Isabella

Butterfly! More questions! I have finally finished chaning my tank's setup. The driftwood is ready. I soaked and boiled it for a couple of days. It is not leaking any color anymore. I also changed the gravel in my tank and added more plants. I removed old decor and added rocks and shells found in the river. I had saved all of my water from the main tank too, lol. My quarantine tank is newly cycled so I put all my fish there temporarily during the changes I was making to my 30g. tank. The readings of the Q tank are: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite (I added decor from the main tank to speed up the cycling process and it worked), and 10mg/L nitrate, and pH is neutral (7.0). However, in my main tank the pH was around 7.4 when I was transferring the fish. Will this have an adverse effect on my fish when their pH suddenly changed from 7.4 to 7.0? I also hear there may be a mini-cycle in the main tank due to gravel and decor change (the water is the same; filter never stopped filtering either so bacteria are saved; and there are bacteria on tank walls). How long do you think that mini-cycle will take? When is it safe to put the fish back in the main tank? Ok, maybe that's enough of questions for now! Thanks in advance for answers !!! Oh, and I put some pictures of my tank in the "Fish and Tank Photos" section )

Butterfly

I saw the tank and I really like it. You did a really good job of choosing driftwood and arranging the decor. Since you moved all the stuff over I would say to go ahead and move your fish so the bacteria won't die. But the difference in ph could cause a problem so you need to acclimate them by combining the water they are in and the new tank water gradually over at least an hour. Then if they seem ok go ahead and add them to the tank. Hope thats not confusing
Carol

Isabella

Thanks Carol, you're helpful as always But listen to what happened. I am a little worried. As I have said, before I put the fish in the Q tank, the readings were perfect. I tested the water in the Q tank right before putting the fish in there. And I tested the water the day after, the readings were fine. Now, I tested the water today (the second day they were in the Q tank), and I was shocked to find out that nitrite was at 0.25. I also noticed my neons were swimming as if they were agitated by something. Angels however behave normally. How is it possible that nitrite rose from 0 to 0.25 overnight? Ammonia is at zero, and nitrate at 20 now. Once I saw that nitrite reading I quickly changed 25% of water in the Q tank. And I tested the water in the main tank - ammonia at 0, nitrite at 0, and nitrate at 30 (it rose from 20 to 30 since setup change); whereas pH dropped from 7.4 to 7.2 after the setup change. I also changed 25% of water in the main tank today. Now, since nitrite is at 0.25 in the Q tank, and the only problem in the main tank is nitrate which is at 30, I decided to transfer fish back to the main tank. I would have waited longer if the Q tank parameters were fine. But I don't want to risk it. Nitrite at 0.25 is toxic. Now I am afraid my neons will get sick and die. And I don't have any other tanks to put them in. Do you think they may get sick or die from being in water with 0.25 nitrite during one night? Now I only hope nothing will get worse with the main tank's water since it was recently re-done (but bacteria were saved on the walls and in the filter). Do you think the main tank is still faced with the mini-cycle? What to do? I think the nitrite rose so quickly - even though the tank was cycled - because I added so many fish at once to it. But the point is: I knew that if you add too many fish that may happen, only I didn't expect it to rise that fast! I didn't even have the time to see if the main tank will mini-cycle. This post is so long! Sorry for bothering you Butterfly.

Gunnie

Isabella,
If you can get it, go get some Amquel plus to help get you through this. It will neutralize the nitrites until you can get the parameters back to normal. It will also neutralize the nitrates in the other tank.

Butterfly

You did the right thing by doing the water changes and since you saved teh bacteria in hte other tank I think they will be fine. Just keep an eye on the parameters and do water changes if you need it. Did I understand correctly all the fish are in the main tank now? Keep us posted. And you are never any bother
Carol

Isabella

Yes Carol, after discovering nitrite at 0.25, I quickly transferred them to the 30 gallon tank. I think 30mg/L of nitrate is safer than 0.25mg/L nitrite since nitrite is far more toxic. And I only have these two tanks. So that's why I decided to transfer them. I am, and will, definitely monitor the water every day. Thank you Gunnie. I will go to my store, maybe even today, and see if they have Amquel.

Butterfly

You have learned to make such good fishie decisions
Carol

Jason

This has nothing to do with this but Isabella can you please put paragraph spaces its a bit hard to read when the posts are very long

Isabella

Sure J-Man. I am sorry my posts are so long and hard to read! I don't know why I always write so much, lol. And while writing, I usually get so enveloped in it that I forget to make some divisions which would make everything easier to read. Sorry! I will try and make my posts paragraphed

Jason

Thats all right its just I always read everyones posts, just makes it a little easier

Butterfly

J-Man- Have always thought of the paragraph break as when you take a breath when your talking. Now you know us women, when we get to talking(read-typing) we just can't seem to stop and take a breath Speaking for myself of course ;
Carol

Jason

LOL!!!

Isabella

HAHA Carol, so true! LOL