If a fish and a half weighs a pound and a half...

So the pleco went down this morning. I've been doing 30 -50% water changes daily, however, (s)he still didn't make it.

Tank Stats:

Temp 78
PH 7.4
Nitrite .3
Ammonia 5 ppm


So is my tank still cycling? Or do I need to start adding ammonia and/or get another fish?
 
since february when i got him (fish make the best V-Day presents) to the present time, my sailfin pleco has gone from 2 inches to about 7 inches. they can grow fast when they are young, and if they aren't growing that quickly, they're probably too cramped and being stunted.
 
wataugachicken said:
since february when i got him (fish make the best V-Day presents) to the present time, my sailfin pleco has gone from 2 inches to about 7 inches. they can grow fast when they are young, and if they aren't growing that quickly, they're probably too cramped and being stunted.
Click to expand...


Not an issue being that i've lost him.

Now i'm concerned with the ammonia cycle and if it's still working or if I need to continue it manually by adding ammonia. Any suggestions?

Tank Stats:

Temp 78
PH 7.4
Nitrite .3
Ammonia 5 ppm
 
what i said about the size was more for Galaxie - the pleco wouldn't have done well in that tank for a few months, and probably wouldn't have ever had a growth spurt (had it lived) due to being stunted from the start.

you'll have to add ammonia. test it and top it off at 3 ppm every day (you are supposed to start with 5 ppm and drop it to 3 when nitrites appear, and you have them already). Remember - don't ADD 3ppm, just bring the existing levels up to that amount. Add ammonia daily until you notice through testing that after adding 3ppm one day, the ammonia and nitrites are completely gone 24 hours later. when the bacteria can get rid of all the waste (ammonia and nitrites) in 24 hours, you are cycled. then just do a water change (75% give or take) to bring the nitrates down below 20ppm, and you're set. while you are using the ammonia to cycle, you don't have to change the water at all.

is your ammonia level at .5ppm or is it actually 5pmm?
 
You need to continue with some sort of ammonia source. Lets nix adding more fish since 5ppm is way too toxic. Someone help me out here, but I think, as you cycle, you should aim for 1 ppm ammonia.

What is confusing me, is usually when nitrite starts appearing, the ammonia disappears or drops significantly. Something must have been making just way too much ammonia.
 
ammonia drops when nitrites start appearing because the bacteria are turning the ammonia into nitrite. it's not that ammonia isn't being released into the water, but that the amount that is put in gets converted into something else. 3ppm is the recommended amount to use during the second stage of a fishless cycle, when the nitrite --> nitrate bacteria are growing.
 
Thank you both for your continued help. I'm actually not sure what the ammonia is now that i'm at work and can't see the testing kit, but it's high, as in the darkest color on the testing color match. So i'd imagine it's very very high. Would that be 5ppm or .5?

The nitrites have been present since I began testing, which sounds like that might be odd? The tank is one with the biowheel, I don't know if that has any bearing.

So my next steps, am I correct in these assumptions:

1) Don't add anything until ammonia is near 3ppm
2) Once it goes to 3ppm keep it there by adding ammonia
3) Monitor nitrites, eventually 24 hours after adding ammonia, nitrites and ammonia
should continually fall to 0.


Sound correct?
 
Are there currently any fish alive still?? Also, test your tap water for nitrites, I think sometimes they can be present there. I might be wrong, but it doesn't hurt to check. Do you have a nitrate test kit?? That will also help determine where you are in cycling process, pick one up if you can. and get a liquid one, they are more accurate than the strips:)
 
you got it.
 
So a little more info:

Tap water has no ammonia or nitrite.
Ammonia is 5ppm not .5ppm
Nitrite is about .3
PH is 7.7


So i'm holding off on the addition of ammonia until the 5ppm drops to about 3. I've done a 50% water change today, so i'm hoping by tomorrow.
 
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