Cycling with fish need help!

[vaillancourt_jv]

i have a 100 gallon tank. i filled it up and put in my fish without knowing i had to cycle. i currently have a blood parrot and 2 oscars. my ammonia is at 0 but my nitrite is at 10mg/l and my nitrate is at 80mg/l. i have been doing very frequent water changes which do not help at all and the local store recommended i add nutrafin cycle. my friend has also gave me her used filter from her cycled aquarium to help move it along. i don't know what else i can do my albino oscar died this morning and i think the others may be getting infected. i need help i want to do whats best for my fish.

 

[Convict2161]

i have a 100 gallon tank. i filled it up and put in my fish without knowing i had to cycle. i currently have a blood parrot and 2 oscars. my ammonia is at 0 but my nitrite is at 10mg/l and my nitrate is at 80mg/l. i have been doing very frequent water changes which do not help at all and the local store recommended i add nutrafin cycle. my friend has also gave me her used filter from her cycled aquarium to help move it along. i don't know what else i can do my albino oscar died this morning and i think the others may be getting infected. i need help i want to do whats best for my fish.

Nitrites are high. Keep doing water changes. Back to back 50%. Use a good condition like Prime. Whatever you can get, use it. The media from your friend will help it along. It's a big tank so you'll have to do big water changes.

How big of a change are your doing? The numbers should go down the more changes you perform. If you can't return the fish this is your only option, a fish in cycle. It can be done, you have to stay on top of it but you can do it.

Do another water change, get that number down.

What size filters are you running on the tank?

 

[BBradbury]

Fish In Tank Cycling

i have a 100 gallon tank. i filled it up and put in my fish without knowing i had to cycle. i currently have a blood parrot and 2 oscars. my ammonia is at 0 but my nitrite is at 10mg/l and my nitrate is at 80mg/l. i have been doing very frequent water changes which do not help at all and the local store recommended i add nutrafin cycle. my friend has also gave me her used filter from her cycled aquarium to help move it along. i don't know what else i can do my albino oscar died this morning and i think the others may be getting infected. i need help i want to do whats best for my fish.

Hello vail...

Did you treat your tap water? You have to use a liquid that removes toxins like chloramine and chlorine from the tap water. These are chemicals toxic to aquarium fish, but necessary so the water is safe for us to drink.

B

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

i have been using nutrifin products to remove my chlorine. i've been doing water changes daily, sometimes 2 or 3 times usually 50% to 75% of the water but even with my water changed the nitrite does not move down at all. my filter is only a 75g because the 110g filter i bought from the store had a crack in it so when i returned it and the 75g was the only one they had at the time. it was the 4th filter i bought because all the other ones were defected as well, therefor i cant afford to buy another one atm. it is a aqua clear power filter that hangs off of the tank.

 

[Convict2161]

i have been using nutrifin products to remove my chlorine. i've been doing water changes daily, sometimes 2 or 3 times usually 50% to 75% of the water but even with my water changed the nitrite does not move down at all. my filter is only a 75g because the 110g filter i bought from the store had a crack in it so when i returned it and the 75g was the only one they had at the time. it was the 4th filter i bought because all the other ones were defected as well, therefor i cant afford to buy another one atm. it is a aqua clear power filter that hangs off of the tank.

Aqua clears are great HOB filters but you most definitely want to upgrade at some point. You have a big tank and a heavy bio load.

So... Nitrites aren't going down at all huh?

Hmmmm.... Have you tested tap water? Maybe the kit is bad?

With 2-3 water changes back to back it should be going down, I can't see removing all that water and numbers remain the same.

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

I've tested my tap water and it is completely free of nitrate and nitrite. I can't imagine bringing them back to the store I've grown too attached to them but I want what's best for them. I also have a very small 50g filter I can put if it would make a difference. I've minimized feedings to morning only and stuck with hard pellets, no more KFC which they love. I also noticed theses little white strings at the bottom of my tank and from what I've seen on the Internet they are worms but are harmless to my fish, can that be causing my high levels? I've tried using the gravel vacuum to remove them multiple times but they don't seem to leave.

