Help!!!

[flutterbye75]

I just did a 25 % water change and then tested my water.....the good news is that my ph is neutral, however all of the other levels have skyrocketed.....im new at this...please help.....i dont want to loose fish

10 gallon
----------
5 guppies
2 mollies
2 neon tetras

 

[Boohoo]

Do another water change 50% and then test again. If need be do another back to back water change 50% to get the levels as low as possible.

 

[benedictj]

Couple of questions-

Do you do a gravel vac when you change water?

What type of filter do you have?

Also, what level are we talking about specifically?

 

[Blinky]

First, take a deep breath. Do another water change, leave things for a little while to settle, and retest. Post your results and the answers to benedictj's questions and we'll help you get everything sorted out. Be as specific as possible about your tank info and maintenance - the more we know the easier it is to help.
One more question, did you clean the filter inserts in tap water or replace them completely? Chlorinated water can kill beneficial bacteria, leading to ammonia and nitrite spikes. If the bacterial colony is wiped out with chemicals (or if you replace all the old filter media with new), the tank will need to re-cycle and you'll either need to get some Bio-Spira, media from an established tank or do daily 50% water changes until the cycle is complete.

 

[flutterbye75]

hhhhhaaaaahhhhhhh.....okay! I changed the water and did another test......the ph is still great 7.0

Ammonia: 1.0
Nitrites: 2.0
Nitrates: 5.0

I have treated water on standby for when i do water changes....I have a aqua-tech 5/15 power filter...and yes i do a gravel vac when i change the water. I have another 10 gallon tank that i do the same weekly changes and i test every 3 days, the levels in that tank are superb. I have 23 guppy fry in that one and i feed them three times a day. I have had both tanks for two months.

 

[benedictj]

Yeah, I agree with the consensus. Change your water until you get the nitrites and ammonia back down to zero and keep an eye on them. If they rise up again, beat em back down with water changes. Also, the suggestions that blinky had about established media and Bio-Spira are excellent. (I cycled a 10g in two days using established filter media, tank water and plants. You could even nick some gravel and water from your fry tank if it is cycled).

 

[flutterbye75]

I will do as suggested! Thank you for the input. I really think raising two kids is easier than a tank of fish...lol :bowing: hats off to you guys who know what you are doing

 

[WinterWind]

Do you do a gravel vac when you change water?

Is using one bad?


I've used one to change water every time. Does it kill the beneficial bacteria?

 

[benedictj]

No, no, it is very good, though there is some debate about how often to vac in planted tanks.

I was thinking that if there wasn't a gravel vac being used, that rotting material in the bottom could have been stirred by the water change, causing the levels to suddenly spike. I've personally experienced similar spikes, though only with nitrAte, when using cheap UGFs.