HI all
I have recently got a 100 litre tank. As is the normal advice here in the UK, I set the tank up, put in the gravel, ornaments and plants along with water conditioner and biological enhancer and left to run for a week. Water sample was tested at shop and they said I was good to go with fish. I started with a few and completed a water change. Levels seemed ok and then the angel fish started gasping for air and died within a few hours. Other fish are perfectly fine.
Tested water at home and ammonia was relatively high. Have since done a 30% water change 3 days on the trot adding biological enhancer and water conditioner each time. Water looks great, fish very happy and active, reduced feeding and ammonia pretty much 0.
Issue is now the Nitrite level is at around 5ppm and Nitrate level 80ppm. 20% water change was done 4 hours beforehand.
Might be a silly assumption but is that because of the quick reduction (72 hours) in ammonia? Is it going through the cycle and as a high level of nitrate is present, the nitrite will lower naturally? Do I need to intervene?
I have recently got a 100 litre tank. As is the normal advice here in the UK, I set the tank up, put in the gravel, ornaments and plants along with water conditioner and biological enhancer and left to run for a week. Water sample was tested at shop and they said I was good to go with fish. I started with a few and completed a water change. Levels seemed ok and then the angel fish started gasping for air and died within a few hours. Other fish are perfectly fine.
Tested water at home and ammonia was relatively high. Have since done a 30% water change 3 days on the trot adding biological enhancer and water conditioner each time. Water looks great, fish very happy and active, reduced feeding and ammonia pretty much 0.
Issue is now the Nitrite level is at around 5ppm and Nitrate level 80ppm. 20% water change was done 4 hours beforehand.
Might be a silly assumption but is that because of the quick reduction (72 hours) in ammonia? Is it going through the cycle and as a high level of nitrate is present, the nitrite will lower naturally? Do I need to intervene?