Cycle crash and restart, 24hr bounce back?

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TheRealJobe

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Oct 11, 2014
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Hello keepers of fish knowledge,

The short version of my situation:
55 gal, started to cycle, stand broke, water goes into 3 containers, 3 containers continue cycle at different paces, all the water goes back into 55, add roughly another 20 gal of water ( compensate for the water that was lost during the stand issues.)

5 hours later no sign of Nitrite or Nitrate

Said screw it, I'm adding fish, added 5 small fish (tetra), 24 hrs later my levels now read as:


Ammonia 1.5
NitrIte 2
NitrAte 7

So... that was surprising, question though, when do I do a water change?
What levels of any of the above are fatal to fish?

Should I continue to add ammonia until my NitrItes 0 out?
 

Rbishop

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Dec 30, 2005
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TheRealJobe

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Oct 11, 2014
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I had, at some time in the last month. Lot of info out there, and forgot the detail it shares.
I did a 15% pwc, probably need to do more.

My ammonia is rapidly dropping but ite's and ate's have sky rocketed.
I'll likely starting doing daily 20% changes until the ites and ates level out.
 

Rbishop

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Dec 30, 2005
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Mr. Normal
Provided your replacement water doesn't have ammonia, a 50% water change should reduce the level by 50%..the sooner you get it low enough, the sooner you will stop damaging the health of the fish. Even with a zero reading on the liquid test kit, there will still be plenty for the bacteria to consume...they are only so accurate.
 
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