Tazmiche

In another post i told about saving my last Guppy by VERY quickly setting up a small tank using filter media form other tank, i have kept checking water and up until today readings have been

ph7.8 (average for here as tap water high pH)
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate? to be honest i have forgotten extact amount but v low.

Tonight nitrIte 1.5 and nitrAte 75

have done 40% water change. Have re read nit cycle posts tonight.....am i doing right thing??

I've left a bucket of water with 'tap safe' in getting to room temp ready for tomo if i should change again.

I hope i typed this correctly as i am shattered from work!!

atmmachine816

Sounds like it's going through a mini-cycle, do 50% water change again tomorrow then the day after check to see if the levels are down, if not do it again, don't worry he should be able to handle it. hope all goes well.

Tazmiche

TY, he is still playing in the bubbles tonight so hope all will be ok

Tazmiche

have done 50% water change but he has gone very quite, at top of tank. Just gonna test water NitrIte was slightly lower this morn before water change, ammonia still 0 ph fine and nitrates upslightly but nothing massive. Do i need to worry

chickadee

Ammonia is the big killer but Nitrites are not far behind and at 1.5 it is at a level that is going to affect the little guy but I don't think it is lethal. Nitrates of the level (75) that you spoke of are dangerous though. Have you tested the tap water straight out of the tap with nothing in it. City water supplies and wells do change the levels of nitrate sometimes and water that was previously safe many contain lethal levels of nitrate. (speaks from experience )

If your tap water is okay and it more than likely is...then water changes should be able to get him through this. A 50% water change every day may be needed until things go back to normal but at least it will keep the levels at a livable level. Just keep on changing the water and testing until you can see that things are normal BEFORE the water change. (always test before you change the water, it will tell you where you are really at)

Hope this helps.

Rose

Tazmiche

Rose yes this helps, when i saw that you were on i hoped you'd reply as you have given me great help setting first tank up.

Hope it works Michelle

chickadee

Thank you. It is my pleasure. It is good to get to post to you again, but I do wish the circumstances were better.

I am confident that you will be okay with this tank if you just don't get worn out with the water changes. This has been happening a lot lately for some reason.

Rose

Tazmiche

any idea why?

our tap ph is quite high, which is quite the norm and our fish in the other tank (where the Guppy first lived) seemed to be okay with the ph (7.6 to 8 max on a bad day) but could it just be the speed at which i have had to do it and as said in other reply a 'mini cycle'

'Touch wood' or 'fingers crossed' other tank good so far.

People say Guppies are very hardy, is this true and is there a chance that I may be able to save the little bugger?

I will test water again in the morning and depending on the results, how much of a water change shall I do? If water bad, should I hang him in a bag in the other tank to save less stress to him or let nature take its course?

I am living with my parents again at the moment and my mum says I thought fish were supposed to be relaxing not this
stressful!