Frustrated Over Water Conditions

[pspraul]

I'm new here, so I hope I'm doing this right.
I have a 36 gal bow front tank up for about 6 weeks now. Testing with API master test kit, my levels are
ammonia - 4.0
nitrite = 50
nitate - 50
ph - 7.4
fish are acting normal(no stress or erratic behavior)
I can't get this cycle to balance out. I have a Marineland 150 Bio-wheel,hydro sponge filter,and canister filter(plenty of filtration)
substrate is gravel and I'm feeding just a pinch every other day.
2 mollies
3 tetras
3 cory cats
2 zebras
water changes are 10 gallons every 2 days with Aquasafe conditioner every time
took water to LFS to double check and they used test strip not liquid
ammonia - .75
nitrite - 35
nitrate - 15
ph - 7.4
I got another API master test kit and just checked the ammonia (2.0)
used another tetra test strip I had and it read (3.0)
I'm pulling my hair out trying to get this under control,but it's getting agravating.
please help

 

[alistairw]

Hi there

Your levels are extremely high....lethaly high!! I take it that nitrite reading is 5.0 not 50!

Hopefully you realise that ammonia and nitrite should both be 0.0 otherwise you are seriously risking the health of your fish. Either they will die or their life span will be shortened.

I would do a 90% water change now and test again in a couple of hours. If still high, do another 90% change. Read the stuff in the beginners resource centre so you know why.

You will probably have to do this every day to keep your levels down at 0.0. 10 gal every 2 days is not enough.

Stick with your API master kit, they are reliable. The test strips are next to useless and the LFS really should know better.

On a good point, it looks like your fish in cycle is well on its way as the bacteria are converting ammonia to nitrite and then another type of bacteria is converting the nitrite to nitrate. You just need to makesure you keep ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm.

Keep with the regular testing and regular water changes and you should be OK.

Good luck!

 

[phoenixgsd]

agree with the above, those readings are leathaly high for a fish in cycle, fish in cycles require huge water changes every day using a liquid based kit, your LFS should know better, have a read of the link in my signature on fish in cycles

 

[ColR1948]

I also use Seachem Prime when doing water changes, that is one of the best for reducing Ammonia and Nitrite plus removes Chlorine and Chloramine.