Julii Cory

Hi I am new to fish keeping, and I started by doing all the wrong things, even lost all my fish, but thanks to this forum, I've learned so much and I think that I'm beginning to do some things right. I've had a 6 gallon Marineland Eclipse system for a little more than 5 weeks now. When I started I let the tank cycle for 12 hours before adding my fish, like the LFS said. My fish started dieing 1 fish per day, only my Inca snail survived. A week later, I bought 5 neon tetras and two female swordtails (recently I found out, to my disapointment,that the swordtails the LFS sold me are platys). I have 3 live plants in my tank. Without realizing, I was feeding my fish tetra flakes, and they were OK eating it, but now I am feeding them Hikari freeze dryed worms, tetra color flakes, frozen brine shrimp, and live tubifex worms, though all are affraid of the live worms, and don't eat them, so I stopped feeding them.

Getting back to the subject, I bought an API Master test kit, and after carefully reading how to test the water, I did it yeasterday and came up with the following results. ammonia = 0, Nitrites = 0.5, Nitrates = between 20 and 40, pH = 7.4. I know Nitrites must be 0, and that's what worries me. My fish are looking healthy and normal, I even have 2 fry from one of the platys, living among the plants. I have started doing twice a week water changes since I realize that I am overstocked.

My question is, what can I do eliminate my nitrites so that the reading can be zero and my fish are not being harmed by it.

My water is a little cloudy, not really crystal clear. It looks clean but a little white. I have a natural rainbow stone that I bought at the LFS and I swear it is leaching the white stuff, but then again, I don't really know for shure. I had the stone submerged in water for a week before adding it to my tank and it's been there two weeks already. The platys seem to love it but the tetras don't care about it.

Thanks, I hope you can help!!

Amanda

I would start by doing a good size water change, that will lower the nitrites & nitrates, which should be less than 20.

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!! (if I havent already)
I agree with amanda...a 50% water change and some prime water conditioner or stress coat+ will help and may even cycle the tank on its last step..if the nitrites dont go away, continue the water changes daily until they are gone...alot of us have done this from bad advice and you are on the right track..one thing to remember, a fishies belly is as big as one of their eyes so dont overfeed ....goodluck!

Julii Cory

Thank you Shawnie and Amanda.

I have started using AmQuel+ and NovAqua+ with my water changes. I will do a 50% water change tonight and test tomorrow night.

I really love this forum and read various threads often. I have learned so much, as I never knew anything about fish keeping. I hope to someday soon have a 55 gallon tank.

Thanks again

Julii Cory

Good morning!

I am very happy to say that my readings for nitrite are 0. I did a water test last night and I got the following parameters:
Amonia = 0, Nitrites = 0, Nitrates = between 20 and 40, PH = 7.6, with water temp at 78 F.

Also, the water has cleared significantly, I was really happy to come home and see clear water and extremely happy when I got a reading of zero nitrites.

Do you still recommend a 50% water change, or should I just continue with my 20% twice a week water changes. I think the AmQuel+ helped to end the cycling process.

I'm really thankful for all the help I've gotten from all of you. My fish thank you too.

Shawnie

awesome job!!!!!!!
id still do the water change of 50% because nitrates over 20 could be dangerous...10-20 is great and some even like it under 10....and im so glad things worked out!