Complete Newbie Here....

[backtotropical]

Hi Hooley Hoop,

I'm glad to hear that the whitespot is clearing up nicely.

You should try to reduce ammonia and nitrite to 0.25 or below or you might suffer more casualties or another bout of whitespot.

Water change, water change, water change!!

 

[HooleyHoop]

For a 200L tank do you think that 15% a day is enough or should I do more?

 

[backtotropical]

Difficult to say, it depends on so many variables. Just do as much as it takes to keep both ammonia and nitrite below 0.25.

If either ammonia or nitrite goes over 0.25, you need to do more. Sorry i cant be more specific with quantities, it's just trial and error i'm afraid.

Good luck.

 

[HooleyHoop]

No probs. I'll test the water when I get back and make a decision. If the levels havent droppedat all I'll probably do a 50% change.

 

[HooleyHoop]

todays values!

Ammonium: 0.75 - down from 1.0 so thats a good sign.
Nitrite - 2.0 - still not dropped
Nitrate - 10 - same as.

I'm going to do a 20 - 30% water change tonight and then see how it goes. I'm glad that the ammonium is dropping though.

 

[Stacey13]

For a 200L tank do you think that 15% a day is enough or should I do more?

I don't think so.....I too, cycled my first aquarium with fish........ (I did daily water changes of at least 50%, or more, for what felt like forever!) It's not the volume of the tank you have to consider, it's the ammonia concentration. I still do 50% (once a week) water changes......... fish have never been healthier, and at the rate they're growing, my "big guys" will need an even bigger tank soon!
I believe it's much harder on the fish to suffer the effects of ammonia poisoning, than the negligible changes in pH temp. etc.

 

[HooleyHoop]

Thanks for that Stacey,

I ended up doing a 40% change tonight and will do similar if not 50% tomorrow as well.

chris

 

[paudie22]

hey iv a tank 36 inches by 18 inches high by 12 inches wide. iv 4 zebra danios 8 swordtails 3 mollies and 4 guppys could i fit many more in this tank gona get a pleco as my 1 died but wat else cud i add

 

[HooleyHoop]

Well I've got back late today playing football and am please to say that the final parrot is clearing up his whitespot....probably about 50% better than this morning!

Continuing the good news, my levels are:

Ammonium: 0.25 (0.5 drop from yesterdays large water change!)
Nitrite: 2 (the only down side to my levels)
Nitrate: 10 (has been nice and steady since I got the testing kit).

Chris

 

[backtotropical]

Nice one Hooley Hoop. Just get that nitrite down a bit and you've cracked it. Keep up the water changes, you are doing really well. I can see a happy end in sight...............................................