5 gallon fish IN cyling - Nitrites finally

[HeatherW]

started out my 5 gallon tank around 1 Dec. I am doing a fish IN cycle and thought I would never see any progress. I seriously thought I would just be doing daily PWCs for the rest of this tank's life! I am so excited!! I am finally seeing Nitrites in my tests. reading .25ppm for two days in a row now. I am still doing a daily PWC to keep my numbers in line. still testing high in ammonia too. will the ammonia soon start reading 0?

any idea how much longer I have?

today's test results:
temp - 79.3
Ammonia - .5
Nitritites - .25
PH - 7.4

had ich in my tank too, so I am treating with salt everyday with my PWCs. I also uppped my temp a little. I know it is not as high as it could be, but was a little worried about stressing the poor guys out too much. besides - the salt should take care of the ich anyways right? I just bumped the temp up to get the ich cycle to go a little faster.

 

[LyndaB]

You want your temp to be 86 F when treating for ich. Raise it slowly, a few degrees per day.

 

[HeatherW]

Ich gone?

You want your temp to be 86 F when treating for ich. Raise it slowly, a few degrees per day.

I am pretty sure the ich is out of my tank... how do I know for sure?

 

[LyndaB]

In my opinion, if I don't see spots for a week, I consider the tank cured.

 

[HeatherW]

thanks Lynda! moved my ich discussion over to the "unhealthy fish section" (saw you followed me over there) just so I would keep my thread on topic.
thanks for your help!
so what do you think on the Nitrites issue? how am I doing?

 

[LyndaB]

I think you're doing well, since your ammonia is converting to nitrites.

 

[HeatherW]

yikes! the Nitrites are high!!!

Yikes! checked my water today and the Nitrites are getting really high! guess I need to do 2 PWCs today!
Temp - 79.7
Ammonia - .5
Nitrite - 2.0
PH 7.4
Nitrate - 5

Lost me another neon. think the nitrites or effects from ich got him. he wasn't looking so great the last several days.

will my nitrites keep going high like this for seveal weeks?

 

[HeatherW]

did 2 PWC yesterday and was hoping that was going to make a difference. tested today and it is just as bad. maybe i will see if I can fit in 3 PWC today - busy weekend!
temp - 79.7
ammonia - .5
Nitrite - 2.0
PH - 7.4

Nitrite reading is hard to tell the difference between 2.0 and 5.0! pretty sure I was 2.0ppm

 

[librarygirl]

Yep, the nitrites spike is a bugger so you really need to be vigilant. With nitrite at 2 I'd definitely do a few 50-60% water changes. Good luck!

 

[HeatherW]

thanks librarygirl! I have been doing 2 50% PWCs since the nitrites started spiking, but it doesn't seem to be making a dent! I am planning on 3-4 for today.
On a positive note... I saw the ammonia drop on its own for the first time today!! so excited!!
temp -81.0
ammonia - .25
Nitrite - 5.0+
PH - 7.4

 

[blert]

What's your feeding schedule? If you haven't already, I would slow it down to once every two or three days until you get through this nitrite spike. Less food equals less ammonia equals less nitrites. And get the nitrites already in your tank as low as possible with water changes.

 

[HeatherW]

What's your feeding schedule? If you haven't already, I would slow it down to once every two or three days until you get through this nitrite spike. Less food equals less ammonia equals less nitrites. And get the nitrites already in your tank as low as possible with water changes.

i feed everyday with a fast on sunday. I am alternating flakes with one day of brine shrimp and one day of blood worms.
I guess I could try skipping every other day until this gets a little better. how long do you think I will keep spiking like this?

 

[librarygirl]

The nitrite phase typically lasts a few weeks on average. Every tank is different though; hopefully yours won't last too long. Just keep up with water changes and feed sparingly. I'd vacuum the gravel with water changes too if you aren't already just to suck up any extra food and waste that can breakdown and add to the toxin levels.

 

[HeatherW]

The nitrite phase typically lasts a few weeks on average. Every tank is different though; hopefully yours won't last too long. Just keep up with water changes and feed sparingly. I'd vacuum the gravel with water changes too if you aren't already just to suck up any extra food and waste that can breakdown and add to the toxin levels.

hopefully it won't be that long! and yes, I vacuum every time I am doing the water changes. figure might as well suck up all that extra food

 

[blert]

hopefully it won't be that long! and yes, I vacuum every time I am doing the water changes. figure might as well suck up all that extra food

Don't go nuts vacuuming though. Just vac lightly as you don't really want to disturb your substrate a whole bunch and suck up the bacteria colonies growing there. But it's still a very good idea to vac your gravel. Also, gently shake off any big chunks from your filter media at PWC time. Not every time currently, just once every couple of days or so.

 

[hippy guy]

If do the brine and blood worms once or twice a month tops. Too much protien can cause constipation and other things like swim bladder issues..

 

[HeatherW]

Don't go nuts vacuuming though. Just vac lightly as you don't really want to disturb your substrate a whole bunch and suck up the bacteria colonies growing there. But it's still a very good idea to vac your gravel. Also, gently shake off any big chunks from your filter media at PWC time. Not every time currently, just once every couple of days or so.

I haven't been doing anything to my filter. it is just a little pad thing and I am scared to mess with it. should I be cleaning it every couple of days or every couple of weeks? Also, I thought I was supposed to leave it alone until I was cycled

If do the brine and blood worms once or twice a month tops. Too much protien can cause constipation and other things like swim bladder issues..

I thought a schedule of once a week was ok. Is this too often?

 

[blert]

I haven't been doing anything to my filter. it is just a little pad thing and I am scared to mess with it. should I be cleaning it every couple of days or every couple of weeks? Also, I thought I was supposed to leave it alone until I was cycled

Once a week is fine normally. I was just suggesting to give it a light shake in old tank water every couple of days to dislodge any chunks that might be contributing to your toxin levels.

 

[HeatherW]

still spiking nitrites

test keeps reading the same. seems like I am doing more water changes and the numbers keep coming back the same day after day grow you little bacteria!!
temp - 80.4
ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 2.0
PH - 7.4

 

[siva]

You can feed bettas frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp 2-3 days a week without worrying about protien overload. Bettas are carnivores, and should have more protien in their diet than many other fish. Just avoid freeze dried. It would be better to rotate those frozen foods with a high quality betta pellet, instead of flake. Flake will cause more digestive issues.

80 is a perfect temp to keep bettas at always..raising to around 86 if you are treating something like ich.

A 10 gal tank should be the absolute minimum for neons IMO. They are schoolers that need to be kept in groups of 6 or more and there is just no room for a school of them with a betta in a 5 gal.

You have other tanks, right? Why are you doing a fish-in cycle and exposing the fish to toxic levels of nitrites when you can move seeded filter media over from another tank?