 

[Convict2161]

I've tested my tap water and it is completely free of nitrate and nitrite. I can't imagine bringing them back to the store I've grown too attached to them but I want what's best for them. I also have a very small 50g filter I can put if it would make a difference. I've minimized feedings to morning only and stuck with hard pellets, no more KFC which they love. I also noticed theses little white strings at the bottom of my tank and from what I've seen on the Internet they are worms but are harmless to my fish, can that be causing my high levels? I've tried using the gravel vacuum to remove them multiple times but they don't seem to leave.

I don't think they are the cause. So you have gravel and have been doing some gravel vacs lately? How many timer would you say?

The extra filter would help out some. On that size tank 2 aqua clear 110's would be good or even a canister if you wanted to go that route.

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

I do the gravel vac every few days. I don't want to remove the bacteria that's possibly forming in the gravel. The water change I did today I used the vac. I have about an inch of black gravel at the bottom but my parrot loves to dig and make piles so most of the time I see the glass at bottom.

 

[Convict2161]

I do the gravel vac every few days. I don't want to remove the bacteria that's possibly forming in the gravel. The water change I did today I used the vac. I have about an inch of black gravel at the bottom but my parrot loves to dig and make piles so most of the time I see the glass at bottom.

The gravel vacs could be stirring up debris and causing your nitrites to raise. How old is the tank or gravel? You may wanna try water changes ONLY and get that number down quickly. I'm willing to bet that water changes alone without the gravel vac and stirring everything up might bring your numbers down to a manageable level.

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

I will try that. I recently set up the tank no more than 4 weeks ago. I began right away thinking it was safe to put fish in according to the people at the store. I had my one Oscar and he was fine other than being shy. I therefor went to petsmart for help. They informed me he might be overwhelmed and I should buy another fish. They convinced me a parrot was a good companion. Not only does he attack my oscar, but I then learnt he is died. I only learnt about cycling my fish tank when I realized my nitrite explosion and found this website. My nitrite seem to have went high when my mother added to more oscars without my knowledge thinking they were "small fish". I'm thinking of bringing the parrot back since he is way to territorial and he's hurting my oscars.

 

[Convict2161]

I will try that. I recently set up the tank no more than 4 weeks ago. I began right away thinking it was safe to put fish in according to the people at the store. I had my one Oscar and he was fine other than being shy. I therefor went to petsmart for help. They informed me he might be overwhelmed and I should buy another fish. They convinced me a parrot was a good companion. Not only does he attack my oscar, but I then learnt he is died. I only learnt about cycling my fish tank when I realized my nitrite explosion and found this website. My nitrite seem to have went high when my mother added to more oscars without my knowledge thinking they were "small fish". I'm thinking of bringing the parrot back since he is way to territorial and he's hurting my oscars.

Bring the parrot back, good idea. Stop the gravel vacs another good idea. Keep doing water changes over and over again. Make sure to temp match as best you can to avoid shock and use your conditioner. Keep us posted.

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

Alright thanks I will. I will most likely be bringing him back as soon as possible.

 

[Convict2161]

Alright thanks I will. I will most likely be bringing him back as soon as possible.

Good for you. Doing the right thing.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

:Welcome: to AA! We hope ya enjoy

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

Thank u! So far it's been very helpful. I'm very new in the fish world and I'm still on my way to knowing how. It's nice to know there are many people out there willing to help.

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

I just tested my water before the water change and the nitrite has gone down to 3mg/l and nitrate to 40mg/l. I'm hoping this is a good sign?!

 

[vaillancourt_jv]

Ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate 10. I began feeding them more often, and rehomed the blood parrot. I think I might have to rehome one of my oscars since now they started fighting and my tiger is all cut up and is missing pieces of his fins.