Chrisson

I've noticed when I do the water changes my parameters like the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate doesn't go down. Is this normal? I even tried testing the tap water if it's contaminated and they're clean.

Lucy

What are your readings before the water change? How much are you changing out? If you change out 50% the ammonia, nitrites and nirates should be cut in half.
Are you vacuuming the gravel?
What are you using to test?

Chrisson

ammonia is 0 nitrite is 0.8 (Got a spike, I'm trying to get it down) sadly I don't have nitrate test didn't come with my not so master test kit. I use liquid tests. Yes, I vacuum the gravel thoroughly and I do 15-20% water change every two or three days after the nitrite got high. Does the water change have to be 50% or more to get it dropped?

Lucy

No, it should go down regardless. If you change out 1/4 the readings should go down the same. However, if your taking out took little the test may not pick up any change.
My API kit cards show 0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0

CWO4GUNNER

If your filter is filthy it will not go down. When was the least time you cleaned your filter and do you seem to have allot of poop and food floating around daily or is your tank Cristal clear 95% of the time? With 8 fish in a 10 Ga tank you are definitely way over maxed. I have 30 fish in my 60ga and Im maxed out for my size tank. I would have to have 48 fish to have your % of fish and if I did Id have high levels also and a filthy filter.

shadowavenger

I have this same problem. I even did an 80+% water change one day to try to get NO2- levels down but they still were at or above 5 PPM. It makes me wonder about the accuracy of the test its self, as to if it actually can distinguish between different levels or if it is just capable of detecting the presence of nitrites and distinguishes by either blue for none or purple for nitrites present. I always get a dark purple even after I did an 80% change, which should have technically brought the levels down to less than 1 PPM. I wouldn't put too much concern into the exact readings, just make sure to do water changes and use detoxifiers.

Chrisson

sadly I haven't made any maintenance on the filter since I bought it which is a month ago but the sponge isn't brown and it still white. I've noticed alot of debris fly by when I move the gravel a bit. I'm trying to get all that gone right now.

Also I don't have my Zebra Danios anymore, only 2 guppies.

CWO4GUNNER

I have never had a hang filter last that long without bypassing (allowing dirty water to pass). The fact that you have allot of floating debris is usually evidence that you are overfeeding when 2 mouth fulls is all they need (gulpx2). Water changes should include use of a vacuum hose on the gravel. That is why I prefer medium fine sand because it doesn't trap debris and the air wand always picks it all up for the filter. When I do vacuum I hardly pick up anything and my aquarium is always sparkling. If and when you clean your filter always use old water change water in a bucket, never tap water.

Chrisson

Yeah when I started my tank and had my danios I over fed my fish because they always keep begging for food (it's so tempting!). now I only give one small flake to my 2 guppies and they would rip it and split it.

CWO4GUNNER

I would wash my hands and arms so you don't contaminate the tank, remove some calm surface water from your tank about 1 bucket (two gallons) and place your fish into a Tupperware container with an air wand an heater. Take an extra bucket out and set it aside for later. Shut everything off the tank remove the light and cover and reach inside and swirl all the gravel and any slimy glass/ornamentals until all the poop and debris is suspended in the remaining water then use a siphon hose while swirling to suck out as mush nasty water as possible with the end of the house inside the aquarium deep almost against the glass bottom for a 99% water change. Then pour back inside the aquarium the cleaner aquarium water in the bucket that was set aside earlier about 2 gallons. Now take the nastey water you just removed over to the tub with your filter and use that water to rinse out your filter parts taking everything apart. Even though the water is nasty the chunky stuff will settle to the bottom of the bucket so don't worry your filter will come out clean enough squeezing and rinsing every part. Now put the filter back together and pour in new treated (stress coat) water making sure the temperature is close using a little hot/cold water and your hand to compare the fish Tupperware water before pouring it in the tank. Then after Turing on the filter making sure its working use the thermometer to make sure the water temp is fairly matched between the fish and the new tank water. Place the fish back inside the aquarium making sure the heater and lights are working. Take water readings they should be noticeably lower in toxicity. Also buy an air wand and pump so that after feeding you can turn it on full blast for 15-20 minutes allowing current flow to pick up debris from the gravel and carry it to the filter every day until sparkling. Remember do not allow un-treated raw chlorinated water to come in contact with the filter or aquarium until treated and mixed well inside a bucket.

Lucy

This is only a 10g tank. I think a few good gravel vacs will get the excess food out. You can rinse your media filter in used tank water if it's nasty.
I don't see a reason to tear the tank apart unless everything is seriously polluted.

Chrisson

Well the filter isn't actually dirty at all. The sponge is actually still bright white. And when I started doing the water changes more frequently half the gunk is all gone but that might be because I only have 2 guppies now.

CWO4GUNNER

Well your the one that is there to see, smell and feel, and judge, we might as well be on the moon and can only imagine how bad it is. Strange though that after a month your filter is clean. I keep a bubble stream going near my filter outlets to make sure I can see flow but like I said hang filters are notorious for bypassing. You have to understand Im an old Navy man and did my share of washing dishes and cleaning until things shined, so I don't play games when it comes to getting a job done.

Chrisson

It may be because the gunk always sink down and the filter can't pick it up. During these times I wish there was a thing that is undergravel/outside box filter.

Chrisson

I tried testing the water by adding 75% of my tank water and 25% of tap water and tried testing them and it gave the same result of Nitrite as my test with 100% of tank water! I think the tester might be defective.

Butterfly

1) Try testing your tap water and see what the readings are again. The water companies frequently add stuff as needed.
2) Make sure to really vigerously shake the Nitrate test bottles before using.
3) When testing after a water change you need to wait at least an hour before testing to let the water mix well with the old.
4) Rinsing the filter media in used tank water about once a month will keep it from becoming stopped up and will preserve your beneficial bacteriaa
Carol