Help me please...New tank, New fish

[kellydsxo]

New 64litre tank, let it run for 1 week then added 5 white cloud minnows.

Day 1 after 1 week – Added 5 White cloud minnows and added nutrafin cycle
Day 2 – Tested water High PH, Ammonia and Nitrite 0.25ppm, Nitrate 0-5ppm Did 25% Water change added Stress coat
Day 3 - Didn’t test water
Day 4 – Tested water – PH 8.2, Ammonia – 0.50ppm, Nitrite – 1-2ppm Nitrate – 10ppm – Did 40% Water change, added stress coat, tap safe, and nutrafin cycle.

What is going on? Am I doing everything incorrectly? Why is my PH so high? Tips? Advice? Help?

 

[Coyne]

Have you tested the PH straight out of the tap? It may be starting out high. Also, my PH is that high as well and it is not a problem. Most fish can adapt to different PH levels as long as you acclimate them to it correctly.

You in the middle of a Fish-In cycle. You'll need to test the water at least once a day. If your ammonia and/or nitrites ever hit .25ppm or higher then do a PWC to bring it down. It's simple math . For example: Ammo is .50ppm. You need to reduce that by a little more than half, so do a 60% PWC. If the number is too big to fix with one PWC, then do one 50% PWC, wait a few hours and then do another.
Once you go a solid week with 0ppm ammonia and nitrites then its safe to say the tank is cycled. Then you only need to do PWCs every week or two to keep the nitrates below 40ppm. Going forward, only add a few fish at a time and go a week in between additions to give the BB time to adjust to the increased bio-load.

Fish-In cycling is more work than Fish-less cycling because you have to keep doing the water changes or you risk killing the fish. Just be patient and diligent and you SHOULD be done in another 2-3 weeks.

 

[Fishperson]

Your nitrite and ammonia is currently lethal. Both need to stay under .25 ppm. And what is happening is your tank cycling. It needs to cycle before you add fish. Even nutrafin cycle doesn't just work that quickly (if it works at all, which I doubt).

 

[FishCr8zy]

Usually fish cycling take at least 2 weeks. U might have put the fish in too early. Ph, nitrite, and nitrate levels r too high. Keep nitrite levels below .25 ppm.

 

[kellydsxo]

tested water again

Hey guys thanks for your comments! Yes I did put fish in too early :/

Urmm I tested the water again today - PH. 8.2
Ammonia - 0.50ppm
Nitrite - 5.00ppm
Nitrate - 20ppm

So yes all sky high, I have just done a 30% water change - Help me. does this mean the tank is cycling now then? And will the nitrite and ammonia go down at different times?

 

[Scouser]

Hey guys thanks for your comments! Yes I did put fish in too early :/

Urmm I tested the water again today - PH. 8.2
Ammonia - 0.50ppm
Nitrite - 5.00ppm
Nitrate - 20ppm

So yes all sky high, I have just done a 30% water change - Help me. does this mean the tank is cycling now then? And will the nitrite and ammonia go down at different times?

30% isn't enough!

If you have 5ppm and you did a 50% change you'd still have 2.5ppm of trItes.

I suggest doing a large water change to get those numbers lower.

Wait a few hours and retest, and you'll probably need another 50% after you get your results.

Get to it!

 

[kellydsxo]

thanks

Ok i'll test again soon thanks!

 

[Coyne]

Hey guys thanks for your comments! Yes I did put fish in too early :/

Urmm I tested the water again today - PH. 8.2
Ammonia - 0.50ppm
Nitrite - 5.00ppm
Nitrate - 20ppm

So yes all sky high, I have just done a 30% water change - Help me. does this mean the tank is cycling now then? And will the nitrite and ammonia go down at different times?

Usually the ammonia will zero out first.

 

[Austin8]

Your ammonia nitrate etc. can sky rocket and literally be fine the next day. Let the tank cycle and then plan the fish. So you did put fish in? What kind are they?

 

[kellydsxo]

hi

Hello, they are 5 white cloud minnows - As reccommened by pet shop but shouldnt of listened to them :/

 

[Austin8]

That's fine I guess. I was just making sure you didn't get goldfish to start off haha

 

[FishCr8zy]

That's fine I guess. I was just making sure you didn't get goldfish to start off haha

Goldfish can kinda be like test fish. Ya put them in before any other fish and if they survive, the other fish will too. Then I just feed the goldfish to my koi. They seem addicted to goldfish that r small enough to fit into there mouths. If u don't have pond/live fish eater, then flush it down the toilet or something. XD lol

 

[Austin8]

Really? Would you be able to control you ammonia with goldfish in a uncycled tank?

 

[FishCr8zy]

Really? Would you be able to control you ammonia with goldfish in a uncycled tank?

I meant after the cycling to make sure the water is good and everything for new fish