Can't Get Rid Of The Nitrite!

[fry_lover]

Sorry, one more question. I've cranked up the temperature to 30 degrees. Is that too hot for my platys? I don't want boiled fish!

No point in upping temperature to 30, i see no reason for this to benefit your situation, in fact, it could make it worse. The warmer the water is, the less available oxygen there will be for the fish. Upping temps to this region is normally for treating white-spot and then you need to increase aeration and surface movement at the same time to compensate for reduced available oxygen for the fish.

Whether or not bacteria grow faster at warmer temps, i would be fairly sure that the difference between 26-27 and 30 for your tank right now would be insignificant in terms of speeding up the cycling process.

 

[fry_lover]

Am I allowed to swear on here?! This is so frustrating, I'm trying so hard to get this right and it's all going horribly wrong.

Why did I let my son start us off with all this? Muggins here is the one lugging buckets of water around every day

at least you here trying to sort it out, fish keeping can be a right pain in the rear sometimes! but with your attitude of problem solving, you will have an opportunity to turn it into a very enjoyable hobby! Keep up the dedication and committment and things will get better!

Lizzy, when you're finished there, i got some buckets that need lugging around, its water change time this weekend, you free?

EDIT: i would like to add, that some salt would not be a bad option, it only takes a tiny bit to help reduce the nitrite toxicity for most fish, and platies are salt tolerant (reasonable levels), i am pretty sure you only have x3 platies in there right now?

i cant remember if you have plants in the tank though? Although some plants are okay with very low salt, atleast on a temp basis (Java Fern for example)

Keep up with the water changes (de chlorinated), keep up with the testing, keep up with the posting

 

[Musho3210]

there has been scientific evidence showing that salt helps reduce nitrite toxicity, i think it was that the salt helps prevent the nitrite from binding to the blood cells, but there is no scientific evidence, well at least non that i know of, that shows that it improved gill functions and helps remove carbon dioxide from the fish. If the fish is breathing, it is removing carbon dioxide, i dont see why it would need help on that.....

 

[fry_lover]

oh what the heck, i dont have to be up early.......

http/edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM007

http/www.algone.com/salt_in_fresh.php

http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/salt.shtml

http/hobbies.articlesarchive.net/pond-sa...ealth-fish.html

http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/treatmen...altiinfresh.htm

http/ukdiscus.co.uk/ken_thomson_salt.htm

 

[Musho3210]

anyway no true freshwater fish should have salt with them long term. Ich treatments or something like that is fine but long term is a no no.

 

[Lizzie71]

Thanks for the advice everyone, and I can finally post some much better news! I didn't do a water change yesterday, and I tested the water this morning, which is 24 hours since the last test and I haven't done anything to the tank in between (except feed the fish some tubifex this morning). Amazingly nitrite is now down to 0.1, so I am definitely heading in the right direction

Ammonia is still 0 and the temperature is around 27-28 degrees all the time (the heater is set to 22 so I think I have a faulty thermostat ).

I did another 10 litre water change this morning, and I've now decided to cut down to every other day and see how that goes. If things keep progressing well, I might only be a couple of weeks away from my next trip to the fish shop

Now, I just need to decide what to get........................

 

[fry_lover]

Thanks for the advice everyone, and I can finally post some much better news! I didn't do a water change yesterday, and I tested the water this morning, which is 24 hours since the last test and I haven't done anything to the tank in between (except feed the fish some tubifex this morning). Amazingly nitrite is now down to 0.1, so I am definitely heading in the right direction

Ammonia is still 0 and the temperature is around 27-28 degrees all the time (the heater is set to 22 so I think I have a faulty thermostat ).

I did another 10 litre water change this morning, and I've now decided to cut down to every other day and see how that goes. If things keep progressing well, I might only be a couple of weeks away from my next trip to the fish shop

Now, I just need to decide what to get........................

Regarding the heater being set to 22C, i often have this issue, in fact, no matter what size heater i use (in terms of wattage), what is says on it, is never reflected in the temperature of the tank.

The most important thing is that it stays stable. If you have it set to 22 and your tank is always 27, then your heater is mostly likely fine.

 

[ibbledibble]

Ammonia is still 0 and the temperature is around 27-28 degrees all the time (the heater is set to 22 so I think I have a faulty thermostat ).

when you buy a heater you usually have the option of various different sizes and wattages if you have a heater the suggested size for your tank the temp you set it to will often be close to right but if you have a larger more powerful heater than your tank requires you will need to set it to a lower temperature to get the desired result. thats not a bad thing, its better that your heater is over powered and turned down low than struggling to cope.

 

[Hackett]

anyway no true freshwater fish should have salt with them long term. Ich treatments or something like that is fine but long term is a no no.

