ok will do thanks!
again my nitirite is showing 0.05
what is nitrite? and how do i get it to 0 as well as doing water changes?
again my nitirite is showing 0.05
what is nitrite? and how do i get it to 0 as well as doing water changes?
please help?!
- Thread starter newbiefishlover
- Start date
well.. when a tank is properly cycled.. nitrrite will go away naturally
here is how it works
fish produce ammonia.. which is toxic to fish
one type of bacteria converts this ammonia into nitrite which is also harmfull to fish
a second type of bacteria converts the nitrite into less harmfull nitrate
and then we remove the nitrate with partial water changes
its called the nitrogen cycle-- and over time your tank will start doing this properly (cycling)
here is how it works
fish produce ammonia.. which is toxic to fish
one type of bacteria converts this ammonia into nitrite which is also harmfull to fish
a second type of bacteria converts the nitrite into less harmfull nitrate
and then we remove the nitrate with partial water changes
its called the nitrogen cycle-- and over time your tank will start doing this properly (cycling)
so adding alot more plants will eventually help?!
should i just move them in to the smaller tank again and re start the cycle in the larger one?
should i just move them in to the smaller tank again and re start the cycle in the larger one?
its acctually better to leave them in the larger tank at this point
it is much harder to control the levels in a smaller uncycled tank...
just do consistent partial water changes and you will cycle soon
the fact that you are showing nitrite is acctually a good sign.. it means the cycle has started (but you need to get rid of it since there is fish in there)
and yes live plants help tremendously.. but you will still always need to do some water changes
it is much harder to control the levels in a smaller uncycled tank...
just do consistent partial water changes and you will cycle soon
the fact that you are showing nitrite is acctually a good sign.. it means the cycle has started (but you need to get rid of it since there is fish in there)
and yes live plants help tremendously.. but you will still always need to do some water changes
Cycle process is ammonia converted to nitrite converted to nitrate then nitrate is controled by plants and water changes.
If you are showing ammonia or nitrite in your tests you are in a cycle of some kind most likely cause is not enough bacteria was moved from original tank.
As stated before you need to keep doing water changes with temp. matched dechlorinated water at a rate and amount to keep the ammonia and nitrite below .25 max and as close to 0 as possible till the bacteria catches up to where it needs to be in this tank. You also need to watch the nitrate and keep it below 40 with plants 10 or so would probably be good.
As for why the nitrite is higher is there are enough bacteria to use more of the ammonia but not enough to use all the nitrite they are 2 different types and the ammonia bacteria grows first because it is there first and seems to grow faster.
I do not know about the fish your tests do not seem to indicate a reading that is far enough out to kill them and i don't know much about disease but where they are from the same lfs i would suspect that it as a water difference that shocked them or they were sick but it will take someone with more experience in fish desease/behavior than me.
Do you have good water movement for good airation?
If you are showing ammonia or nitrite in your tests you are in a cycle of some kind most likely cause is not enough bacteria was moved from original tank.
As stated before you need to keep doing water changes with temp. matched dechlorinated water at a rate and amount to keep the ammonia and nitrite below .25 max and as close to 0 as possible till the bacteria catches up to where it needs to be in this tank. You also need to watch the nitrate and keep it below 40 with plants 10 or so would probably be good.
As for why the nitrite is higher is there are enough bacteria to use more of the ammonia but not enough to use all the nitrite they are 2 different types and the ammonia bacteria grows first because it is there first and seems to grow faster.
I do not know about the fish your tests do not seem to indicate a reading that is far enough out to kill them and i don't know much about disease but where they are from the same lfs i would suspect that it as a water difference that shocked them or they were sick but it will take someone with more experience in fish desease/behavior than me.
Do you have good water movement for good airation?
Do you have good water movement for good airation?
erm? could you explain that please?
i dont see any bubbles from the pressure of the filter if that is what you mean ?!
erm? could you explain that please?
i dont see any bubbles from the pressure of the filter if that is what you mean ?!
umm yeah that was cause i forgot to turn it back on before !
there is quite a bit of movement in the water- i was wondering why it looked so still!
there is quite a bit of movement in the water- i was wondering why it looked so still!
7itanium summed it up: 1) fish produce ammonia, 2) some bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite, 3) other bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate, and 4) we remove nitrate through water changes.
It sounds like you have the ammonia bacteria. So, you are currently waiting to have enough nitrite bacteria to keep the level at 0. Until you have enough bacteria to do this, you yourself must keep the level at or near 0 by doing daily water changes.
I know the cycling sticky can be confusing, but having a solid grasp of the nitrogen cycle will make your life so much easier. Once you understand the basics of what's happening with your water chemistry, you'll know how to fix your problems.
These are symptoms of ammonia poisoning: "The fish will begin to lose its appetite and become increasingly lethargic. In some cases fish may be observed laying at the bottom of the tank with clamped fins." --http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ammoniapoison.htm
You probably had an ammonia spike before the current nitrite spike.
Plants do help out with water quality. But, keep in mind, for plants to have any significant impact on your nitrogen cycle, your tank needs to look like an underwater jungle. You seriously have to stuff your tank with plants. Otherwise, plants will not reduce the need for frequent water changes.
When the filter's not running, bacteria start to die off within a few hours. How long was yours off? It sounds like your tank is still cycling. I'd recommend keeping an eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels, by testing them every day. Do a water change every time the levels rise above 0.25. Match the water temp, but otherwise, do not be afraid of frequent or relatively large water changes. I do not think any of your issues stem from "shocking" the fish from different lfs tanks through differences in water chemistry. It sounds like your fish are experiencing straightforward ammonia and nitrite poisoning from cycling your tank.
I totally sympathize when you said that you hate standing by and watching a fish slowly die. Just remember, the best thing you can do is change the water. It may take one or two 25%+ water changes per day to keep your nitrite below 0.25, but this is necessary to prevent the nitrite from poisoning your fish.
Soon enough, the tank will take care of nitrite and ammonia on its own, and you'll be able to scale back to just one water change per week. Good luck! I hope your black moor pulls through.
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hey thanks for your help/ advice hun
my nitrite reading has been 0.05 every time i have checked it ,
but i just decided to test the water straight from the tap, and that showed exactly the same as the water from the fish tank???
its a liquid test kit iv been using.
so im guessing it is a water quality issuse?
but why is my tap water showing positive for nitrite?(i dont expect an answer to that lol)
so no matter how much nitrite i take out in the water change, im just replacing again via the water im putting in the tank?!
my nitrite reading has been 0.05 every time i have checked it ,
but i just decided to test the water straight from the tap, and that showed exactly the same as the water from the fish tank???
its a liquid test kit iv been using.
so im guessing it is a water quality issuse?
but why is my tap water showing positive for nitrite?(i dont expect an answer to that lol)
so no matter how much nitrite i take out in the water change, im just replacing again via the water im putting in the tank?!
oh yeah the filter was only off for about 20 mins , if that .
the way you described the poisoning ,sounds like thats what it was!
the blackmoor didnt pull through, it died last night
i kinda knew it wouldnt pull through though as it showed the exact same signs as the other ones that have died
the way you described the poisoning ,sounds like thats what it was!
the blackmoor didnt pull through, it died last night
i kinda knew it wouldnt pull through though as it showed the exact same signs as the other ones that have died
