HELP! Tetra Cardinal White spots and fraying tail

[KFISH1]

HI All,
First time user and fish keeper.
We recently purchased a new tank - 40L
Set it up with Tap safe etc. and let it run for about 1.5 weeks after which
We purchased 6 Cardinal Tetras (as suggested by the store) one breed at a time.
One died the following day - did 20% water change same day (tape safe).
Another week goes by (Fish have been in tank for just over a week) we did another 20% water change. Two days later the fish have white spots.



Purchased Interpet white spot medication, treated the water - the fish get erratic, twitch and swim all over the place. Now after c3hours SOME of the fish have finally started to calm down a little, the others still erratic.

BUT, some of the fish now have frayed tails?!


The water has also been tested by the store today - nitrate levels were high, but told not to do anything yet since the water was changed 2 days ago. Bought a moss ball instead.


Any advice on what to do next would be much appreciated.



Note: we have used Tetra:Nitrate minus and API: pH Down when we did the water change as well as tap safe.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Do you know your water parameters?

 

[KFISH1]

Nitrate 67 mg/l
Nitrite 3.99
Total hardness 10dH
Carbonate hardness 20 dH
PH 8
Chlorine 0
Carbon dioxide 0

Nitrite has been increasing 3 days in a row

Last water change 20% Was Saturday

Thanks

 

[Aiken Drum]

Do you know your ammonia?

Its quite clear that either your tank isnt cycled or something has caused your cycle to crash. How long has the tank been running?

Your nitrite is way too high and i wouldnt be happy with that amount of nitrate either. I would be doing 50% water change immediately and then another 50% tomorrow. I would be doing daily water tests, get your own test kit, dont rely on a pet store. If your water test shows up any detectable ammonia or nitrite then do 25% water change. That probably means daily water changes in the short term.

With regards to the medication, if your water is as toxic as your figures suggest, its pointless. Get your tank cycled first, good clean water will benefit your fish more than medication. Do you need help doing a fish in cycle?

 

[KFISH1]

Thank you Aiken,
I had done a 20% water change earlier and just done another 30% (not quite 50%). But I will do another tomorrow.



I have the Tetra 6 in 1 test strips along with the app. The nitrite levels have now gone down to 1.97.



The fishes are not swimming erratically now just twitching every now and then. They are getting tired now its their bedtime.



With regards to the fish in cycle, please advise.

 

[Aiken Drum]

For a fish in cycle you should cut back on feeding. Either lightly feed daily, or a full feeding every other day.

Water test daily, if you have detectable ammonia or nitrite, do 25% water change. When you are consistently seeing 0ppm ammonia and nitrite and your nitrates are rising then your tank is cycled sufficiently for the fish you have and you can stock some more.

You can speed up the cycling in one of 2 ways.
- Bottled bacteria, eg seachem stability or dr tims one and only.
- A better option is to introduce some filter media from an established aquarium. Perhaps you have a friend who keeps fish?

I would also recommend getting a liquid test kit (eg API master test kit). They are generally more accurate than strips, and as you get 100s of tests from a liquid test kit they are much more cost effective in the long run. I still use test strips as a quick dip and read to see if there is a problem, but if I want to know my water parameters i use a liquid test.

This post gives some more detail on what is going on in your tank.

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/i-just-learned-about-cycling-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now/

 

[Autumnsky]

Nitrite outside of 0, which is truly the only safe number, can injure or kill your fish.

Keep up with the water changes. The article under help will be a start.

Here are some resources to get you off to a better and easier to understand resource(s) - Articles.

Help
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium/

Fish-In Cycling

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/i-just-learned-about-cycling-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now/

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/fishin-cycling-step-dark-side/

Ich

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/ich-ick-white-spot-or-whatever-else-you-call-it/

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/freshwater-ich-yuck/

 

[KFISH1]

Thank you All for the advice.

Another water change has been carried out, the Nitrite levels have now gone down to 1.56. Will keep up with the daily water changes.

The fish are still twitching a but not as vigorously and the white spots have gone. Tails are still frayed but hopefully with the water changes they will get better.

 

[Autumnsky]

You might check tap water for nitrites.