You're wrong. Fish need essential salts in their bloodstream just the same as we do. Their skin is so thin that if there is no salt in your tank the essential salts in the fishs blood will "permeate" (think thats the right word i've had a few tinnies) into the water and be dissolved. The salt moves from a high concentration (fish) to a lower concentration (tank water). By adding a SMALL amount of salt to the water this helps the fish keep its essential vitamins and salts in its system. I have ALWAYS used salts in my tank and i have NEVER EVER EVER lost a fish. Obviously it can't be used with some fish, loaches etc...but most tropical fish benefit immensely. Also it keeps down parasites hence ive never had ich in my tank. HTH

Ammonia is still 0 and the temperature is around 27-28 degrees all the time (the heater is set to 22 so I think I have a faulty thermostat ).

when you buy a heater you usually have the option of various different sizes and wattages if you have a heater the suggested size for your tank the temp you set it to will often be close to right but if you have a larger more powerful heater than your tank requires you will need to set it to a lower temperature to get the desired result. thats not a bad thing, its better that your heater is over powered and turned down low than struggling to cope.

Sorry mate but thats rubbish......if its set to 22 degrees it should heat to 22 degrees just a higher wattage should do it quicker.....its like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers.

 

[Musho3210]

how does it help? Think of the amazon basin fish, water with barely, if any, dissolved salts, over the years they have evolved into fish who can successfully balance their salt level in their body with the salt level outside their body. They have naturally evolved into fish not needing any salt to be healthy, they keep their vitamins in, they breathe perfectly fine, their bloodstream is working. What makes this any different when it comes to aquariums?

Your talking of osmotic balance, and it has been proven against you that fish do not need salt to regulate osmotic balance since, due to the theory of evolution, they are barely ever around salt and their bodies learned to adapt that.

Give me some scientific proof that salt is needed for freshwater fish with scales. Having never lost a fish means nothing, salt may not kill them, but does it mean it is regulating their osmotic balance, more people will say they have never lost a fish to not using salt rather than never lost a fish with salt.

Ok, i dare you to become a vegetarian for about.... 5 years, after 5 years eat all this meat in one day, just eat meat for breakfast lunch and dinner, i will almost garuntee you that you will spend a long time over the toilet. Why? Because your body stopped naturally producing enzymes that can help break down that meat, your body is not used to this meat product and cant break it down, therefor causing stomach aches and a nasty case of dihorea.

 

[Hackett]

Ok, i dare you to become a vegetarian for about.... 5 years, after 5 years eat all this meat in one day, just eat meat for breakfast lunch and dinner, i will almost garuntee you that you will spend a long time over the toilet. Why? Because your body stopped naturally producing enzymes that can help break down that meat, your body is not used to this meat product and cant break it down, therefor causing stomach aches and a nasty case of dihorea.

Ok that confused me

Any way it is quite apparent you are not someone who is willing to admit being wrong and England are just about to kick off for a place in the Rugby world cup final so please forgive me for not finding scientific proof blah blah blah.......have a chat on Practical fish keeping i'm sure someone on there will argue with you.........I'll keep using salt, you keep not using it and we can both wonder whether or not there is any osmosis going on.

To the pub.

 

[Musho3210]

it was an example of how animals dont worry about things if they dont have it near them, freshwater fish, no salt, they dont build an immunity to it.

It is even more apparent that you are unable to admit being wrong, seeing that you cannot be bothered finding scientific proof, if more people said that salt was good and/or i got scientific proof, i would believe you, but since more people say salt is bad, and they gave me scientific proof, i find salt bad. Maybe you should do a little more research, scratch out the little part actually.....

Have a chat here with some more experienced and obviously smarter members than you down in the scientific section, im sure someone on there will argue with you.....

 

[fry_lover]

he's NEVER EVER LOST A FISH, well Musho3210 that absolutely HAS to convince me, i am rushing out to the shops and loading up on salt, i cant believe i havent been adding salt to all my tanks all these years, no wonder i've had the odd fish die on me every now and then

 

[Musho3210]

totally, and he has never even had ich before either!!! WOW!!! No more quarantining now that i have salt!!! SALT CURED MY ED!!!

 

[ibbledibble]

Ammonia is still 0 and the temperature is around 27-28 degrees all the time (the heater is set to 22 so I think I have a faulty thermostat ).

when you buy a heater you usually have the option of various different sizes and wattages if you have a heater the suggested size for your tank the temp you set it to will often be close to right but if you have a larger more powerful heater than your tank requires you will need to set it to a lower temperature to get the desired result. thats not a bad thing, its better that your heater is over powered and turned down low than struggling to cope.

Sorry mate but thats rubbish......if its set to 22 degrees it should heat to 22 degrees just a higher wattage should do it quicker.....its like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers.

a heater only heats the water directly around it. if you had it in a large tank and it stopped as soon as the water around it reached the correct temp your tank would not all heat up and the heater would be on, off, on, off, on, off, which is not cost effective and not good for the appliance itself. so the heater stays on for a certain amount of time. in a large tank this time allows all the water to heat to the required temp. in a smaller tank, there is less water to heat so the average temperature tends to get higher. i always buy the larger sizes of heater and i ALWAYS have to set them lower than the temp i require.