Water parameters all crazy! WHY? Need advice.

[CoreyMac]

Last week my parameters were fine - Ammonia at .25 as it usually is, nitrite at 0, nitrate at 10, PH 6.4

Tonight I do tests because a tetra is bent in half and I find:

Ammonia at .25, nitrite at .25, nitrate at 80, PH at 6.


I immediately did a 25% WC and brought my numbers to
Ammonia .25, PH 6.4, EDIT: Nitrate 20, Nitrite 0.

Maybe I was reading the nitrate wrong, but maybe not. How in the world could my nitrates shot up that high? I think maybe I am feeding too much. Can anyone PLEASE help tell me how much I should feed? I know the fish's eye rule, but that kinda stumps me sometimes. I worry about the Neon Tetras and the Harlequin Rasboras eating as they rarely come to the surface to eat.

As for my Peppered Corys, I sometimes feed them shrimp pellets, sometimes algae wafers. How many shrimp pellets for 4 peppered corys? How many algae wafers?

Thanks in advance.

[khombre]

What test kit do you use? I have a feeling there's a bit of an inaccuracy with it since you only did a 25% water change but your nitrate levels dropped by 75%. By the way, you metioned your ammonia to be in the 0.25 level as always, please get it down to 0. Any reading above 0 of nitrites and/or ammonia may pose a threat to your fish. Good luck. :)

[plah831]

Also, did you shake the **** out of the second reagant bottle for the nitrate test? I've read that warning that it needs to be shaken for one entire minute, and it kinda scares me.

BTW, "all your base are belong to us" LMAO! That was an old raver joke, back in the day.

[CoreyMac]

API Master Test Kit. I shook it for 30 seconds. 1 full minute? As for the ammonia, my test kit apparently reads ammonium as well, and that's what I am getting. My water has Chloramine in it. Yay for me.

[CoreyMac]

I wouldn't know anything about raving. Sorry.

[CoreyMac]

ALSO - I am using topfin's ammonia reducer, which supposedly clears Chlorine, Chloramine, and Ammonia. Is this stuff any good? Should I go with something else?

[plah831]

That sounds OK. As long as it deals with ammonia, as well as chloramine. The ones that don't neutralize ammonia, but treat chloramines just leave you with free, toxic ammonia.

Shaking it for 30 seconds ought to be just fine. I don't know why your nitrates are so high. What is it out of the tap?