ammonia and nitrite problem!

This morning I received my API test kit in the mail so I was pretty happy and straight away went around testing all 3 tanks as well as our tap water. The first two tanks were pretty good considering we just set them up (I was having nightmares of ammonia and nitrites being off the charts and the fish in agony!) but more on that later ... I got to the 3rd tank (10g w 2 goldfish) and now I'm really worried. I did a 35-40% water change on it yesterday with prime, however I am also using melafix and pimafix in that tank at the moment ... do those medicines in anyway effect results? Should I be worried? Should I just dump both goldfish in the 44g? However that might be too much at once for the 44g to handle, so should I move one of the goldfish over?

10g goldfish tank readings:
ammonia 2ppm
nitrite 2ppm
nitrate 10ppm
ph around 7.0 I had trouble telling the difference between those green colours >.<

now the other 2 tanks (both) are:
ammonia between 0ppm - 0.25ppm (again I had trouble telling difference)
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 0ppm
pH 7.6 or over

I did use seeded ceramic rings from the LFS in all 3 tanks however the 2 larger tanks have way more than the 10 gallon because anything I couldn't fit in the filters I put in a filter bag and it's just sitting on the bottom of the tanks.

*Also while I'm here ... where am I in the nitrogen cycle for the 2 larger tanks? I thought 0ppm for ammonia and nitrates are good but then shouldn't I have nitrates showing up?

*PS I also took readings of the tap water:
ammonia between 0.25 - 0.5ppm
nitrite and nitrate 0ppm
pH 7.6 or over

 

If you use seeded media you may experience a minI cycle but for the most part that should be your cycle.

As for the 10 gallon I don't know how big the goldfish are but goldfish are extremely messy I wouldnt keep them in anything smaller than a 30 gallon depending on what kind you have

 

Thanks for the reply luke. And yes I do know 10 gallon is a bit small for 2 oranda, that's why I bought the 44g However since I had to treat them with melafix and pimafix I thought it best to leave them in the 10 gallon for now plus I didn't want to overload the 44g at one time.

I was a bit worried about my ammonia and nitrites so I just did a 30% waterchange with prime on them again. From what I remember it's best not to test water until 24hrs after using prime?

Also I'm really worried about 1 of my goldfish ... right now he has started to float while leaning to one side. But I'm really not sure what I can do to help him ... He has never been very well in my opinion even from the first day we got him. While his partner will quite happily swim around he has always been a bit lethargic and has had a multitude of problems including swim bladder disorder and currently has what looks to me like the first signs of tail rot (thus why he is on mela and pimafix). So I'm not sure if he has always had an underlying problem (perhaps from the bad conditions of the shop he was in?) and with all the shock of going into a new tank it has made it worse and he just can't take it anymore. I am sort of at a loss

 

So my goldfish does seem to be a bit better, not tilting to one side quite so much. However I am still worried about him. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions I would really appreciate it!

 

hI sky

whats in your 44g at the moment?

do you have any plants in because if you haven't and you havr no nitrates I would say your tank isn't cycled yet

how long have they been set up for?

 

hI sky

whats in your 44g at the moment?

Only 6 zebra danios.

 

hI sky

whats in your 44g at the moment?

do you have any plants in because if you haven't and you havr no nitrates I would say your tank isn't cycled yet

how long have they been set up for?

Sorry, didn't see the rest of your post >.< I have one medium size anubius and 2 smaller plants that I don't really know what they are. So yes I have some plants but in no way are the tanks heavily planted. I think they've been setup for about a week now? The info should be in my profile if that helps.

 

you mentioned you have 3 tanks, a 10 gallon and 44g, what's the other 1?

scatch that, just read your profile

my bad

 

I would say your tanks arnt cycled, with only a few plants you should have nitrates

I don't know if platties and zebras get along but if they do you could put the zebras in the 33g and use the 44g for your goldies

seeing as you are cycling with fish I would check out tetra safe start (TTS )
I haven't used it myself but a lot of people on here recommend it for in fish cycling

 

Thank you for the replies baggy007! I was pretty sure I should have nitrates if I was fully cycled. Looks like I will just have to continue with daily water changes and keep testing to keep an eye on things. And I would love to use TSS, I actually looked for it in every store I went to until I found out you can't get it in Australia -.- some sort of customs law.

Also I was planning to put the goldfish in the 44g with the danios because I was told they will probably go ok. In the chance that they don't then I'll move the danios elsewhere.

 

the goldies would love the 44

if I was you I would double check if danios are a nippy fish, if so I think they would bother your goldies, also orandas are slow swimming and the zebras might be to busy for them

if I were you I would put the platties and danios together in the 33g

put the orandas in the 44g

do 20/30% w/c until you start showing nitrates

use the 10 gallon for a hospital tank

have you read up on garlic for fish?
there are a few posts on here about this, I soak my food in it once a week just to keep my fish happy

have you tried giving them peas?

remember the best thing for fish is clean water

hope this is of some help to you

 

From what I have read up danios can be nippy fish if not in large enough schools (eg 5 or less). I would really like to at least try the danios and goldfish together but I admit I will have to keep a really close eye one them.

And yes I have been down the pea path, I was feeding them peas as well as their regular pellets however that didn't seem to be good enough so I put them on a pea only diet for 2 days (nothing but peas for 2 days and then 1 day of fasting). This did a lot to help the poor goldfish with his swim bladder disorder so he could now go to the bottom of the tank without having to fight not to float back up. However it did nothing to improve his other symptoms eg being lethargic / not moving often.

Thank you for the garlic advice, I will go out tomorrow and get some!

I will also try moving the orandas to the bigger tank tomorrow. I am just really hoping the sick one survives the transfer! He is that lethargic and weak I am not sure he would make it

 

I dare say the ammonia and nitrites could be causing his problem, fresh clean water dosed with prime is the way I would go

keep us posted with your progress