Need to add fish now - Nitrite = 3

acocacolagirl

acocacolagirl

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Dec 2, 2004
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I am incharge of the 10 gl fish tank in my daughters class room. :read:

Last month the gouramis <sp? that were in the tank got sores and died. I would not let the teacher just add more fish to the tank. I insisted on cleaning the tank and all aquarium supplies with ammonia/water. I filled the tank leaving ammonia resedue in order to start a fishless cycle. The problem is that they are studying fish NOW. And they need/want fish in the tank NOW as that is what they are studying. So to speed the cycle, I changed the filter in my tank at home and put the old filter in the tank at school. I had the teacher test the parameters later that night, and we have continued to test as often as possible.
Here are the results:

1/18 -ph 6.8- -Am. 1.5- -Nitrite .25- -Nitrate 0-
1/19 -ph 6.8- -am. 1- -Nitrite over 10- -Nitrate 0-
1/22 -ph 6.2- -am. .5- -nitrite 3- -nitrate 0-
1/23 -ph 6.8- -am. 0- -nitrite 10- -nitrate 20- -added .5 ml ammonia after test-
1/24 -no test- -am. 0- -nitrite 3- -no test- -added 1 ml ammonia after test-
1/26 -ph 6.2- -am. 0- -nitrite 3- -nitrate 20- -added 1ml ammonia and "correct ph" after test-

I realize the nitrite should be 0 and that when I add the ammonia I should be adding enough to bring it up to 3-5ppm and it should = 0 in 24 hours, but I just dont have the time to figure out how much ammonia I should be adding. And they really need to get the fish in the tank now. I also realize that the humanitairans will freak out if I add fish when the water is not perfect. But for those of you who aren't fanatics about it, am I close enough? Can I add fish now?

I am considaring adding 4 platys. They are colorful and have a good shape/size for the children to be able to identify body parts. Or possibly some thing like some rosey tetras (they arent skinny like neons). Any input on what should go in the tank? The teacher likes colorful and large enough for the children to study.

Thanks for your help!
 
Why not donate some Biospira and put the Platies in the tank. The Biospira would help speed up the cycle and decrease the harm to the fish. The price for a 10g dose should be around $5 US.
 
You're close... if you really want to add fish, change 90% of the water (NO2 goes from from 3 to 0.3), add a few danios (or glofish) as they can take some N abuse w/ little or no effects. Repeat 50% water changes every time NO2 gets above 0.25. If you can go a week w/o having to do a change, you can add your platys then.

IMHO.
 
I would not add any more ph control things because normally they do not help much and they can make the ph go up and down and everywhere, and with fish, thats not good.
 
You "can" add fish as soon as you establish an aquascape. Just as long as you keep the amonia, and nitrite at safe levels. There fore, you will probly need to do pleantly of water changes to get the water, and keep the water clean of poor chemistry. Your in the final stages of cycle, and you are speeding the process intelegintly. So far you are doing everything right. I dont trust biospira, because if it is dead (its supposed to be a live enzyme and bacteria with a shelf life), then you get even MORE amonia, and you are screwed even further. Platys and Danios both are very study and hardy fish. Tollerable of nearly anything. I wouldnt fully stock the aquarium though or you would send your chemistry out of whack compleatly, and have to start all over again. Two plattys would be enough for the class to studdy, and would be about all i would put in the tank to start, and you can go back a couple weeks later and add more.
 
all i can ask is why? it's not going to be a good project for the class if all the fish die. the teacher, as an adult (and as a teacher, jeez!) should know better than to cut corners. is someone assigned to take the fish home at the end of the year? anyway -

stop adding ammonia, do a 100% water change to get rid of all those nitrites, add dechlor when you refill the tank, let it come up to temp, and add the fish. don't mess with the ph, there is absolutely no need to change it. a stable ph is 100 times better than one that constantly fluctuates due to chemical additives. continue testing the water daily. when ammonia or nitrites are at or above .25ppm, do a 50% change. levels must stay under .25 for the fish to remain healthy. nitrite is more toxic than ammonia in damaging the gills.
 
hmmm...as always, lots of advice out there. Don't worry, I dont intend to add any more ph stuff. Just did it once because I felt it was fluxuating already.

I have read a lot about the biospira debate, and I tend to agree that it is not the best option - that is why I just added my own filter to the tank.

True a live fish is better to study than a dead fish, but death is also part of life. I'm just happy to have educated the teacher that she shouldnt just fill the tank and add the fish without doing any cycle.

Oh, and don't worry, the fish don't have to move when school is out, it's is a school in a private home.

SO.
I think I'm gonna go for a big water change, test the nitrites again, and add two platys if I brought it down sufficiantly. (I didn't know a water change helped with high nitrite, I just thought that was for high nitrate.)
 
acocacolagirl said:
I have read a lot about the biospira debate, and I tend to agree that it is not the best option - that is why I just added my own filter to the tank.
Click to expand...

What is the debate behind BioSpira? It's a fantastic option if a) it's available in your area, and b) the pack works. There's a degree of chance that it might not, but I would say it's your best option. If it doesn't work, you aren't out anything but a couple dollars. (Which you might get back.)

Also... it really sounds like things are a matter of hours, not weeks, away from completing themselves. I had NitrItes of 20, which I changed the water out to about 2.0, and two days later I was done. (Which was something, since my levels were so elevated for so long.)

If it's a private home/school, seems to be perfect for the completion of the cycle. But either way, after the water change, things are much better than if fish had just been put in. However, I know I was feeling a ton of pressure, pressure every day, to put fish in, while I waited for mine. I am happy I didn't, and I think it's a good lesson for your students, that good things are worth waiting for, and that you don't rush science/life to suit your desires.
 
next year when the class gets a hamster, just don't feed it anymore after that part of the book. death is a part of life, right?

water changes remove everything that is in the water. nitrites are in the water therefore nitrites get taken out.
 
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