the old water.

You can also introduce some floating plants to help use up the nitrites. Anacharis and Pennywart are good ones.

You can also emerse Chinese evergreens in the tank. This is a land plant, but if you remove all the potting mixture and put the roots under the tank water with the leaves above, the roots will use up the excess nitrites and help purify the water. Use the plants in addition to your current filtration system.

The evergreens are inexpensive and available at most chain grocery stores.

Just a thought.

B

 

[Mcran4]

I have a 20 gal high. As farad fish go I only have 5 : 3 guppies a d 2 platies . I also have some live plants and am considering adding a few more

 

[Mcran4]

Also would any bacteria supplements be ok to add?

 

[jetajockey]

Angelsplus active sponge filter is good, Dr Tim's one and only has some good reviews. I've used tetra safestart with mixed results but it's still fairly good, at least it has the science behind it.

I suggest maintaining a low level of salt in the water until the nitrite phase has passed, it will help reduce nitrite toxicity. Just a couple of tablespoons is plenty.

 

[Mcran4]

Angelsplus active sponge filter is good, Dr Tim's one and only has some good reviews. I've used tetra safestart with mixed results but it's still fairly good, at least it has the science behind it.

I suggest maintaining a low level of salt in the water until the nitrite phase has passed, it will help reduce nitrite toxicity. Just a couple of tablespoons is plenty.

How often would / do u need to add salt?

 

[jetajockey]

You just want to maintain a level in there so just an inital dose and then just enough after water changes to replace what is lost. Example, if you added 2 tablespoons of salt to a 20g and did a 50% wc, you'd want to add 1 tablespoon with the new water to replace that which was lost.

Also, if the salt is a concern, you can dose a teaspoon or two every few hours and watch the fish for signs of stress, but generally livebearers don't mind salted water.

The amount of salinity that needs to be achieved to help reduce nitrite toxicity is actually really low, so the dosage level is something that can be tinkered with a bit.

 

[Mcran4]

Ive been doing pwc daily for the last 2 weeks and my parameters have constantly been reading what i tested earlier this morning:
ammonia >.25
Nitrites > 5.0ppm

Ive done back to back 50 pwc on a couple of days and the nitrites will bounce right back. Is this normal?

 

[jetajockey]

It's not unusual in a heavily stocked tank that is cycling. 5 small fish in a 20 shouldn't be producing that much though, I'd cut back the feeding to just a little bit every other day and do some big water changes to get the nitrite back down to a manageable level. 5ppm is the highest point on the chart as far as the test kit goes so it might be much higher than that when you initially test it.

 

[Mcran4]

It's not unusual in a heavily stocked tank that is cycling. 5 small fish in a 20 shouldn't be producing that much though, I'd cut back the feeding to just a little bit every other day and do some big water changes to get the nitrite back down to a manageable level. 5ppm is the highest point on the chart as far as the test kit goes so it might be much higher than that when you initially test it.

As a side note im down to 3 fish. 2 of the guppies are no longer with us. Ive also added a few more live plants.