How Big Of A Water Change Should I Do? Any Other Stuff I Should Do?

The tank's water parameters:
Nitrate about 1 ppm
Nitrite .125 ppm
Ammonia .2-.25 ppm
High range pH 8.1
pH
GH 11 drops, 200 ppm
KH 6 drops, 100 ppm

It's a 20 gallon tank with 5 guppies in it. We had 6, but one poor guy died. Probably because of the ammonia and I feel absolutely awful about it.

The temp of the tank was 82 about 1 1/2 hours ago and somehow got up to about 84, even though I turned the heater down. It's still 84. How big of a water change should I do? Anything else I should do? I'm trying my best to protect these fish.

 

You're cycling, or already cycled?

I'd say you'd want to do about a 50% water change.

 

You're cycling, or already cycled?

I'd say you'd want to do about a 50% water change.

Ok. I think I'll do it with gravel vacuuming. It's time to vacuum the gravel, anyway.

Forgot to mention I am cycling

 

What tester are you using to get 1ppm nitrates, because that is a lot more precise then most over the counter kits. I assume you mean 10ppm which is still great and .25ppm ammonia is insignificant. I wouldn't do more than 30% water change with those low numbers.

 

I keep my temperature around 78° with guppies and my platys.

 

Go easy on the gravel vac while cycling, you don't want to disturb the gravel. The beneficial bacteria grow on all surfaces in the tank, not just in your filter media.

 

What tester are you using to get 1ppm nitrates, because that is a lot more precise then most over the counter kits. I assume you mean 10ppm which is still great and .25ppm ammonia is insignificant. I wouldn't do more than 30% water change with those low numbers.

It was between 0 and 5 with the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and I estimated 1 ppm.

I keep my temperature around 78° with guppies and my platys.

I always attempt to keep guppies in water from 74-82, but this tank is a new set-up, and I just found out today that the heater is too powerful, so I think I have to calibrate it to give a temperature a little lower than the temperature I actually want.

Go easy on the gravel vac while cycling, you don't want to disturb the gravel. The beneficial bacteria grow on all surfaces in the tank, not just in your filter media.

Ah, ****. I forgot about that and I vac'd all of the gravel. Well, maybe it'll work out ok.

What tester are you using to get 1ppm nitrates, because that is a lot more precise then most over the counter kits. I assume you mean 10ppm which is still great and .25ppm ammonia is insignificant. I wouldn't do more than 30% water change with those low numbers.

I did about a 50% water change before I saw you said this.